March 14, 2009
WEEKLY ADDRESS:
President Barack Obama Announces Key FDA Appointments and Tougher Food Safety Measures
Highlights
"We’ve seen a number of problems with the food making its way to our kitchen tables. In 2006, it was contaminated spinach. In 2008, it was salmonella in peppers and possibly tomatoes. And just this year, bad peanut products led to hundreds of illnesses and cost nine people their lives – a painful reminder of how tragic the consequences can be when food producers act irresponsibly and government is unable to do its job. Worse, these incidents reflect a troubling trend that’s seen the average number of outbreaks from contaminated produce and other foods grow to nearly 350 a year – up from 100 a year in the early 1990s."
"The FDA has been underfunded and understaffed in recent years, leaving the agency with the resources to inspect just 7,000 of our 150,000 food processing plants and warehouses each year. That means roughly 95% of them go uninspected."
"As part of our commitment to public health, our Agriculture Department is closing a loophole in the system to ensure that diseased cows don’t find their way into the food supply. And we are also strengthening our food safety system and modernizing our labs with a billion dollar investment, a portion of which will go toward significantly increasing the number of food inspectors, helping ensure that the FDA has the staff and support they need to protect the food we eat."
My Comments:
Bravo to President Barack Obama for highlighting the fact that our food system is not safe and that our government is unable to protect us from food outbreaks.
And bravo to President Barack Obama for tapping city health commissioner Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein to be deputy commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration. Dr. Sharfstein has been recognized as a national leader for his efforts to protect children from unsafe over-the-counter cough and cold medications.
Now the scary part.
The government's actions on protecting the food supply have the opposite effect. By trying to implement more controls, they help create an environment where there are larger agribusiness, which leads to larger outbreaks. (which also dramatically increases the chance of bio-terrorism)
One of the initiatives that the government is trying to push through is called the National Animal Identification System, or simply "NAIS". The idea is that by forcing every farmer to tag every animal with a microchip, we somehow can magically eradicate any problems. The logic is seriously flawed.
The NAIS will drive small and medium-size farmers and ranchers out of business, increasing the consolidation of our food supply into the hands of a few large, multinational corporations. The government is wasting your taxpayer dollars on a program that will lead to increased food prices and decreased quality.
SUBMIT COMMENTS TO THE USDA BEFORE MARCH 16
The USDA has proposed a rule to require all farms and ranches where animals are raised to be registered in a federal database under the NAIS for existing disease control programs. The draft rule covers programs for cattle, goats, sheep, and swine. It also sets the stage for mandatory NAIS animal identification in the future.
It is CRITICAL that the USDA and Congress hear from the hundreds of thousands of people who will be adversely affected by the NAIS program. This includes not only animal owners, but also consumers who care about local and sustainable foods, taxpayers who object to wasteful government programs, and advocates for a safer food system.
Take action by clicking on the link:
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/642/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=26665
For more information on NAIS:
http://farmandranchfreedom.org/
For the full transcript of President Barack Obama's weekly address:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Weekly-Address-President-Barack-Obama-Announces-Key-FDA-Appointments-and-Tougher-Food-Safety-Measures/
For the YouTube link of President Barack Obama's weekly address:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjX0iJU3vtY
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