September, 30 2010, 09:55am EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Amanda Hitt, Food Integrity Campaign Director
202.457.0034, ext. 159
amandah@whistleblower.org
Food Integrity Campaign Website Launched
The Government Accountability Project (GAP) today announced the launch of a new website for its Food Integrity Campaign (FIC)
WASHINGTON
The Government Accountability Project (GAP) today announced the launch of a new website for its Food Integrity Campaign (FIC)
FIC is a program of GAP, the nation's leading whistleblower protection and advocacy organization. GAP has assisted over 800 private sector, USDA and FDA employees over the past three decades reveal rampant problems in the food industry and inadequate government oversight.
"The website is an opportunity to reach out to food sector whistleblowers and inform the public about food-related issues," said GAP Food Integrity Campaign Director Amanda Hitt. "We also see the chance to deepen or develop connections with coalition partners who share our goals of a healthy food system, fair labor standards, and humane treatment of animals."
The term "food integrity" aims to capture all aspects of the industrial food chain, from soil to plate, including:
* Life on the "Farm" - A spotlight on industrial agriculture -- on land and water -- and the problems it causes, including harm to our ecosystems and raw food products, inhumane handling of animals, and labor exploitation.
* Problems with Processing - How large-scale food processing increases exposure to harmful contaminants and additives.
* Transportation and Retail - Problems related to national and even global food distribution, as well as deceptive branding/labeling of products.
* Consumption - The impact of agribusiness on human health and food insecurity, and, with a rapidly multiplying global population, the mushrooming crisis of waste disposal.
The campaign works to protect whistleblowers who expose wrongdoing and promotes reforms to enhance overall food integrity. For example, GAP assisted USDA veterinarian Dean Wyatt who recently testified to Congress about inhumane treatment and safety violations he witnessed at slaughterhouses. GAP helped industry quality control manager Kit Foshee expose his company's inflated claim that treating its ground meat with ammonia protects consumers from dangerous pathogens. And GAP was there to assist Kenneth Kendrick blow the whistle on salmonella-contaminated peanuts. Other key cases can be found on the FIC website along with an interactive graphic illustrating the irrationalities and redundancies in our national food regulatory system.
The Government Accountability Project (GAP) is a 30-year-old nonprofit public interest group that promotes government and corporate accountability by advancing occupational free speech, defending whistleblowers, and empowering citizen activists. We pursue this mission through our Nuclear Safety, International Reform, Corporate Accountability, Food & Drug Safety, and Federal Employee/National Security programs. GAP is the nation's leading whistleblower protection organization.
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