Caroline Smith DeWaal

Caroline Smith DeWaal is director of food safety at the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a nonprofit consumer advocacy organization. In the following viewpoint, DeWaal argues that the events of 1997 indicate that food-borne illnesses are a growing problem in the United States. She contends that the government regulatory apparatus charged with ensuring the safety of the nation’s food supply is fragmented into multiple departments, resulting in inefficient and ineffective oversight. DeWaal calls for legislative reforms that would give greater regulatory powers to the government and centralize its food safety operations in one agency.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. Why are outbreaks of food-borne illnesses underreported, according to DeWaal?
2. What are some of the government agencies that share responsibility for inspecting food, according to DeWaal...