Regarding food testing:

[chknltl]

The topic about poisonous substances in our foods is a reoccurring one here in the DU. Most recently Halloween candy was the subject. While searching out material for a response a fellow DUer ran across a relevant discussion in a blog by Pet Connection. I found this post within that blog's discussion and felt it deserved our attention. I have no way, (that I am aware of) of contacting the author so yes I am re-posting this without her permission. That said, I think the author's notion deserves discussion in the DU so I'm posting it as is:



Comment by Annie — September 30, 2008 @ 7:32 (about midway in the thread at this link):
http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2008/09/28/fda-fiddle ...

quote:

What we need in this country is for a group of retired chemists and microbiologists to form a product/ingredient testing organization to be run for the benefit of people who can’t afford to pay for expensive testing of suspect pet and human food items. Incorporated as a nonprofit, public service 501 C (3) charitable organization they could donate their time and expertise to perform the tests. Companies that use chemical and microbiological assay equipment could donate older model equipment as a tax writeoff. Cash-strapped, commercial property construction companies, overloaded with unsold, vacant warehouse/business properties, could similarly donate use of a vacant building, as could manufacturers of lab consumables (chemicals, reagents, labware, etc.) and computer gear. John Q Public would then have a source of affordable/low cost testing for any and all ingestable foods, additives, preservatives, nutriceuticals, etc. they felt were suspect. My bet - it would become rapidly apparent that the things we and our pets ingest are widely contaminated, not only with melamine, but with a whole litany of other dangerous materials that the FDA should have been protecting us from all along.

If someone could pull this off, and find a statistically significant cross-section of contaminated/adulterated products on US shelves, it just might finally be possible to light a big enough fire under American citizens that they’d wake up and DEMAND change.

Yeah . . . I know . . . dream on. But think how many baby boomers with the requisite skills are retiring every day and might be willing and able, if not anxious, to contribute their expertise! As a retired baby boomer who’s heavily involved in a variety of animal rescue organizations, I can tell you there’s an ever-increasing pool of volunteers with an amazing cross-section of skills/expertise out there waiting to be tapped. And, as we all know, in the U.S. if you want something done, you’ve got to do it yourself. There’s not a government agency left with the funding, personnel and leadership required to carry out its designated functions.

Now somebody please, please tell me this organization already exists and how/where to send samples for testing!"
end-quote