Survey: Political and corporate influence threatens public health

[Guest guest]

" The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (_S. 510_

(http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:S.510:) ), introduced by Sen.

Durbin, D-Ill.,

would include granting FDA the authority to recall contaminated foods.

Currently the FDA only can request a recall, which is ultimately the

manufacturer's decision. "

Survey: Political and corporate influence threatens public health

By Norah Swanson _nswanson@..._ (mailto:nswanson@...)

September 13, 2010

_http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=46091 & dcn=todaysnews_

(http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=46091 & dcn=todaysnews)

A significant percentage of employees from the _Food and Drug

Administration_ (http://topics.govexec.com/Food+and+Drug+Administration/) and

the

Agriculture Department surveyed on food safety said political and corporate

influence is threatening public health, according to _poll results_

(http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/scientific_integrity/driving-fox-from-he\

nhouse-f

ood-safety-report.pdf) released on Monday.

Out of 1,710 respondents, 27 percent reported personally experiencing

either frequently or occasionally " instances where public health has been

harmed

by businesses withholding food safety information from agency

investigators, " while 22 percent seldom reported such experiences. Twenty-five

percent

of respondents said they had personally experienced either frequently or

occasionally " situations where corporate interests have forced the withdrawal

or significant modification of an agency policy or action designed to

protect consumers or public health, " while 23 percent seldom reported such

instances.

_E-MAIL THIS ARTICLE_

(http://www.govexec.com/news/?mode=emailtofriend_form & articleid=46091 & Title=Surv\

ey:%20Political%20and%20corporate%20influence%20th

reatens%20public%20health & ) _PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION_

(http://www.govexec.com/story_page_pf.cfm?articleid=46091 & printerfriendlyvers=1)

_COMMENT ON

THIS STORY_

(http://www.govexec.com/mailbagDetails.cfm?aid=46091#comments-form-area)

____________________________________

RELATED STORIES

* _Empty Agriculture offices, including food safety, raise concerns

_ (http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0110/011210cdam2.htm?oref=rellink)

01/12/10

* _New USDA research agency already wants more money_

(http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/1009/100909cdam1.htm?oref=rellink) 10/09/09

* _Timing of Senate food safety bill is uncertain_

(http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0809/081909cdpm1.htm?oref=rellink) 08/19/09

* _FDA chief: More money is needed for inspections_

(http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0609/060309cdam1.htm?oref=rellink) 06/03/09

* _Obama charts path on food safety_

(http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0309/031609lit.htm?oref=rellink) 03/16/09

The Union of Concerned Scientists, a leading science-based nonprofit group,

conducted the poll, releasing the results just weeks after a nationwide

scare over the outbreak of 1,400 cases of salmonella and the recall of nearly

500 million eggs in August. The group sent the survey to more than 8,000

employees at FDA and USDA in March; among those who responded, 61 percent

identified themselves as food safety inspectors.

" We have evidence that special interest pressure remains strong, " said

Francesca Grifo, senior scientist and director of the Scientific Integrity

Program, during a conference call on Monday morning.

According to the survey, 31 percent of respondents agreed or strongly

agreed that the presence of top agency leaders who came from the food industry

inappropriately influenced food safety decision-making. Employees also

reported interference from leadership within their agencies. Twenty-three

percent of respondents said they received requests at least once from agency

decision-makers to " inappropriately exclude or alter technical information or

conclusions in an agency scientific document. "

An overwhelming majority of employees at both agencies -- 70 percent --

agreed that whistleblower protections for public and private inspectors would

improve food safety overall.

" Our clients make food integrity disclosures at great peril to their

personal and professional lives, " said Hitt, director for the Food

Integrity Campaign at the nonprofit Government Accountability Project. Speaking

on

behalf of Dr. Dean Wyatt, a public health veterinarian for the USDA Food

Safety Inspection Service, Hitt said Wyatt experienced " obstruction,

retaliation and abuse of power " from upper level management within his

department.

Wyatt claimed he witnessed animal rights abuses and threats to public

safety on more than one occasion, but his reports were ignored. He alleged he

was penalized for his actions, including being transferred from his job at

an Oklahoma slaughterhouse to a packing plant in Vermont.

Respondents also overwhelmingly supported reforms, including the

consolidation of " all government food safety activities into a new Food Safety

Administration, " increased food safety inspections, and regulations " requiring

each food production facility to conduct a science-based hazard analysis and

implement preventive controls. "

On a positive note, according to Grifo's interpretation of survey results,

employees at FDA and USDA are more hopeful than they were five years ago

about future food safety reform. The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (_S.

510_ (http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:S.510:) ), introduced by

Sen. Durbin, D-Ill., would include granting FDA the authority to

recall contaminated foods. Currently the FDA only can request a recall, which

is ultimately the manufacturer's decision.