Doing Nothing Won't Do Anything Posted by Reggie at 05/21/07 01:43 PM

"Without question, America's food safety system has degenerated over the past 6 years. We don't know how many times concerns raised by F.D.A. employees were ignored or soft-pedaled by their superiors. What we do know is that since 2001 the F.D.A. has introduced no significant new food safety regulations except those mandated by Congress."

The above quote by New York Times Columnist, Paul Krugman cuts right to the heart of the failure of our food safety regulatory system to offer even a reasonable degree of public protection. Krugman cites E-coli in spinach, salmonella in peanut butter and melamine in pet food and suggests several factors such as globalization and corporate culture, but he ultimately blames the impact of Milton Friedman’s free market anti-regulatory ideology on the current administration as the culprit. Krugman notes, “O.K. I’m not saying that Mr. Friedman directly caused tainted spinach and poisonous peanut butter. But he did help to make our food less safe, by legitimizing what historian Rick Perlstein calls “E-coli conservatives”: ideologues who won’t accept even the most compelling case for government regulation.”

I don’t know if Krugman is right about the ultimate reason for the administration startling inaction, but he is four square on-target regarding the need to act. The fact that a growing segment of the food industry is joining the call suggests Krugman’s aim was true.

Neither public health nor industry reputation can stomach much more of what we have been fed this past year.

comments (3)

1 Posted by Ray Dorman at 05/30/07 08:22 AM

What is said in this article is very true. The FDA is being run by a bunch of political insiders, who are beholden to special interests. How can you guys ask us to contact congress and urge them to give more money to such a corrupt agency? Money is not not the answer, nor will congress really do anything that doesn't benefit a drug company or large corporation. I'm fearful that if we ask the FDA to regulate food more strictly, all we'll end up with is less access to substances that really do benefit our health -- supplements, herbs, etc.

2 Posted by Reggie at 05/30/07 09:14 AM

Money alone will certainly not solve all of the problems with our food and drug safety programs, but additional resources will address some of the mounting risks facing an overtaxed, antiquated and sometimes corrupt system.

Legislation in Congress would restructure the food system in an effort to fill gaps and provide authority to deal with contaminiation at the source of production.

I agree with those who are impatient and disallusioned with FDA's track record, but the existing and potential risks to public safety are growing while we wait for political pressure sufficient to force Congress to act on major reform.

Stay tuned to this site for efforts to fix the actually problems.

3 Posted by Amanda at 07/16/07 04:48 PM

i encourage everyone who reads your blog to buy from their local farmers market. Not only do you meet the person who helped to grow your fruits and vegetables, you minimize your carbon footprint! You cut out the unneccessary cost of food transportion from long distances and from other countries and support the local economy!