Posted on 10/11/2003 5:33:19 PM PDT by SheLion
WASHINGTON, Oct 10 (Reuters) - There is a "high likelihood" within the coming year of a deliberate attack or accidental outbreak in the U.S. food supply that sickens a large number of people, the Food and Drug Administration (News - Websites) said on Friday.
Although no specific threats were identified, the FDA said it came to the conclusion because of recent foodborne outbreaks and recent reports that al Qaeda was plotting to poison the food supply.
"FDA has concluded that there is a high likelihood, over the course of a year, that a significant number of people will be affected by an act of food terrorism or by an incident of unintentional food contamination that results in serious foodborne illness," the agency said in a declassified report.
The food supply was especially vulnerable to an attack due to the broad range of biological and chemical agents that can be used, the FDA said.
The agency said salmonella, E. coli 0157:H7 and ricin pose a significant threat because of there easy dissemination to food. Anthrax and botulism were considered the most deadly.
"The relative centralization of food production in the U.S. and the global distribution of food products give food a unique susceptibility," the FDA said.
Last month, the FBI warned that "terrorists might use two naturally occurring toxins, nicotine and solanine, to poison U.S. food or water supplies." The FBI said "terrorist manuals and documents" recovered in Afghanistan referred to the use of these substances as poisons.
Contaminated food sickens one out of four Americans annually, or about 76 million illnesses, and 5,000 deaths, according to government data. Almost all of these cases are unintentional.
The FDA said there were "many points of vulnerability to sabotage" in food production and distribution that could sicken many people.
Due in part to this, the agency said officials in some cases may not be able to determine if a foodborne outbreak was intentional or not.
There have been several incidents of food sabotage in the United States.
In 1984, a religious cult contaminated salad bars with salmonella in order to disrupt a local election. That caused 751 illnesses, including 45 hospitalizations.
Most recently, a supermarket employee plead guilty in May to intentionally poisoning 200 pounds of ground beef with an insecticide containing nicotine. Although the meat was sold in only one store, 111 people fell ill.
Other than causing mass illnesses, the agency said the food supply was also a target because of the potential for great economic loss.
"Food terrorists may have economic disruption as their primary motive," the FDA said.
The Agriculture Department estimates that foodborne illnesses from five pathogens costs the economy $6.9 billion annually.
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Hmmm, which is it? "Deliberate attack" or "accidental outbreak?" Is this a real warning, or a play for more funding on the Homeland Security gravy train?
Murderous things killed Harvey Milk... with bullets, as I recall.
This point was made repeatedly by some now banned and otherwise inactive posters. The typical reaction was to brand them as a) doomsdayers, b) socialists/populists/liberals, or c) disruptors. Take your pick.
Oh...oops. Silly me. I was forgetting that being sensitive to terrorists and criminal aliens is more important than national security and public safety.
What are we prepared to do?
"Kill the brain, and you kill the ghoul."
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