Hoping to spur legislators to pass food safety reforms, three prominent consumer groups Wednesday released a report identifying 85 recalls triggered by contaminated foods nationwide over the last 13 months -- the majority linked to the potentially deadly bacteria salmonella, the pathogen responsible for the country's largest ever egg recall last month.

Of the 85 recalls, 56 affected Pennsylvania, according to the study.

The recalls involved products ranging from chocolate-covered peanuts made by Kilwin's Quality Confections, Herr Foods' kettle-style potato chips, black pepper sold by Mincing Overseas Spice Co., Chicken of the Sea white tuna and Freshway Foods' shredded romaine lettuce.

While most of the tainted foods were not connected to outbreaks, nine recalls were tied to at least 1,850 illnesses, including 1,470 illnesses from salmonella infected eggs recalled in August, the report said.

Many more people likely were stricken than the numbers indicate because most food-related illnesses are not reported, according to the study authored by consumer groups Center for Science in the Public Interest along with the U.S. Public Interest Research Group and Consumer Federation of America.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates tens of millions of Americans get sick every year from food borne illnesses, with hundreds of thousands hospitalized and 5,000 deaths.

In July 2009, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a package of reforms called the Food Safety Enhancement Act. The Senate's version of the bill, the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, has stalled.

Noting that contaminated foods often are already on store shelves and on kitchen tables when recalls are announced, the consumer groups urged the Senate to give the Food and Drug Administration the tools needed to prevent future outbreaks.

"Too many of us heard about the egg recall as we sat down to breakfast and had to wonder where the omelet on our plate came from," said Alana Miller, program associate with the Pennsylvania Public Interest Research Group.

Both bills would give the FDA the authority to set safety standards and order recalls when standards are not met. In addition, the bills would require the agency to increase the frequency of inspections.

To read the Recipe for Disaster report, visit http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/recipefordisaster-recalls.pdf.

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