FDA Pats Itself on the Back — Not So Fast, Says USA Today
We’ll start with a quote from the FDA commissioner:
The current event has demonstrated our effectiveness at detecting and containing a problem.
We’d like to know how they measure effectiveness. Read FDA Commissioner Andrew C. von Eschenbach’s letter in USA Today.
The string of deadly outbreaks reveals an agency that is too often caught off guard. By every measure, the agency is overwhelmed and understaffed, leaving it unable to keep dangerous foods out of supermarkets or out of the country.
This is an open thread folks. Let them know how you feel. Remember, keep it family-friendly.
(Thanks Pet Connection)
They also think that the USDA’s model is a better one:
The Agriculture Department’s system for regulating meat could serve as a model. It requires foreign meatpacking plants to live up to U.S. standards if they want to export here; all meat imports must come into just 10 U.S. ports, where inspectors concentrate their resources. By contrast, FDA-regulated food imports pour in through hundreds of ports and border crossings. The FDA inspects only 1% of the imported food it regulates, and it can stop an import only at the border.
May 4th, 2007 at 6:54 pm
There’s a perfect illustration of this in the PBS Newshour program from a couple nights ago:
“At the U.S. Department of Agriculture, they visit meat plants that they regulate every single day. For meat slaughter plants, the plants can’t even start to operate without a USDA inspector on the site and on the line, essentially.
“At FDA, we have a much different program. They are more reactive, and their inspection budget has been cut to the point that they only can visit domestic food plants once every five to 10 years.
“So, for example, in a pepperoni and cheese pizza, frozen pizza plant, the pepperoni pizza line, the one making pepperoni, cutting pepperonis and putting them on the pizza, would be inspected daily by USDA. But at FDA, the cheese pizza line would only get a visit once every five or so years from an FDA inspector, same plant, almost the same product, very different inspection programs. …”
Read the full interview segment — it’s thorough:
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb.....04-26.html
May 4th, 2007 at 7:04 pm
Federal Court Orders First-Ever Halt To Planting of A Commercialized Genetically Altered Crop
Judge Orders Complete Environmental Review of Monsanto’s Gene-Altered Alfalfa http://tinyurl.com/38sxxl
Alfalfa in lots of petfoods. Why? Cats don’t hunt up alfalfa . And you can bet is bottom of the barrel alfalfa too.
May 4th, 2007 at 7:11 pm
Andrew C. von Eschenbach is considerably more impressed with himself than I am.
The repeated, insulting and highly inaccurate 16 “official” dead pets thing is directly from the FDA and until it is not only corrected but I see one hell of an apology for it then the hammer continues.
In case you missed it Andy, Menu Foods just STARTED with caging and torturing 16 test animals to death and then they delayed the news until MINE where fatally stricken. Got that?
And the FDA repeating that lie every damned day is going to cost you more credibility than you ever dreamed.
I DEMAND an apology as widely spread in the news as the lie.
May 4th, 2007 at 7:14 pm
http://tinyurl.com/2vk5mc
Montana’s U.S. Sen. Max Baucus, a Democrat, joined Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke in headlining an economic-development summit in Butte, a devastated city that is one of America’s all-too-common casualties in this economic war. Once the bustling capital of the copper industry, Butte today is known for its salt-of-the-earth inhabitants and for its canyon-like Superfund site known as the Berkeley Pit — a defunct open-pit mine that the Anaconda Company abandoned with a pool of deadly chemicals at the bottom.
… Similarly, the $20-million-a-year CEO of McGraw-Hill, Harold McGraw III, claimed America’s trade policies have “had a net positive impact on U.S. manufacturing jobs.†This, despite 3 million manufacturing jobs lost since the China free-trade pact was signed in 2000.
Is that anything like the petfd cos abandoning US petowners with a pit of dead pets? Can’t for the life of me figure out where they ever got the idea they could get away with it!!?!?!?
Trade policies since the above free-trade pact have had a net negative impact on pets lost. Title of the article is When the Class War Goes Local.
It went local with 8000 pet deaths. oh sorry it was only 16? FDA=not local. Dead Pets = local baby.
May 4th, 2007 at 7:21 pm
Then Andy, let’s get to the fact that if it were not for this troublesome bunch of hysterical pet owners who are not competent to cook for our pets-hah- you and the FDA would STILL not have a clue.
Where I come from it is considered polite to thank people for SAVING YOUR ASS!
