| Safe Tables Our Priority (S.T.O.P.)
is a non-profit grassroots organization
devoted to victim assistance, public education, and policy
advocacy for safe food and public health.
S.T.O.P.'s
mission is to prevent unnecessary illness and loss of life
from pathogenic foodborne illness. We believe that in the
United States today, people should not be made seriously ill,
permanently injured or killed by pathogens such as the preventable contamination of bacteria
or viruses in our food supply. S.T.O.P. does not take a stand on
other types of food safety issues such as pesticides.
Each
year, contaminated food causes millions of illnesses and thousands
of deaths in the United States. Although no one is safe, those
with weakened immune systems, particularly children and the
elderly, are most vulnerable to death or permanent disability.
Our program
has three objectives:
- To
provide information and improve services to those made ill
by food. S.T.O.P. provides information and support to victims
and their families through our hotline (800-350-S.T.O.P.) website, medical resources,
and information clearinghouse, and promotes proper diagnostic
and treatment practices in the medical community.
- To
prevent foodborne disease by building awareness of the causes and outcomes of those diseases, and providing information about ways to prevent them. Through
public education and media campaigns, S.T.O.P. seeks to
empower consumers with the information they need to protect
themselves.
- To
reform government and industry practices that permit pathogenic
contamination of our food before it arrives in our kitchens
or restaurants. These elements include: animal husbandry
and slaughtering; the use of manure and the exposure of
produce to animal fecal matter; processing practices; importation
standards; food service handling and preparation; packaging;
and animal and food transportation.
In other
words, from farm to fork, S.T.O.P.'s grassroots advocacy brings
a powerful voice for consumers to debates on food safety policy
and regulatory reform at the local and national levels. |
