I have worked either directly or indirectly for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service (USDA/ERS) for over 25 years. I am currently on detail to USDA’s Office of the Chief Economist as the USDA Food Loss and Waste Liaison. Most recently, as part of a USDA/EPA interagency collaboration, I was on a six-month detail at the Environmental Protection Agency as a Senior Policy Analyst. Phone: 202 694-5370 Address: USDA/ Economic Research Service 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Mail Stop 1800 Washington, DC 20250-1800
USDA is now requiring all Federally inspected meat and poultry processing and slaughter plants to... more USDA is now requiring all Federally inspected meat and poultry processing and slaughter plants to implement a new system called Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) to reduce potentially harmful microbial pathogens in the food supply. This report finds that the benefits of the new regulations, which are the medical costs and productivity losses that are prevented when foodborne illnesses are averted, will likely exceed the costs, which include spending by firms on sanitation, temperature control, planning and training, and testing. Other, nonregulatory approaches can also improve food safety, such as providing market incentives for pathogen reduction, irradiation, and education and labeling to promote safe food handling and thorough cooking.
World health statistics quarterly. Rapport trimestriel de statistiques sanitaires mondiales, 1997
This article presents the economic costs of foodborne diseases for selected countries, the approa... more This article presents the economic costs of foodborne diseases for selected countries, the approaches used to calculate these costs, and a discussion on the interaction between microbial food safety issues and international trade in food. The human illness costs due to foodborne pathogens are estimated most completely in the United States of America, where, each year, 7 foodborne pathogens (Campylobacter jejuni, Clostridium perfringens, Escherichia coli O157:H7. Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, and Toxoplasma gondii) cause an estimated 3.3-12.3 million cases of foodborne illness and up to 3900 deaths. These 7 pathogens are found in animal products and cost the United States an estimated $6.5-$34.9 billion (1995 US$) annually. The presence of foodborne pathogens in a country's food supply not only affects the health of the local population, but also represents a potential for spread to pathogens to visitors to the country and to consumers in countries wh...
This article provides an introduction to the economic costs and burden of foodborne disease. Afte... more This article provides an introduction to the economic costs and burden of foodborne disease. After a brief overview of the different types of societal costs of foodborne disease and a discussion of why they are important to be estimated, the article discusses some of the main epidemiological and methodological challenges when estimating the economic costs and burden of foodborne disease, and the most common estimation methods. The article concludes with a sample of US and international estimates of the economic costs and burden of foodborne disease and a discussion of future directions. The views expressed here are the author’s and may not be attributed to the Economic Research Service or the US Department of Agriculture.
World health statistics quarterly. Rapport trimestriel de statistiques sanitaires mondiales, 1997
This article presents the economic costs of foodborne diseases for selected countries, the approa... more This article presents the economic costs of foodborne diseases for selected countries, the approaches used to calculate these costs, and a discussion on the interaction between microbial food safety issues and international trade in food. The human illness costs due to foodborne pathogens are estimated most completely in the United States of America, where, each year, 7 foodborne pathogens (Campylobacter jejuni, Clostridium perfringens, Escherichia coli O157:H7. Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, and Toxoplasma gondii) cause an estimated 3.3-12.3 million cases of foodborne illness and up to 3900 deaths. These 7 pathogens are found in animal products and cost the United States an estimated $6.5-$34.9 billion (1995 US$) annually. The presence of foodborne pathogens in a country's food supply not only affects the health of the local population, but also represents a potential for spread to pathogens to visitors to the country and to consumers in countries wh...
Abstract: This chapter presents eight epidemiological and methodological challenges that hinder t... more Abstract: This chapter presents eight epidemiological and methodological challenges that hinder the estimation of the economic costs and burden of foodborne disease. The chapter begins with a brief overview of the different types of societal costs of foodborne disease, why they are important to estimate, the general principles of economic analysis for US food safety regulations and the World Health Organization’s collaboration to estimate the global burden of foodborne disease. The chapter summarizes the main methods used to value the costs or burden of foodborne disease and provides examples of US and international estimates.
Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, 1995
This study demonstrates how contingent valuation techniques can be used in a cost-benefit analysi... more This study demonstrates how contingent valuation techniques can be used in a cost-benefit analysis of a food safety policy issue. The analysis focuses on banning a specific postharvest pesticide used in fresh grapefruit packinghouses. Benefits of the ban are measured using consumers' aggregated willingness to pay (WTP) for safer grapefruit. A national contingent valuation survey used the payment card method to obtain WTP data. Costs of the ban stem predominantly from increased postharvest losses and were estimated using a model of the market for Florida grapefruit. Results indicate that benefits of the ban outweigh costs.
