Keeping up with FDA Recalls
Posted by
Robin BaraApril 09, 2009 11:20 AMTags:
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President Obama announced in early February the need for FDA reform, due largely in part to the salmonella outbreak from tainted peanut butter, which left over 500 people ill and 8 people dead. It is no secret that the FDA is understaffed and under budgeted, President Obama's proposed budget will allocate $1 billion to the FDA to improve its inspections, in an effort to prevent food borne illnesses.
"I think that the FDA has not been able to catch some of these things as quickly as I expect them to catch," the president said in an NBC interview broadcast Monday. "And so we're gonna be doing a complete review of FDA operations."
Jean Halloran, Director of Food Policy Initiatives for Consumers Union, said a review is a good start, but the government must go further to keep the nation's food supply safe.
"President Obama's review and his appointment of a new FDA Commissioner will definitely improve FDA's use of its existing resources and authority," Halloran said. "However, Congress must also act soon to modernize the agency and give it the additional resources and authority it desperately needs."
While improvements in the FDA's inspection process will take time, Americans can be proactive about their health by keeping informed on the latest food recalls.