Salmonella Outbreaks and US Politics
Who is to Blame? Finger Pointing at American Goverment Agencies
Aug 14, 2008
When the House Energy and Commerce Committee recently held hearings to determine why the recent salmonella outbreak was handled so badly, lawmakers blamed it on the turf struggles, bad communication and weak leadership among thethe federal agencies.
Financial Losses to Producers
According to Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich, it was like “a keystone Kops situation.” He said an investigation that should have taken hours or days instead stretched on for weeks and months. Meanwhile more than 1300 people were sickened which set off a consumer scare that cost the produce industry more than 200 million dollars. The losses to the tomato industry alone was over $100 million dollars.
Government Agencies Defense
Officials from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Federal Drug Administration (FDA), which share responsibility for handling outbreaks of food-borne illnesses became defensive when questioned by the lawmakers. David Acheson, the FDA’s top official, started his testimony with the news about the Salmonella saintpaul finding but was asked by Rep. Dingell to get back on track by answering questions about when he first heard that jalapeno peppers were making people ill.
Goverment Agencies Turf Wars
One of the problems is that the federal agencies are reluctant to share what is learned with State regulators and according to United Fresh Produce Association, in testifying before the Committee said “We have noticed tensions and rivalries” among federal food-safety agencies. He suggested that public-health officials might want to go to outside sources. Industry representatives told the lawmakers that they are frustrated with the government’s investigation who kept them at arm’s length when they tried to help with the investigation.
Government Agencies Lack of Cooperation
Several lawmakers said the fact that no one agency is in charge may be part of the problem. The CDC is responsible for identifying the pathogen and the type of food that has been contaminated; the FDA is supposed to trace the outbreak to its source. A faster system for tracing suspect produce might have allowed the FDA to clear tomatoes more rapidly. One problem is that while many major companies can trace their supplies in hours, the smaller growers and shippers still rely on papers records.
House Hearings on Salmonella Outbreak Continue
There will be another hearing by the House Energy and Commerce Committee and while some lawmakers think that the answer to the problem is that a single agency should be in charge since neither the CDC or FDA seem willing to give up their own territory. Meanwhile, the finger pointing goes on while lawmakers dither and health risks to the American public remain from the lack of communication cooperation between the federal agencies.
Source: The U.S. House of Representative House Energy and Commerce Committe: Hearings on Salmonella Outbreak.
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