This morning I found the update below in one of my inboxes. It originated with the Meating Place, which offers an industry newsletter to which I subscribe.
"Only a week after taking the reins as FDA's food czar, and in the midst of a melamine outbreak, Dr. David Acheson has had plenty of explaining to do.
More of it came Wednesday, when Acheson found himself before the U.S. House Agriculture Committee, trying to assure its members that the U.S. food supply is safe despite widespread contamination of chicken, hog and fish feed.
However, some committee members contended that melamine is indicative of a bigger problem.
"The explanations from the USDA and FDA leave me with the uncomfortable feeling that maybe we just got lucky this time," said Rep. Collin Peterson (D-Minn.). "The next time tainted food or feed products slip through the very large crack in our import inspection system, we may be forced to confront a much more serious situation in terms of animal or human health."
Acheson conceded that FDA, which inspects just a small percentage of the $60 billion in food imported annually, is due for an overhaul. He says plans to request additional funding and manpower to fuel such efforts."
Um, yeah, I do believe that might be a plan.
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So let me get this right...
ReplyDeleteAmerica's farmers struggle with low prices for their products (milk, corn, wheat, fruit, etc.) because they produce a surplus.
The United States imports $60 billion of foodstuffs.
America's farmers are subjected to layers of inspections, regulations, and prohibitions to keep the food supply safe.
Despite knowing that many other countries use farming practices that are banned in the U.S., we import food from those countries. This often adds to the surplus we already have in this country.
So the solution is to request additional funding and manpower to inspect more imports?
Taxpayers have sometimes objected to the subsidies that are paid to our farmers -- money that helps to keep our grocery store shelves stocked, even in years of drought or severe weather. If taxpayers object to paying our own farmers, why would they want to cough up yet more of their shrinking dollar to monitor imported food?
Personally, I would prefer to have my tax dollars used to support U.S. agriculture.
I think a reasonable solution to that scenario would be to tack the cost of inspection onto the imported products. Then both problems would take care of themselves. Meanwhile they need to be regulated...of course maybe people will be scared enough by this affair to regulate them themselves by insisting on knowing where their food comes from. Meanwhile...we are avoiding chicken...pork...fish....well, heck, what can you eat except homegrown. And then you wonder where Friehofers gets the flour.
ReplyDelete