Lawmakers Decry FDA Plans to Close Labs
Importers have learned to evade close federal scrutiny of the food they ship into the United States, putting consumers at increasing risk, congressional investigators said Tuesday.
Lawmakers also criticized the Food and Drug Administration’s plan to close half of its laboratories. They called that idea misguided and questioned whether it would save money and enhance the agency’s ability to target unsafe food, as FDA commissioner Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach said it would. 
“FDA’s ill-conceived decision to close seven of its 13 laboratories likely would expose American consumers to even more danger from unsafe foods, particularly imports,” said Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., at a hearing of a House Committee on Energy and Commerce subcommittee.
Von Eschenbach said the lab plan was meant to modernize the FDA’s food safety efforts.
The FDA’s ability to police the nation’s food supply has come under withering criticism from Congress and others amid a string of high-profile cases of foodborne illness, including E. coli-tainted spinach and salmonella-contaminated peanut butter and snack foods, as well as concerns about drug-laced, farmed fish imported from China.
An Energy and Commerce Committee investigation found the FDA now has little ability to police imports. In San Francisco, for example, the FDA’s staff can conduct only a cursory review of imports, generally dedicating just 30 seconds to each shipment as it flashes by on a computer screen, according to investigators.
Even when products are flagged by the FDA, importers have learned to manipulate the system, investigators said. For example, the FDA relies on results obtained from private labs, but those labs produce results driven by financial rather than scientific concerns, investigators told the subcommittee.
Investigative counsel Kevin Barstow said he was told by an unnamed FDA deputy lab director that “none of the test results he’s seen are completely accurate.”
“The words he used were ‘not good’ and ’spooky,’” Barstow said.
Importers also can reduce the level of scrutiny by having their products test negative five consecutive times, according to the investigators. Since some large fish, including tuna, can be flagged for high mercury levels, importers will arrange to have five lots of smaller fish - generally younger and with comparatively less mercury - tested to obtain an all-clear from the FDA. Once the monitoring decreases, the importers can then resume bringing in larger fish that otherwise might not pass muster, the investigators said.
“You’re saying the importers know how to maneuver around the FDA?” asked Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Pa.
“Yes,” said committee senior investigator David Nelson.
Some potentially problematic seafood imports are being steered to enter the country in Las Vegas to avoid the scrutiny they might receive in San Francisco and other West Coast seaports, according to Nelson and other investigators.
The problems go beyond food. In Puerto Rico, investigators learned importers were getting around the FDA’s blocking of imports of Chinese-made toothpaste made with an antifreeze ingredient by co-packaging them with toothbrushes. Examples of the tainted toothpaste included a Crest knockoff called “Crust,” he added.
The decision to close and consolidate labs is likely to have a negative impact on safety, said B. Belinda Collins, the FDA’s Denver district director. Furthermore, the reorganization would likely force many employees to retire or leave, said Carol Heppe, who faces the loss of her job as the FDA’s Cincinnati district director.
“This will result in a mass loss of institutional knowledge and expertise at a time when the agency is trying to be proactive in our operations to prevent more emergencies,” Heppe added.
Several of the most recent and high-profile food scares have involved imports from China, including deadly pet food ingredients spiked with industrial chemicals, farmed fish laced with antibiotics and snack food seasoning contaminated by salmonella.
“We know that we are vulnerable to harm from abroad where rules and regulations governing food production often are more lax than they are at home,” said Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., in raising the prospect of terrorists tampering with imports entering the U.S. food supply.
Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., said Congress shared some of the responsibility for the problems with food safety since it hasn’t given the FDA enough money or power.
Copyright © 2007 The Associated Press.
Another attempt by the Bush Administration to put food safety inspection in the hands of private corporations for $$$$ at the expense of consumer safety with little oversight and no accountability.
the problem is two pronged, which the AP story didn’t bring up. Bush has spiked every regulatory agency with industry hacks opposed to oversight in addition to underfunding. Even when Congress provides the funds, the administration doesn’t spend them.
The agencies that are supposed to protect us have become dysfunctional with this administration.
Why not cut money for food safety and spend several thousand times the amount saved on wars? We could build one half of one new nuclear missile for what it would cost to keep those FDA labs operational for a year.
We could save a lot of tax money if we just disbanded the FDA. They don’t really help us at all. We should tell China to eat their food and spend the money we waste with the FDA to offer “huge” monetary support for small farmers here in the US.
