Former FDA staffers and consumer advocacy groups are pointing to reforming the FDA as something the Obama administration should make a priority. Rob Stein of The Washington Post writes that “the FDA needs an infusion of strong leadership, money, technology and personnel – and perhaps a major restructuring, say former officials, members of Congress, watchdog groups and various government reports.”
Bill Powell, in Time magazine, reports on tainted foods, drugs, pet foods and toys imported from China and that FDA inspections of Chinese plants is spotty.
Sam Roe of the Chicago Tribune recently investigated food recalls and found that “the government rarely inspects food to find problems and doesn’t punish companies that repeatedly violate labeling laws.” The Tribune created a database of 2,800 recalls related to food allergies over the past 10 years and “found that roughly five products a week are recalled because of hidden allergens, making it one of the top reasons any consumer product in America is recalled.”
Roberta Baskin of WJLA-Washington, D.C., reports that the FDA does not regulate the caffeine content of energy drinks. She says, “Last year the National Capital Poison Center logged 65 calls from people worried about a caffeine overdose. Half were referred to emergency rooms… .” and that “the $5 billion energy drink industry is aggressively adding more caffeine with virtually no regulation. The FDA does require prescription and over-the-counter drugs like NoDoz to list how much drug is in a package. But there’s no requirement to list how big a dose goes into foods and drinks.”
Kent Garber reported in U.S. News & World Report that third-party “food-safety consultants” are increasingly taking over the job of making sure food manufacturers meet federal guidelines as the job grows larger and the FDA remains underfunded and understaffed.
