The overwhelmed FDA (Boston Globe)

[Eugene]

Source: Boston Globe

WILLIAM HUBBARD

The overwhelmed FDA

By William Hubbard | June 3, 2007

THOUSANDS OF pet deaths from spiked wheat gluten, raising fears
that humans could be next. Millions of shipments of imported foods
from China, Vietnam, and other developing countries flooding into
the country each year with no inspection by US authorities.
Repeated foodborne outbreaks often resulting in deaths and severe
illnesses -- from US-produced spinach, sprouts, peanut butter, and
other common foods. A plummeting drop in public confidence in the
government's ability to protect our food supply.

The bad news about our food seems to keep on coming, and it all
points to the inevitable conclusion that the Food and Drug
Administration cannot provide the protections for which it was
created. What has happened to this century-old consumer
protection agency that has led the way in establishing a safety
net for consumer products on which Americans have so long relied?

The most common thread in FDA's declining ability to carry out its
responsibilities is a steady, debilitating drop in funding. The agency
is simply overwhelmed by an ever-increasing workload, constant
congressional demands to do more with less, and righteous
indignation when the agency fails to meet unreasonable expectations.

With the exception of FDA's drug review program, which is funded
increasingly by industry "user fees," FDA's budget has been declining
for a decade. Just as our schools cannot educate our children
without teachers and fires cannot be extinguished without a fire
department, our food supply cannot be inspected and monitored
without the highly skilled scientists at the FDA.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2007/06/03/the_overwhelmed_fda

[orpupilofnature57]

1. To bad Pharmaceutical Companies money isn't more Useful.

in general safety ,good to see the 1% still milking it though.