China should also come over here, dismantle all of the Wal-Mart and Hallmark stores and ship em to China.
Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach is a Bush nominee.
Need I say more?
Evelyn, we have to shoulder such responsibilities personally. Wal-Mart ad infinitum are supported by every person who decides to get everything they buy from there, “just this one thing,” or even partake of the the goods from there. (Yes, I take tap water over Ozarka brand every time) You, me, and the collective we must INDIVIDUALLY support farmer’s markets, local growers and producers, organics, and American made products. Have you tried to buy American made shoes lately? What a headache! Make an effort! Really let such criteria determine where you shop and what you buy - and let retailers know it!
And cruz_ctrl, that information does clear up a couple of things for me. Thanks!
“Von Eschenbach said the lab plan was meant to modernize the FDA’s food safety efforts.”
True enough, because the “modern” approach in the United States is Laissez faire. Caveat emptor. It is interesting that corporations are so short-sighted as to fail to realize the consequences of reducing consumer confidence to consumer terror. Rather than doing the minimum to protect consumers so that industry can continue to use slave labor around the globe, Corporate America keeps pushing for (and getting) more relaxed regulation. Do they not expect a backlash as poisons continue to show up in our food and drug supply?
Of course, it is also interesting that we should believe that our food supply, though corporate channels, is not a serious danger that will manifest itself more seriously at some time in the near future. As we wreck one country after another, supporting and funding regimes that KILL union workers, poisoning air and water with industrial waste, and supporting the violent opposition to democracy, we have to expect that the people we oppress are going to become proactive. The mostly fictional threats of terrorists bombing the United States are not what should fear, but the fact that we put our food production in the hands of the most down-trodden peoples on the planet! Whether it is the illegal immigrants in the United States, or the Banana workers so severely poisoned by pesticides abroad, we can expect the anger and hatred we sow to manifest itself in our food and drugs.
The only solution to this problem, unfortunately, is one that is not available to all, and not affordable to all classes. Buying local products is considerably more expensive, but also much safer. Whereas the FDA can’t find out ANYTHING about food products moving across our nation, I can find out what methods a local farmer uses to produce his or her food. One of our local, organic dairy farms invites visitors and conducts tours throughout the summer months. Most farmers are pleased to talk to local consumers and, as I have written elsewhere, a local orchard here has, after requests from our community, gone organic. I believe this fall will be the first year they can label their products organic, but they have been following organic practices for three years, now.
Buying locally also means that you are eating less preservatives, food colorings, and other harmful chemicals present in many processed foods. As the corporate food industry continues its attempts to highjack the organic labels for its foods, the only sensible solution is to buy food produced close enough to your home that you can be your own (albeit EFFECTIVE AND TRUTHFUL) FDA, checking on producer practices in person. And a small, local producer knows that ONE incident of the type we have appearing almost DAILY in the news will be the end of his or her business. Local business people have a greater interest in the health of the community.
Bush and friends are damaging their own future profits in the name of immediate gratification. Let us help them on the road to ruin by ignoring them as much as we are able. Buy locally to create justice globally.
“Von Eschenbach said the lab plan was meant to modernize the FDA’s food safety efforts.”
While you are modernizing - and we would all like to know who the benefactors of this modernization will include, please explain how the FDA plans on keeping our food safe during this phase with the closing of 8 labs?
I CAN NOT believe the level of destructive incompetence this country has experienced from this government over the last 6 years. The closing of these labs is unconscionable.
What a disgrace!
I’m sorry, but you are individualizing the problem. Few have the time or money to rely on small local sources for everything we eat or drink, and even a small farmer can lie about their products. Proposals to get rid the FDA anf other regulators is throwing the baby out with the bath water. Consider re-reading the Upton Sinclair’s “The Jungle” to get an idea of what regulation has given us.
We need more and tougher regulation, not less. We especially need a democratic China with tough regulaton of its out-of-control capitalism.
honeybeeATX: that’s the solution. I do it already.
PJD: a small farmer can lie about their products??? What could possibly be their motive? You mean, call their produce organic when it’s not? If they lied about that then they would go out of business really fast, say at the end of 2 seasons. There’s several reasons why that would be the case, but I’ve got time for only one: quality. The quality of locally grown, just picked organic food is awesome.
But just in case you want to make sure your small, local farmer is truly organic, volunteer to pull weeds. The local farm I buy from has volunteers out every day pulling weeds. Water + weeding=fantastic food!
