Protecting Food. Empowering Whistleblowers.
Protecting Food. Empowering Whistleblowers.
This blog was cross-posted from the Rural Advancement Foundation International (RAFI) blog. By Sally Lee For the sixth time, members of Congress in the Ag Appropriations Committee have blocked implementation of regulations to protect farmers through a backdoor measure. But this time, their infamous “GIPSA rider” barely passed in this House committee, as several long-time […]
It’s no easy task to stand up against one of the world’s largest fast food chains, especially without adequate legal safeguards. Food and farm workers in McDonald’s wide-reaching supply chain are bravely coming forward with their stories of abuse and retaliation. Our friends at the Food Chain Workers Alliance brought together a great panel this […]
This piece was originally published in the Huffington Post. An Idaho court found that agricultural whistleblowing is not a crime. Consumers who want to know the truth about the food system won a big victory this week against the culture of silence thanks to U.S. Chief Judge B. Lynn Winmill, who struck down Idaho’s anti-whistleblower […]
In 2014, how many times have you gone grocery shopping or went out to eat at a restaurant? This week, consider the countless workers who grow, harvest, process, label, inspect, and ship food before it ends up on your dinner plate throughout the year. The Food Integrity Campaign is joining the Food Chain Workers Alliance […]
Given USDA’s plan to move ahead with its New Poultry Inspection System (NPIS), federal lawmakers have agreed it’s time to hold the USDA accountable for claims that its new system will improve food safety and overall inspection. Today, 15 members of the House of Representatives sent a long list of questions to Secretary of Agriculture […]
The U.S. poultry industry has been ignoring whistleblower concerns about dangerous chemical use at processing plants, but will it ignore international trading partners? An NPR story last week explained how Europe’s food standards, which instigated banning chlorine treatment on chicken in the 1990s, are impacting U.S. trade negotiations. USDA poultry inspector Sherry Medina has been […]
What are companies using to clean off your meat these days? Most employees working in processing plants don’t know either. But reports from USDA inspectors about health problems related to chemicals continue to pour in here at FIC, and fingers are pointing at antimicrobial cleaners. Companies use a wide variety of chemicals to remove bacterial […]
Though extremely disappointed with the release of USDA’s new poultry inspection rule yesterday, FIC isn’t backing down in our fight against the problematic model. We will continue to fight to ensure that it is not expanded to other species. FIC and a coalition of consumer groups have been fighting this flawed plan since federal inspectors […]
Today is National Whistleblower Appreciation Day! This important occasion was established last year to recognize the brave contributions of whistleblowers to combat waste, fraud, abuse and violations of laws. Every worker along the food supply chain is a potential witness to wrongdoing, and the Food Integrity Campaign aims to ensure these individuals have adequate rights […]
Finding out that the chicken on your plate has been through an intense chemical bath is not very appetizing, but industry insiders and whistleblowers feel you should know the truth about poultry, the largest segment of U.S. agriculture. USDA poultry inspectors have been raising concerns about the dangerous changes in the industry for years, including […]