Republican Bush's FDA a sorry mess on food safety

[Guest Harry Hope]

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/story.aspx?guid=%7BEB3CEE91%2DA9C9%2D4F9A%2DB917%2DED7FC0A4B393%7D&siteid=rss

 

Jul 17, 2007

 

FDA a 'sorry mess' on food safety, lawmaker says

 

By Rex Nutting, MarketWatch

 

 

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) --

 

Government oversight of the U.S. food supply is a "sorry mess," a top

lawmaker charged Tuesday, promising to fight for legislation to pour

more resources into the Food and Drug Administration in the wake of a

flurry of reports of tainted food.

 

Congressional investigators told the House Energy and Commerce

Committee Tuesday that the FDA lacks the resources and authority to

ensure food safety, and that the FDA's recent decision to reorganize

its food-safety division and to close and consolidate labs would

probably make matters worse.

 

In the wake of reports of contaminated food not only from China but

also from domestic processors, the FDA's approach of relying on

voluntary compliance "appears inadequate in responding to the changing

food industry," said David Nelson, a senior investigator for the

committee.

 

"FDA's ill-conceived decision to close seven of its 13 laboratories

likely would expose American consumers to even more danger from unsafe

foods, particularly imports," said Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., chairman

of the oversight subcommittee.

 

Criticism of the FDA was bipartisan.

 

"The FDA must enter the 21st century," said Rep. Marsha Blackburn,

R-Tenn.

 

Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., chairman of the full committee, said that

the recent reports of unsafe food showed "the sorry state of federal

oversight of the domestic food supply" and called the FDA "a sorry

mess."

 

He promised legislation soon to provide more funding to the FDA for

food safety and to give the agency more authority to monitor, test and

respond.

 

The head of the FDA, Andrew von Eschenbach, defended his agency's

record, citing the quick response to contamination of fresh spinach

and peanut butter last year.

 

"The American food supply continues to be among the safest in the

world," he said in his testimony.

 

"Although we have made progress, much remains to be done."

 

Von Eschenbach added that the reorganization and consolidation of FDA

labs would save money and improve the testing of suspect foods.

 

"With rapid-delivery services widely available, these laboratories do

not need to be near every sample collection site."

 

But staff investigator Nelson commented that the reorganization

appears to be "counterproductive" and needlessly wasteful.

 

"FDA has failed to provide any analysis justifying this radical

reorganization," he testified, saying that decisions about which

district offices to close appeared to be based upon vacancies or

pending retirements of district directors.

 

_______________________________________________

 

Now why would one expect an industry-controlled FDA would be

adequately funded to protect the American consumer?

 

Harry