May 4th, 2007 at 7:23 pm
MY DOGS ATE THAT POISON THAT WAS IN THEIR FOOD. WHEN A PET OWNER GOES OUT AND BUYS THEIR PET WHAT THEY THROUGHT WAS THE BEST DAM FOOD ON THE MARKET AND SEE ‘S YOUR PETS VOMIT AND GET SICK IT BREAKS YOUR HEART.UNTIL THERE ARE ARRESTS NO ONE SHOULD PAT THEMSHELFS ON THE BACK. MY NERVE’S HAVE BEEN SHOT TO HELL SINCE MARCH 16/07 OVER THIS .I DON’T KNOW WHAT IS SAFE TO FEED MY 2 DOGS. INSTEAD OF THESE PET FOOD CO’S SO CONCERN ABOUT $$$$$ THEY SHOULD OF SHUT DOWN ALL THE PLANTS ,AND CLEAN THEM OUT.BUT NO THAT WAS TO MUCH DAM TROUBLE TO DO THAT ,SO NOW WE HAVE MORE DEAD PETS, MORE SICK PETS, MORE PET FOOD RECALL. THIS SHOULD OF NEVER HAPPEN TO MY PET AND TO ALL THE PETS THAT WERE FED THAT CRAP IN THEIR FOOD.
May 4th, 2007 at 7:23 pm
This is the same FDA that told me that my 2 cats ARF and confirmation that they ate the recalled food was not an FDA issue and why am I calling her—”maybe try calling your Department of Health” she said. She was the emergency FDA operator for “after hours” as this was Sunday March 18th…….This was excused by Susan Small from the local FDA office for RI as the fact that this happened on a weekend so the operator did not know she should talk to me…..Let’s hope the next 9-11 isn’t a week-end….
May 4th, 2007 at 7:26 pm
Quote from FDA article “It is important to emphasize that FDA uses a risk-based strategy to protect the U.S. food supply. This strategy focuses on foods that have caused illness in the past, are eaten raw, or come from sources with past problems. ”
Basing your strategy on the past is not nearly good enough for world of globalization we live in today. We need *forward* thinkers and planners, and we need ‘em NOW!
May 4th, 2007 at 7:29 pm
And one more thing from me—-during the 3 weeks of delaying reporting the 16 dead animals, I continued to feed my not-affected cat until she was affected and still—7 weeks later-maybe euthanized—and I even tried to force feed the crap to my recovering first cat but she was smarter than me—she spit it out and it wasn’t until tuna juice poured over that did my 2nd cat eat it and what the cats didn’t eat those 3 weeks my 2 yr old Golden –who was in the middle of chemotherapy and radiation –as well as his twin sister ate. How about that Menu and FDA—-DELAY DOES MATTER
May 4th, 2007 at 7:30 pm
This strategy focuses on foods that have caused illness in the past, are eaten raw, or come from sources with past problems. â€
LIES and more LIES!
Where were you fools (sorry crooks) for the last 15 yrs while melamine spiking was commonplace?
How many PEOPLE have eaten MELAMINE? FOR HOW LONG?
WHO ARE THE OTHER SUPPLIERS/RECEIVERS OF RPC BEING PROTECTED BY THE FDA MAFIA DONS???
May 4th, 2007 at 7:31 pm
They are at best cretins and delusional
May 4th, 2007 at 7:32 pm
Class action suit MUST include not only the FDA but also the US Dept of Health and Human Services. That will legally silence them for a bit, and we will be spared the benefit of their twisted minds that they are anything but satanist pet killers. Then the rest of us can breathe, until their next assault on us, what’s next on their list, baby food?
(Note to self: Hope this passed their family friend test, I really wanted to say that I don’t believe in lawsuits, I believe in the old testament… the person who said “an eye for an eye made the whole world blind never put out the eye of a bully”, and “never underestimate the peace and prosperity that will prevail by putting out the eye of only ONE bully, indeed it is the only thing that works…” apologies to Meg.)
May 4th, 2007 at 7:32 pm
FDA:
“the event has demonstrated our effectiveness at detecting and containing a problem.”
You ARE kidding, right? By what measuring stick are you bozos using? A toothpick?!!!
As for what E. said above about spreading your apology as widely as the lies, *insert buzzer sound - ehhh*……thanks for playing. You’ll never be able to apologize ENOUGH. You dearly owe everyone who had a pet die or become seriously ill. It’s a debt you’ll never be able to pay - get it? Pat yourselves silly but gawd help your souls - oh wait, you don’t HAVE souls, silly me…..
