Protecting Food. Empowering Whistleblowers.
Protecting Food. Empowering Whistleblowers.
The FDA made a notable announcement yesterday related to combating the ongoing threat of human antibiotic resistance – increasingly linked to antibiotic overuse in food-producing animals. The agency issued a new order limiting the use of cephalosporins, a class of antimicrobial drugs, given to cattle, swine and poultry. In order to reduce the presence of […]
The day that whistleblowers are given awards by their superiors – instead of pink slips – would be a miraculous day for public safety. Meanwhile (and that’s a long while at this rate), any support rewarding their brave honesty helps all whistleblowers know the risks are appreciated. Good news on the affirmation front comes from […]
American food products are commonly filled with substances used to enhance the shelf life, color and flavor of food, as well as enhance the vitamin content or nutritional value that may have been lost during processing. But did you know that a large portion of these added ingredients now in the U.S. market were classified […]
A resurgence in the discussion of antibiotic (over)use in large-scale animal agriculture has emerged in light of the antibiotic-resistant Salmonella outbreak linked to ground turkey. A group of Democratic lawmakers sent a letter to the FDA on Tuesday urging it to speed up the implementation of guidelines to help manage drug use in food animal […]
First it was chicken, now it’s apple juice. Arsenic levels in our food supply, either via drug-filled feed for CAFO livestock or pesticide in Chinese orchards, epitomize the regulation problems both within and outside the United States. How much is too much when it comes to using toxic chemicals used to kill bacteria (and promote […]
With outbreaks left and right, our food system is certainly in need of better oversight. Government officials need to resist BigAgra lobbyists’ charms and focus on protecting the citizens who put them in office. But big business, not food safety, seems to be on the mind of some House Republicans who suggest giving industry the […]
It’s old news that fish consumption increases our exposure to mercury, but a recent study explores the link between mercury-tainted fish and the risk of cardiovascular disease. Former GAP client and whistleblower Renee Dufault (who previously raised concerns about the presence of mercury in food products with High Fructose Corn Syrup) co-authored an article questioning […]
Navigating the regulatory maze that is our food system can be quite a task, especially figuring out who monitors what and various agencies’ process for enforcing rules. But when it comes to food additives, that’s the FDA’s business. Caffeine has become hit news lately, particularly its dangerous effects when mixed with alcohol. The agency’s recent […]
FIC is coming down from a mile high! Last week I was in Denver, Colorado at the 138th American Public Health Association Convention. Over 12,000 nurses, doctors, and those concerned with public health, converged to participate in this year’s APHA Convention themed “Social Justice: A Public Health Imperative.” Without a doubt, social justice is an […]
An insightful piece by former GAP client John Munsell was posted on Food Safety News, spotlighting significant shortcomings in the USDA’s deregulated meat inspection program, and its unfortunate capacity to suppress whistleblower concerns and compromise the integrity of our food supply. A noted whistleblower himself, Munsell ran a USDA-inspected meat plant for 34 years, and […]