Members of Congress, and the reporters who cover them, love to be in the know, and, when they do not have that insider information, they feel a bit weak and vulnerable. I get it. I
Continue Reading Publisher’s Platform: Members of Congress and San Francisco Foodies, Let the Process Work
Too Many Repeat Violators in Hog Slaughter, IG Report Says
Too many repeat violations are occurring at federally inspected pig slaughter plants, and the problem lies with inadequate enforcement, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Inspector General. The IG‘s conclusion is found in a
Continue Reading Too Many Repeat Violators in Hog Slaughter, IG Report Says
Inspector General Faults FDA Outsourcing of State Inspections
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s increasing reliance on state and local officials to conduct boots-on-the-ground inspections of food facilities may leave consumers vulnerable, a Health and Human Services Inspector General report states.
The report,
Continue Reading Inspector General Faults FDA Outsourcing of State Inspections
Audit Finds Lapses in FDA Imported Food Recalls
Officials at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have made some serious missteps trying to keep potentially hazardous imported food off the market, according to a new government audit.
The FDA did not always follow
Continue Reading Audit Finds Lapses in FDA Imported Food Recalls
Audit Chides USDA for Approving Tainted Eggs
The U.S. government’s “right hand” was grading and okaying egg shipments while its “left hand” was testing for and finding Salmonella contamination. And the right hand had no idea what the left hand was
Continue Reading Audit Chides USDA for Approving Tainted Eggs
GAO: Food Safety Fragmentation Needs to be Fixed
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has come out with yet another report lambasting the federal food safety system for being fragmented and in need of reform, this time calling on the Office of Management and
Continue Reading GAO: Food Safety Fragmentation Needs to be Fixed
More Discussion of E. coli Testing in Beef
One week after U.S. Department of Agriculture Inspector General Phyllis Fong called for better E. coli O157:H7 testing procedures, the Beef Industry Food Safety Council unveiled new, voluntary guidelines for testing products such as beef “trim,”
Audit Finds Tainted Meat Reaching Consumers
Veterinary drugs, pesticides, and heavy metals are making it onto our plates via meat, according to a federal audit released this week. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) report
Continue Reading Audit Finds Tainted Meat Reaching Consumers
Report Finds Lax USDA Organic Oversight
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) oversight of organic food has been lax since the agency’s organic program was launched in 2002, according to a recent Inspector General report.
The findings, published earlier this
Gaps Found in FDA Food Facility Registry
Almost half of food facilities fail to provide accurate information to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and five percent of all firms producing food fail to register with the agency at all, according