USDA is now requiring all Federally inspected meat and poultry processing and slaughter plants to... more USDA is now requiring all Federally inspected meat and poultry processing and slaughter plants to implement a new system called Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) to reduce potentially harmful microbial pathogens in the food supply. This report finds that the benefits of the new regulations, which are the medical costs and productivity losses that are prevented when foodborne illnesses are averted, will likely exceed the costs, which include spending by firms on sanitation, temperature control, planning and training, and testing. Other, nonregulatory approaches can also improve food safety, such as providing market incentives for pathogen reduction, irradiation, and education and labeling to promote safe food handling and thorough cooking.
World health statistics quarterly. Rapport trimestriel de statistiques sanitaires mondiales, 1997
This article presents the economic costs of foodborne diseases for selected countries, the approa... more This article presents the economic costs of foodborne diseases for selected countries, the approaches used to calculate these costs, and a discussion on the interaction between microbial food safety issues and international trade in food. The human illness costs due to foodborne pathogens are estimated most completely in the United States of America, where, each year, 7 foodborne pathogens (Campylobacter jejuni, Clostridium perfringens, Escherichia coli O157:H7. Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, and Toxoplasma gondii) cause an estimated 3.3-12.3 million cases of foodborne illness and up to 3900 deaths. These 7 pathogens are found in animal products and cost the United States an estimated $6.5-$34.9 billion (1995 US$) annually. The presence of foodborne pathogens in a country's food supply not only affects the health of the local population, but also represents a potential for spread to pathogens to visitors to the country and to consumers in countries wh...
This article provides an introduction to the economic costs and burden of foodborne disease. Afte... more This article provides an introduction to the economic costs and burden of foodborne disease. After a brief overview of the different types of societal costs of foodborne disease and a discussion of why they are important to be estimated, the article discusses some of the main epidemiological and methodological challenges when estimating the economic costs and burden of foodborne disease, and the most common estimation methods. The article concludes with a sample of US and international estimates of the economic costs and burden of foodborne disease and a discussion of future directions. The views expressed here are the author’s and may not be attributed to the Economic Research Service or the US Department of Agriculture.
World health statistics quarterly. Rapport trimestriel de statistiques sanitaires mondiales, 1997
This article presents the economic costs of foodborne diseases for selected countries, the approa... more This article presents the economic costs of foodborne diseases for selected countries, the approaches used to calculate these costs, and a discussion on the interaction between microbial food safety issues and international trade in food. The human illness costs due to foodborne pathogens are estimated most completely in the United States of America, where, each year, 7 foodborne pathogens (Campylobacter jejuni, Clostridium perfringens, Escherichia coli O157:H7. Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, and Toxoplasma gondii) cause an estimated 3.3-12.3 million cases of foodborne illness and up to 3900 deaths. These 7 pathogens are found in animal products and cost the United States an estimated $6.5-$34.9 billion (1995 US$) annually. The presence of foodborne pathogens in a country's food supply not only affects the health of the local population, but also represents a potential for spread to pathogens to visitors to the country and to consumers in countries wh...
Abstract: This chapter presents eight epidemiological and methodological challenges that hinder t... more Abstract: This chapter presents eight epidemiological and methodological challenges that hinder the estimation of the economic costs and burden of foodborne disease. The chapter begins with a brief overview of the different types of societal costs of foodborne disease, why they are important to estimate, the general principles of economic analysis for US food safety regulations and the World Health Organization’s collaboration to estimate the global burden of foodborne disease. The chapter summarizes the main methods used to value the costs or burden of foodborne disease and provides examples of US and international estimates.
Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, 1995
This study demonstrates how contingent valuation techniques can be used in a cost-benefit analysi... more This study demonstrates how contingent valuation techniques can be used in a cost-benefit analysis of a food safety policy issue. The analysis focuses on banning a specific postharvest pesticide used in fresh grapefruit packinghouses. Benefits of the ban are measured using consumers' aggregated willingness to pay (WTP) for safer grapefruit. A national contingent valuation survey used the payment card method to obtain WTP data. Costs of the ban stem predominantly from increased postharvest losses and were estimated using a model of the market for Florida grapefruit. Results indicate that benefits of the ban outweigh costs.
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