FDA & everyone else responsible for this travesty - can you bring back people’s cherished fur kids who were FAMILY members, not PROPERTY. Can you explain to a child why their cat Fluffy or dog Spot died needlessly? Or to elderly folk who’s pet was their mainstay companion? Can you, huh?
Yeah. That’s what I thought.
Another deer in the headlights look while you desperately rifle through your coached, formulaic notes for press release questions.
May 4th, 2007 at 7:37 pm
Sorry to be facetious but we’re talking as if the FDA is a consumer oriented agency in a democracy with an elected government that is of the people, by the people, for the people.
THIS IS FANTASY. The FDA is a tool of big business. Big Business abandoned the US and moved to CHINA. For money. For money.
Big business owns the FDA. And the government and 99% of the elected/selected reps. And China owns everything.
I need a beer.
May 4th, 2007 at 7:37 pm
Commissioner Andrew C. von Eschenbach, you have apparently not confabbed with your new food czar. He said we’ll keep inspecting, whether it takes 50, 100, or 1,000 plants until we have our arms around it. Perhaps if you’d quit hugging yourself, you might give him a helping hand? I’d hardly say you’ve got your arms around this “outbreak” (an annoying misnomer for this poisoning disaster).
And as for who detected it, well, it sure wasn’t the USDA/FDA or CVM. Perhaps you’d like to help us now and tell us what the level of contamination was in the pork samples taken to UC Davis? We’re running out of options on what to feed here.
May 4th, 2007 at 7:41 pm
Just curious, why am I not seeing any of these excellent comment postings above appear on the USA Today site, below the Eschenbach article where people are supposed to make comments? I only see 4 comments there, and none of these comments from this page. Have you been prevented from posting on that site?
http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2007/05/post_7.html
May 4th, 2007 at 7:44 pm
Where was I? oh right. Big business abandoned America and moved to China. SO WHY DO THEY STILL GET ALL THESE FING PERKS HERE?????
Guys-you wanna live there - go there. Anybody wanna start an american petfood co.? Meantime, businesses get the blank out of the halls of amer democracy. I don’t want your cheap imported crap goods.
and by the way - you owe a few gazillion billion dollars in taxes you schmuckster lying sorrya$$ consciencless crooks. Pay up jerks.
We’re not going to let you get away with it. All the dead american pets are going to “dog” your every step. Cripes what a bunch of sorrya$$ criminals.
May 4th, 2007 at 7:46 pm
This whole thing is SICKENING. And the FDA are [EDITED by ADMIN] MORONS. Sorry for the “family thread” thing, but this whole debacle makes me homicidal.
May 4th, 2007 at 7:47 pm
Just posted by mal at PC:
http://tinyurl.com/2o8d76
HOUSTON?
I think we may have a problem…..
May 4th, 2007 at 7:47 pm
The answer BW is because the usatoday is not local. Itchmo is local.
May 4th, 2007 at 7:49 pm
20,000,000 chickens?!!!
May 4th, 2007 at 7:49 pm
I think Senator Durbin needs to consider a bill to PAY us, we get the news out faster, do more work and are far far more trustworthy than the FDA.
And we have all these vet bills to pay, so we are motivated in a way that the “friends of the rich and shameless †will never be!
May 4th, 2007 at 7:50 pm
Just sent my comment to USA Today Site—thanks BW for the link
May 4th, 2007 at 7:53 pm
Bw, don’t be testy. I didn’t know there was a blog at USAToday at which to post our comments. Nor did others.
And I must add that it is a huge pain in the tush to go to USAToday. It takes forever to load, and at least two pop-ups come up. But, since you INSIST — dang it — I’ll go. JUST for you!
May 4th, 2007 at 7:57 pm
It is uncertain how many (of the 20 million) chickens (fed tainted petfood) have been processed.
how many chickens/person is that? IT BETTER BECOME CLEAR REAL FAST.
May 4th, 2007 at 7:58 pm
Bw, I don’t see any comments below his commentary. And I see no way to submit a comment.
May 4th, 2007 at 7:59 pm
Not such a bad idea starting up a domestic pet food, run by people who have been harmed by this travesty…….for sure I would trust a product
from such a company.
Everyone who would be involved would have to have been affected by this outrage tho, in order to have my trust.
What a way to kick them all in the a$$
I bet such a company would do very very well.
May 4th, 2007 at 8:01 pm
Is the FDA going to stand a Post at the New Purina Plant on Mainland China?
They should be rolling out the cans and bags soon as, the Celebration just took place for the Plant Opening.
