Public Radio Commentary

Presented by Sandy Courtnage

May 8, 2007

Twenty-three headlines and 10 of them were about food safety.  That was the situation just last week when I received our daily news clips.  This service brings U.S. news from around the country directly to my computer, and helps capture the nation’s agriculture-related thoughts and concerns.

Last month I talked about the pet food scare and the ramifications of pet food being tainted with deadly toxic chemicals.  At that time, there were just the beginning rumbles that the story could expand to include human food problems as well.  Now, however, the headlines from newspapers from Washington, D.C. to Florida and from Chicago to California scream the obvious:

“Pet Deaths Spur Call for Better FDA Screening” by the Washington Post

“Food Imports Often Escape Scrutiny” by the New York Times

“Indiana Chickens Linked to Contaminated Pet Food” by the Chicago Sun-Times

It appears that eating these days requires a detective’s skill and nerves of steel.

There is an obvious problem with the flood of imports and the lack of inspections.  According to the New York Times, the FDA employs less than 2,000 food inspectors to cover all U.S. ports and domestic food-production plants.

China is the focus of the investigations because that is where the tainted wheat and rice gluten in question originated.   Chinese food and ag imports involve billions of dollars of trade with much of it being in powders and concentrates for the processed-food industry.

The Washington Post reports that these products pose at least three problems:

1)     their make-up is not visually obvious;

2)     they can be easily and invisibly contaminated or intentionally spiked with chemicals that the FDA does not test for; and

3)     their origins may be vague and difficult to trace, as they may have passed through several traders and stages of processing.

In addition, China’s regulatory environment is free wheeling with marketers frequently being caught adulterating products. 

As one Chinese chemical company admitted to the Post, “As long as you bring money, anyone can buy.”

So what is there to do?

On the national level, some people are calling for increased funding and powers for the FDA.  Almost 99 percent of imported foods are not inspected.  They are simply acknowledged by computer and waved ashore. 

Some people want the FDA to have authority to make companies legally liable for identifying likely contamination and implementing necessary controls.  This sounds like a good idea, but the pet food situation reveals many examples of liars and cheats protected by many miles and layers of bureaucracy.

In the meantime, closer to home, the FDA and USDA have said that the likelihood of human illness from eating chicken and pigs fed the contaminated feed is very low and that no recall is planned.  But the human factor in this mess adds another layer of urgency to the situation.

William Hubbard, a former FDA associate director, is reported saying that the pet food situation has shown people that something needs to be fixed.  “If this isn’t a wake-up call,” he said, “then people are so asleep they are catatonic.”

So, my question for all of us is this:  “Are we awake?”  And, if we are concerned, what can be done?

First, we can write to Congress and express concern about the FDA, their mission and funding.  Offer suggestions, and while you’re at it, demand immediate implementation of country-of-origin labeling.

Second, become an amateur detective and read labels carefully.

Third, eat fewer processed foods, and when you do, choose carefully.

And, finally, eat closer to home:  whenever possible buy from local farmers, ranchers and market gardeners whose animal husbandry and farming methods you support.

For the Montana Farmers Union, I’m Sandy Courtnage.  Thanks for listening.