U.S. Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro’s proposal to have a new Food Safety Commission is exactly what is needed if America is going to have enough food and timely recall when a piece of food is contaminated.
At the moment that is not what is happening. The FDA (Federal Food and Drug Administration) is the government agency responsible for the safety of the nation‘s food.
The FDA was established in 1906 with the passage of the Federal Food and Drug Act (FDA). The FDA is housed within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The FDA is headed by the Food and Drug Commissioner, who is appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Commissioner reports to the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
The FDA currently regulates over 80 percent of the US food supply, including dairy, seafood, produce, packaged foods, bottled water, and eggs. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspects meat, raw vegetables, and certifications. Although raw fruits and vegetables fall under USDA regulation, once they are processed into applesauce or bottled water or dried fruit, they become an FDA problem.
When the agency was established in 1906 there was a percentage of the number of products that the agency was responsible for. Today the number is high. Not only is the FDA responsible for protecting public health by ensuring the safety of the food supply, but they are also responsible for the safety of drugs, both for human and animal purposes, for cosmetics, medical devices, products that are radiation and biology. products, including blood, blood components, gene therapy, tissues, and vaccines.
With so many products being regulated by the FDA now, other things take a back seat, and this is often what happens to food safety issues.
What we often notice is that food that is contaminated and makes people sick takes a long time for the FDA to recall. Most of the contaminated food remains in the food supply without recall – many people get sick and some will die.
DeLauro said in a statement, “Currently, there are no food policy experts overseeing food safety at the FDA. This is unacceptable and contributes to the accumulation of contaminated product and subsequent recalls that disrupt the supply chain, contribute to price increases, and in many cases, lead to consumer health and death. “
The answer to the food safety problems facing this country is exactly what DeLauro is proposing – a separate agency dedicated to protecting the security of our nation’s food supply. Only when this is done can we feel that our food supply is not safe, and if food is not safe, it will be recalled in time.
Nancy Alderman is the CEO of Environment and Human Health, Inc. in North Haven.