It won’t matter anymore about Cargo Ships, being stop in USA ports “before” they bring their Tainted inferior ingredients IN.
And whose going to police the Chinese firms, who produce the Ingredients for American Foods {human and pet}, on their own Chinese land. To stop companies and Managers of such companies, of likes of the lowly *2*
the Chinese are ‘holding’? Saying the Containers shiped HERE were Not marked as FOOD ingredients???
As if Knowing the contents would have mattered before.
What a Woeful excuse.
With only 1% of the Mass quanities of Everything coming IN to the USA, I think we’d all better make sure our Insurance is Paid up.
That includes Pet Insurance.
I would like to know more about the Genetically Modified Foods {human and pet} that are being spread around the world. Who’s watching THAT? NOW?
I don’t appreciate the idea our Pets are being used as Guinea pigs, nor that they get the bottom of the Barrel ingredients. {and paying for More, for More Quality when it’s NOT}
I believe there was some sort of “Funny Food” DUMPED as well. And Our Pets Got IT!
Other countries are lining up and Refuse OUR USA grown Food ingredients. WHY?
It WAS the Best in the World.
I expect the Truth. Not some Cover-up about ALL of this Fiasco!
Whose Watching Whom when it comes to Our Foodstuffs?
NOONE.
I need to go and Eat some dinner Now.
May 4th, 2007 at 8:06 pm
How many chickens per US human kidney is that?
How many insurance dollars per human kidney per dr per hospital per big pharmaceutical co is that?
Profits boys, think profits! sick pets = profit. sick people = profit.
everything = profit boys!
I think you boys should just run your games (adulterated food, insurance, hospitals, pharmaceuticals, etc.) in China where you can take more lives slowly and painfully for profit.
May 4th, 2007 at 8:28 pm
AlAbelReader: What a way to kick them all in the a$$ I bet such a company would do very very well.
Go for it Al!
E. Hamilton will do PR, Itchmo will do the website. I will cheer.
May 4th, 2007 at 8:31 pm
That’s only 1% of the Mass Quanities of Foodstuffs Coming INTO the USA is Inspected by the FDA; which also includes Our own homegrown HERE, not inspected as well.
Better get your own seeds and shovels out.
May 4th, 2007 at 8:31 pm
From Itchmo headline, above:
“We’ll start with a quote from the FDA commissioner:
The current event has demonstrated our effectiveness at detecting and containing a problem. ” [snip]
Yep. It certainly *did* demonstrate FDA’s effectiveness, and continues to do so. A shredded window screen is more effective at ‘detecting and containing a problem’.
BTW, FDA, whatcha think about USDA now saying potentially 20 MILLION chickens contaminated, as opposed to your stated 2 - 3 million? Let’s see - If you’re consistently underestimating affected animals by 90% or so, does that mean, in actuality, that *85,000* dogs and kitties have thus far died and another *85,000 - 100,000* have been sickened and are at risk of dying?
Off to leave a comment at USA Today (thanks BW!).
May 4th, 2007 at 8:34 pm
Sorry Marie, Monsanto has a patent on seeds. you’re not allowed to plant seeds. in fact you’re not allowed to save seeds if you planted ….. didnt you hear? ;-)
Tell ya what though; I have a meat grinder and a recipe book.
Raw catfood, learn to love it….
May 4th, 2007 at 8:36 pm
K9Rescue extrapolates the true, neverbeforerevealed number of pets affected!! Go K9
May 4th, 2007 at 8:37 pm
Still wondering why howl911 is MIA
May 4th, 2007 at 8:41 pm
Have you tried these new Peanut butter, Spinach and Cantalope Sandwiches??? They are Tasty!
And Fluffy has some pre-March 16th- pre-May 2nd Yummy Kitty Food too!
Oh and I’ll save some of the scraps for the chickens and hogs!
And YOU ALL get to SHARE IN it THEN!
May 4th, 2007 at 8:44 pm
Right now im thinking
someones afraid of being caught in conspiricy with communists
or they’r paid to ignore health issues that kill citizens and their pets?
i say it’s a treasonable offense .. and i am sure the truth will come out.
everyday it’s another recall, eveyday fda changes it’s tune?
it is not only the pets , it’s the people? kidney and bladder cancers in
vegetarians , people who eat soy products? come on fda.. it’s becomeing
obvious? this is not going to stay covered up..
if it’s up to me, it’s treason , selling out your countrymen for corporate
gain..
