In the wake of the latest E. coli scare -- prompting a multitude of consumers and businesses to discard their organic spinach-- Congress may soon reconsider the Safe Food Act of 2005, calling forthe establishment of another federal agency to oversee food safetyconcerns.
Forming a new agency, advocates believe, would streamline theprocess of containing outbreaks like the current one, still without andefinitive answer. Right now, 12 separate federal agencies andsubagencies monitor food safety. And, contaminated foods sicken anestimated 76 million and kill some 5,000 Americans annually, meaningthe problem with food safety is likely getting worse.
In fact, one Congresswoman, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), believes aconsolidated Food Safety Administration might've caught the problemvery early, before panic spread and common sense went out the window.
However, one former FDA official pointed out, rightly, that suchconsolidation makes absolutely no sense, citing the drastic differencesbetween ranchers raising grass-fed, antibiotic-free animals and those doing it the conventional way.
Besides, do you really believe one more amalgamated federal agency-- tainted by compromises and backdoor deals that can potentially harmyour health -- would better protect the quality of the food we eat thanthe FDA does in keeping dangerous, toxic drugs off the market?
USA Today September 26, 2006