FDA another shining example of W’s leadership, unless it’s war or no bid contracts it doesn’t get done. Refer back to FEMA and Katrina….FDA heck of a job. Let me eat lunch from unknown origins and maybe my health insurance won’t suffer as a result. So what if a few thousand voters were disenfranchised in 2000, no big deal huh?
It was a joke Honeybee. But it is difficult to buy things that are NOT made in China. An amazing fact is, much of the spare parts manufactured for our armed forces equipment are now made In China. Sometimes we don’t realize it, we purchase American brand name items, like Chicago Cutlery, Emerson, Craftsman, etc; and they are made in China.
PJD:
Apparently, you didn’t read my post, but, being that I am rather long-winded, I understand. I did say that it is an option not available everywhere and that it was not available across classes because many local products (especially organic milk!!!) are more expensive. And I never suggested throwing out the FDA (although these are the same people who approved the use of rBGH in our milk supply in spite of overwhelming evidence that it is HARMFUL to humans). The FDA is being dismantled and my little vote appears incapable of stopping it. Interestingly, in this corporatocracy, I seem to have ZERO influence. I would love to have a funded, powerful, useful FDA ensuring that we have a safe food supply. But, I would also like election machines that don’t steal elections, election officials that don’t remove ethnic minorities from the voting rolls, a government that doesn’t use my tax money to kill hundreds of thousands of people abroad, that doesn’t put forward an energy policy designed to make a very few very rich while destroying the future of life on the planet. If you can figure out how to restore the FDA in a country where we have no vote, a media that is entirely run by corporate interests and we have absolutely no voice, I’ll be all too pleased to see it. I understand why the regulation of food is important. I am suggesting that, in the ABSENCE of this, local food is a solution. The only solution over which we have any control.
And, thank you ChristisntComingBack, local farmers CAN lie, but it will be the last thing they do. It isn’t much of a time commitment, PJD, to attend a Saturday morning farmers market. Same time waste as a trip to your CORPORATE grocery store. And, understand, every time you buy a corporate product, your dollars are being funneled into the power structure that keeps power from the people. The profits from corporate farms and grocery stores go into the pockets of bad politicians who do crazy things like DISMANTLE the regulatory systems of our nation. So, take the time to do what you can for democracy and put your money out of reach of those who will use it to remove your voice from the government.
Local farmers gossip, by the way. Two weeks at a farmers market and you’ll know who to buy from. You’ll know EVERYTHING about the people growing your food. Far more than you need to know
Democracy is WORK at the BEST of times and THESE aren’t the BEST OF TIMES. Buy local. It is worth the effort.
Unknown; All points well taken. One (Great) further reason to buy locally when and wherever possible- Half again the portion of every dollar you spend at a non-corporate business stays in your town.
If you spend a buck at a ma-and-pa outfit, maybe .73 stays in town. Spend the same buck at Pick-n-Pay (&c.) and about $.46 stays in town.
Does your town have enough money for schools, libraries, parks, &c.? Another link on the chain.
Look at all the financial, human rights and environmental costs involved in transporting goods to remote markets. And, as was suggested by several, you know (better) what you get when you buy from local sources.
To put it in simple terms, the FDA needs more money to do the job we the people need it to do,how about using some of the money wasted on killing and desturction for this purpose!
If anyone could arrange it!
My idea is this have all caterers and others who serve food to corporate executives and politicians buy all the questionable stuff the FDA says is OK and feed it to their clients.
The best place to focus might be political fund raisers.
Shakker had a good point. Maybe the Congressional dining rooms should be served the same fare.
A new terrorist’s weapon. Contaminated food! No one checks it for anything wrong, no trail to backtrack, minimal costs and technology, instant effects across the entire country, millions of victims, and free instructions and subsidies from our government.
Who cares if those criminals close labs? They are just stealing our $$. Look at the fact there is MSG in so many foods& the law allows that crap to be called so many things besides MSG that finding it to avoid it is near imp[ossible. natural Flavors is one of the legal names for MSG, which is an excitotoxin & very dangerous. Sugar Free junk is toxic usually. Look at all the drugs approved by the FDA that have killed enopugh people to create tons of lawsuits. The FDA is a bad joke, like the rest of this so called government.
Support Ron Paul & he will make changes.
The flaws of the conservative revolution in America are painfully showing themselves in many aspects of American life. The FDA and poisoned food is but one more example.
Conservative ideology that attacks, denigrates and removes government regulation and oversight of the economy only weakens America and threatens the wellbeing of its people.
