FDA cuts slash food inspections - "We have a food-safety crisis on the horizon," official says

[UpInArms]

http://www.capitalpress.info/main.asp?SectionID=67&SubSectionID=616&ArticleID=30755&TM=11895.83

WASHINGTON (AP) - The federal agency that's been front and center in warning the public about tainted spinach and contaminated peanut butter is conducting just half the food safety inspections it did three years ago.

The cuts by the Food and Drug Administration come despite a barrage of high-profile food recalls.

"We have a food safety crisis on the horizon," said Michael Doyle, director of the Center for Food Safety at the University of Georgia.

Between 2003 and 2006, FDA food safety inspections dropped 47 percent, according to a database analysis of federal records by The Associated Press.

That's not all that's dropping at the FDA in terms of food safety. The analysis also shows:

<snip>

• Safety tests for U.S.-produced food have dropped nearly 75 percent, from 9,748 in 2003 to 2,455 last year, according to the agency's own statistics.

...more...

(fixed title on edit)

[indepat]

1. 'pukes way of keeping us safe at home

[Ian David]

3. All the food inspectors were gay.

No, wait...

That was the Arabic-language translators.

[Ian David]

2. Fire the food inspectors and say Grace before you eat-- it's the Republicker way. n/t

[spanone]

4. FDA = FEMA. do the math. another gutted agency of the federal govt.

The 'private sector' will watch out for us. We don't need no steenking inspectors.

[CountAllVotes]

5. K&R

:dem: :kick: