New federal Web site tracks food recalls

U.S. government officials unveiled a consumer Web site Wednesday designed to provide the latest information on food safety and food recalls in one place.

Tom Vilsack, secretary of agriculture and Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of health and human services and co-chairman of the Obama administration’s Food Safety Working Group, said the new site features information from all the agencies across the federal government that deal with critical food and food safety information.

The site, at www.foodsafety.gov, also includes preventive tips about how to handle food safely, alerts on life-saving food recalls and the latest news from the key agencies.

The Web site provides consumers with one place to sign up to receive e-mail and RSS alerts on recalled or potentially unsafe food and information on food safety.

The highest mission of any government is keeping its citizens safe, Sebelius said in a statement.

We see public health as an essential part of that mission and this new Web site as an essential way we will can help keep people safe from unhealthy food and food handling practices and up-to-date on critical food recalls.