In an interesting and poignant blog entry on
www.marlerblog.com posted over the 4
th of July weekend, food liability guru Bill Marler of Seattle’s Marler Clark calls on the two presidential candidates to make food safety a priority in their push for the White House.
Marler provides the presidential hopefuls with an 11-point checklist on how the nation’s food supply can be made safer. This comes on the heels of recent recalls of tomatoes and ground beef, blamed for outbreaks of foodborne illnesses to Americans nationwide.
Some of Marler’s suggestions include increased food inspections; better cooperation between governmental departments; improved training for food handlers; and stronger legal consequences for companies found responsible for sickening consumers.
While out on the campaign trail stumping for votes, Marler implores the candidates to remember the importance of food safety, even if only to strengthen their chance to take up residence on Pennsylvania Ave. next year.
“In America in 2008 it is criminal, that according to the CDC, every year nearly a quarter of our population is sickened, 350,000 hospitalized and 5,000 die, because they ate food,” Marler writes. “People who eat food and get sick also vote. Mr. McCain, Mr. Obama, do the math.”