Wake up America. Taxes do good.
Bush has announced that he will set up a panel on food safety. It will report directly to him. What good will this do? Like climate change, he will “study” the situation. We already know what the situation is.
Meanwhile, the USDA is refusing to obey the law on country of origin labelling. Instead, it’s asking for comments. The law was passed in 2002 to take affect in 2004. Still not there.
Poisoned food is another way to get rid of the swelling ranks of undesirable elements of society in the U.S., retain the relative proportion of more desirable people. It’s back door Eugenics. Though they don’t often admit it, this is a very lively thought process for many right-wingers. Disguised Eugenic tactics are a preoccupation.
It boils down to this: those that agree with you and look like you are your friends. Everyone else is an enemy and should be marginalized or killed if possible. There are plenty of well trained VonEschenbachs around that will be happy to take that ball and run with it.
This is one more example of the “republican” way. Ignore what you don’t like, shut down everything that is actually working, and make everything so useless that people want it gone. DESTROY EVERYTHING and build up NOTHING in it’s place. That is ALL republicans do, dcestroy. Name anything they have actually put together since Reagan. The last positive thing a republican did was the EPA, and Nixon had to be dragged into that one.
Don’t blame the FDA, they are being destroyed by the republicans just like everything else the R’s touch. What the hell do you expect when you put neocon SCUM in office when they have always said that their whole goal was to destroy the US government? Why the surprise when they do it? Disgust, yes, surprise, no.
BTW, if you want Ron paul, thinking he will change any of this, you have NO idea of what the man stands for. He wants to eliminate, not reform Social Security, he would do away with the FDA and damn near every other governmental agency that does anything for the people. He is NOT the saviour out of this republican nightmare, he will just make it worse. I do like his stance on Iraq, but that’s it. The rest of what he stands for is the complete destruction of the safety net we’ve allowed ourselves in this country for 50 years. He is NOT the answer, don’t kid yourselves. If you want things to get even worse, then go ahead and vote for him. Learn about the Ayn Rand society and THEN tell me he stands for YOUR assistance at all. he doesn’t. He stands for the dog eat dog world of the libertarians, and you had better learn about them, because they are a real danger. Find out who you are really supporting, here. Ron Paul is NOT the answer.
WJM, good comment!
But if “liberals” throw up their arms and decide the FDA, CPSC, FHWA, OSHA, MSHA, NLRB, FCC, public educaton, etc… are so compromized that we pursue individual remedies, many not avaialble except to the well-off, we have basically handed the Right and their desire for a Hobbsian, Dickensian, world a huge victory. Unfortunately, this is exactly what I see all too many rich liberals doing.
And to clarify, I do support local food production - I subscribe to a local organic farmer who delivers weekly boxes to me and a dozen other people right at my workplace. I also frequent local farmers markets. But there are numerous staple items that cannot be bought at a local farmers market as well as other consumer goods.
The comment that Ron Paul would do something is laughable. His “free market” ideas have been tried before, and are well documented by Dickens, Sinclar, Steinbeck, and many others.
To see some current day examples of his ideas at work, just go to present day El-Salvador or Nicaragua.
guliper has a point.
My lady friend used to swab shit for those labs, literally, and they saved millions of peoples lives. In fact everyones. If you eat out EVER you would be dead with out them. Drinking water being clean? Not for long without them. Who knows what is going to go on unnoticed. The Columbia River valley has two years before The Hanford Nuclear site leak will make it untouchable, and it feeds thousands of acres of irrigation. The same labs check for drinking water problems to irrigation and diseases from your local hospitals. If you all think this is a joke to talk about, you have no idea that last year two million tons of meat were recalled, in over 20 states, due to E-coli because they were repackaged after the due date had expired. The same protocol is used daily in the meat and poultry business. Just a quick dip in the vat of old blood and water to rehydrate and into the plastic wrap they go. Safeway anyone? Hey PJD, do you eat out? How many labs are there left? Never enough! Private or not! Microbiology anyone? It could be a good field in another country soon.
Texas, Bush and his Beef. Dont forget the link…
In Washington state, the Japanese own 90% of the cattle industry. During the e-coli outbreak there was a lot of shirtless ranchers.
Has anyone tried to call the EPA? They don’t know their own phone number! No joke try it! They reorganize so much the roster keeps changing faster than they send the latest copy out! Try it, you’ll hate it!
Don’t forget SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL CSA!