Food-inspection funds were cut in ’08

February 11, 2009 at 12:00a.m.

COLUMBUS (AP) — Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland vetoed about $52,000 for food-safety inspections last year in the state that has reported the most cases of salmonella linked to a national outbreak that began in September.

The state Department of Health said Tuesday that 89 cases of salmonella have been reported in the state, with patients reporting the onset of symptoms as recently as Jan. 24. Twenty-nine cases have resulted in hospitalization, and officials say an infection may have contributed to one death.

Ohio remains the state with the largest number of cases, according to the latest numbers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nationwide, 600 people have been infected in the outbreak linked to tainted peanut products, and more than 1,840 foods have been recalled.

The Ohio Health Department also says testing on peanut butter samples from a Delaware County long-term care facility found salmonella matching the outbreak strain.

Last year, Strickland wrangled with the Legislature over how much to spend on food safety inspections conducted by the Ohio Department of Agriculture, which can cost between $300 and $600. Strickland, a Democrat, stripped the inspection funding from a budget he was trying to keep lean in the face of grim economic projections.

The Legislature, with both chambers controlled by Republicans, restored the funding in budget adjustments it passed last June.

State Rep. Shannon Jones, a Springboro Republican who championed the restored funding, said she saw the spending as vital.

“The bottom line is that food-safety inspection is a fundamental government responsibility, and we ought to be funding that adequately,” she said. “I believe there’s an expectation among people that their food is going to be safe, and the only entity that’s in the position to do that is the government.”

In his veto message, Strickland cut about $18 million that lawmakers wanted to use from the state’s rainy day fund, including money for food-safety inspections, school bus inspections, animal disease control and other services.

“With the potential for more economic challenges in the future, it is premature to draw resources from the budget stabilization fund at this time,” Strickland wrote, referring the rainy day fund.

Ohio’s economy did get worse, and Strickland has proposed zeroing out the rainy day fund to balance the next two-year budget, which is now being debated.

At the time of the veto, Strickland said he was confident his veto wouldn’t affect Ohio’s ability “to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public.”

In making the cuts, agriculture officials worked closely with state budgeters to assure there was no reduction in the state’s inspection abilities, said Strickland spokeswoman Amanda Wurst.

It is unclear how the $52,000 might have affected the impact of the salmonella outbreak on Ohio, said Cindy Kalis, a spokeswoman for the state agriculture department. She said the department’s primary responsibility is to inspect food manufacturing sites in Ohio.

The peanut ingredient that has been recalled was produced in Georgia.

“In terms of food safety here in Ohio, we’re very confident in the testing that we do,” she said.

Kalis acknowledged that the agriculture department’s 15 food-safety inspectors have the ability to help federal, state and local health departments when asked to carry out recalls.