On Tuesday, the Senate approved the Food Safety Modernization Act with bipartisan support, 73-25. The bill, a similar version of which passed the House in 2009, could be the first major food safety legislation to become law in more than seven decades. In either form, the bill would strengthen the Food and Drug Administration's powers to regulate food production and administer recalls. The legislation comes on the heels of a rash of high-profile recalls, including a massive peanut recall in early 2009 and last summer's recall of more than half a billion eggs.
Below are the top foods and medical products that have been at the center of FDA recalls since January 2009. Many of the 222 nut recalls that top the list were due to the peanut salmonella scare in early 2009. Likewise, a vast majority of recalled snack bars and trail mixes, No. 2 on the list, were pulled from the market because they contained peanuts potentially tainted with salmonella.
| Product Type | Number of recalls |
|---|---|
| Nuts | 222 |
| Snack Bars and Trail Mixes | 204 |
| Baked goods | 94 |
| Medications and Supplements | 94 |
| Candy | 90 |
| Fruits and Vegetables | 84 |
| Ice Cream | 79 |
| Medical Supplies | 49 |
| Condiments | 45 |
| Animal Feed | 36 |
| Cheese | 36 |
Source: U.S. News analysis of Food and Drug Administration data.
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Reader Comments Read all comments (1)
Maynard of CA 11:23PM December 08, 2010