CATASTROPHIC FOOD FAILURES AT FDA GUEST HELENA BOTTEMILLER EVICH
Food and Travel Nation – CATASTROPHIC FOOD FAILURES AT FDA GUEST HELENA BOTTEMILLER EVICH
with Elizabeth Dougherty
Broadcast Date: 5/21/22
Only in Washington DC, can a single issue like “food safety” get all messed up. Over the past 150 years, congress has placed the responsibility of food supply and food safety in the hands of no less than three cabinet Level departments, and a big handful of unelected, often unqualified bureaucratic agencies. The USDA, the FDA and EPA all monitor, regulate and track various aspects of the food supply and food safety in America.
Within the USDA, you’ll find the Food Safety Inspection Service, charged with ensuring that the supply of food products like meat, poultry and egg products are safe. Meanwhile over at the Department of Health and Human Services, the Food and Drug Administration’s mission statement claims that THEY are responsible for safety of our nation’s food supply. The EPA says IT is responsible to protect public health by regulating the use fertilizers and pesticides on animals and food crops.
With all that tracking, regulating and monitoring, the food supply and food safety in the United States, SHOULD be the envy of the world… but as we’ve seen with the on-going food shortages in the grocery stores, food recalls because of various different contaminations, and now the latest nightmare, the baby formula debacle, clearly government isn’t the solution, government is part of the problem!
Writer Helena Bottemiller Evich of Politico, raised concerns that FOOD is NOT a high priority at the Food and Drug Administration. Her report, “The FDA’s Food Failure” explains the FDA has structural and leadership problems in the food division and often allows the food industry to monitor itself while it focuses on drugs.
In fact, FDA Director Robert Califf’s response this week to the Baby Formula issue, was to appoint another insider, his predecessor, the former acting director of the FDA, Janet Woodcock, who came from the “drug side” of the FDA to head up the government’s investigation and create an action plan. Obviously, food ISN’T a high priority at the FDA… and we… as consumers, are paying the price. Elizabeth Dougherty spoke with Helena Bottemiller Evich about her story and food safety issues.
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