Who is most to blame? Survey says: consumers

The latest Fresh Talk poll has ended, and not without a little controversy. Here is the question and the results.

Who do you think is to blame for most cases of foodborne illness?


Growers 11 (26%)
Retailers 5 (12%)
Foodservice operators 10 (24%)
Consumers 15 (36%)

TK: For a complete reading of this issue, you must turn to a discussion of this question at the the Food Safe Group. Find that thread here. I found that I should have added "lawyers" and "transportation" to the list of suspects. Here is one thoughtful response from that discussion group:

Carl Hansen wrote:

Consumers and patients have no way of knowing if the food they receive is provided free of contamination and handled in a safe manner. Production schedules and practices go against food safety in many restaurants and health facilities. If employees do not work fast enough they receive warnings and termination notices from their employer. Training offered on Monday is often forgotten and not in application by Thursday. The management principles of Deming are rarely in practice. Safety strategies are not given a prime position by the leaders and people controlling the money. Plants, animals as well as humans have immune systems that do poorly when they are malnourished, stressed, inadequately or inappropriately supplemented or poorly treated. How to manage pests and microbes in truck produce is well established gives the best guarantee that consumers will enjoy healthy food. It comes down to safe food handling being a realistic practice in a hygienic environment with built-in failsafe systems on ongoing monitoring of quality measures and hazards established and funded by corporate leaders.