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Research Reports
Food Safety and the Civil Justice System
Litigation has proved vital for Americans’ food safety
September 2015Every year, 48 million people fall sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and at least 3,000 die from foodborne illnesses, costing the nation approximately $77 billion—and this is only the tip of the iceberg. For each reported case, many more go unreported. When food companies put profits before safety, and the regulatory system proves unable to force change, it has fallen to the civil justice system to protect consumers.