May 4th, 2007 at 8:57 pm
home james
May 4th, 2007 at 9:01 pm
Genuine canned cat food, made from 100% meat and we deny that this has ANYTHING to do with the sudden disappearance of several former pet food execs. We suggest searching the territories of every place that has no extradition treaty with the U.S. ( note to mal- get the vest buttons out of the grinder before the FDA shows up).
All meat, no filler and available for a very short time as all the ingredients are in short supply.
We promise Fluffy will love it!
May 4th, 2007 at 9:05 pm
Do we have a mailing address for Mr. FDA commisioner? At least USA today is keeping up the the story, unlike other news sources. The reason I didn’t post a comment there is because you have to open an acct. I am so sick of opening accts everywhere!
May 4th, 2007 at 9:13 pm
4ldgfriend thanks for the reply.
I guess what I meant is could some of these posts be entered on that site.
OR does someone from the FDA visit this site? I’m just being silly, I don’t want them to think we are all falling for their baloney. I hate their smugness, in the face of so much grief and frustration, the same way everyone else feels too, I am sure.
May 4th, 2007 at 9:17 pm
5mile range , U.S. gov.surplus, Bazoka .. fires phosporus , artilery explosive ,
fragmentation shells..
could be a weenie roast anyday now..
whats on the “menu”?
May 4th, 2007 at 9:23 pm
Susan UnpC, go to
http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2007/05/post_7.html
It is on USA TODAY OPINION page below the Aschenbach article. You will see the 4 comments that are there and the blank to enter yours is below theirs.
You do have to register, but that shouldn’t be a problem, unless you are sick of registering places.
May 4th, 2007 at 9:26 pm
Susanunpc, Gee, was I “testy”? I didn’t mean to be. I’ll have to re-read my post. I’m just very tired, very OLD and very tired.
May 4th, 2007 at 9:39 pm
You know, I have tried to take a break for a few days from all the FDA’s BS, but I had to check for more recalls :(
For your information FDA…consumers are NOT buying the pork and chicken…I was at 2 different grocery stores today, pork and chicken piled up but the beef was very picked over…tell ya something huh, Americans are not falling for your line of crap!!
May 4th, 2007 at 9:41 pm
Anonymous Says:
May 4th, 2007 at 9:39 pm
You know, I have tried to take a break for a few days from all the FDA’s BS, but I had to check for more recalls :(
that was me :)
May 4th, 2007 at 10:26 pm
Dr. David W.K. Acheson, a “former University of Maryland medical school professor who had been chief medical officer at the Food and Drug Administration’s food safety center,” was appointed May 1, 2007, by President George W. Bush to the new position of “food safety czar” at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Acheson was directed “to develop a plan for addressing shortcomings exposed by recent scares in the human food supply.”
May 4th, 2007 at 10:38 pm
KatieKat,
I never left welcome back, My friends and family think I am as nutty over this as ever.
May 4th, 2007 at 11:13 pm
Tell me exactly, FDA, just how long have chickens been fed contaminated food? What about pigs? What about cattle? What about farmed fish?
I wonder just how much of the blame the contaminated food should take for my kidney disease. I wonder. I have probably been eating contaminated chicken for many years. Think that might possibly be a factor in my vastly decreased kidney function? It’s now down to 25%, was 40% in January, and I’ve been eating commercially raised chicken.
And what about my beautiful, bonded-with-me, incredible Flat-Coated Retriever Taz the Bonehead (a show dog, too), who all of a sudden last July got an autoimmune disease (autoimmune hemolytic anemia) and died a month later, despite all we did to help him recover including spend $6000 at the vet? My beloved Bonehead was only 6 years old when he got that AIHA. He should have had at least four more years of high-quality life ahead of him. Instead, he was fine Saturday morning, sick Saturday night, went into the emergency vet on Saturday night and stayed in their ICU for a week. He came home, and was in and out of the vet’s office at least once a week, and often more, for the next month. He was doing pretty well, holding his own, then his entire system failed and I had to have him put down. What about him, huh? Was he an early indicator of something wrong? Flat-Coats are awfully sensitive dogs. Just how long has there been melamine in the food? The dry food I feed hasn’t been recalled yet, but I watch Itchmo daily now to see if it is being recalled.
May 4th, 2007 at 11:28 pm
Sigh.. If they think they handled this well… I would HATE to see what they would consider bad handling(50% pets dead/100% pets dead?).
This is the same FDA that fast tracks pharma drugs and just says oops when they have to pull it for causing deaths!