|
straybaby
|
 |
« Reply #75 on: July 31, 2008, 12:07:51 PM » |
|
5cat, I was watching it on the TeeVee (I work at home). I had to flip it off though as I wasn't making any progress and I have a deadline! I liked the finger pointing because it was freakin' obvious that it could have been something besides tomatoes and even if it wasn't tomatoes, it's shouldn't have taken so long to figure it out and there were obvious steps the FDA should have taken. Saying the system works AFTER Minnesota has figured out it's peppers in their case doesn't help the egg on the FDA's face.
Classic with Bart holding the tomato (good looking tomato he picked out!) and trying to get DA to clarify if they are safe or not. Will watch the rerun tonight. I didn't realize they were reusing generic boxes for packing. And blaming the small restaurant owners because they still do paper accounting was great, not. If the distributors all had track back it shouldn't matter. They should be able to pull up records on a computer lickity-split.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
straybaby
|
|
« Reply #78 on: July 31, 2008, 07:46:55 PM » |
|
3cat, great quotes in the first link: Holding up a bright red tomato, Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., declared: "We want their good name back." The system "is what it is, and it worked," Acheson said. "It was just slow." oh man, I can't believe I've gotten to a point that I find this absolutely hysterical. Who knew that getting pissed off during a pet food recall one year would protect me from the FDA the next. And allow me to get a good belly laugh from the hearings. Bart holds up tomato "so are tomatoes safe" FDA "Yes, we have made it clear that we haven't found any suspect tomatoes" Bart holds up pepper "so, you found a farm with tainted jalapenos right" FDA "yes" Bart "is any other produce grown on the pepper farm" FDA "yes, tomatoes and serranos"  |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
JJ
|
|
« Reply #79 on: August 02, 2008, 01:08:35 AM » |
|
straybaby have you had a chance to find out any more info regarding this dirty water being put on the organic foods grown in Mexico?
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
'Life isn't about how to survive the storm,
But how to dance in the rain.'
|
|
|
|
|
|
3catkidneyfailure
|
|
« Reply #81 on: August 03, 2008, 10:45:50 AM » |
|
http://www.newssun.com/0803-ct-tomatoesWhat has the growers most upset, however, is that most American farms have put safety measures into place, including sophisticated tracking systems should problems develop, but that those systems were not used by the regulatory agencies to discover the culprit in the salmonella case. Instead, a blanket warning was issued affecting every tomato grower in the country, and the tomato market is still 30 percent off, even after Mexican peppers were found to be at fault. ...
Mahoney reported that the inspection system for incoming produce is in a state of failure.
"Less than 1/2 of 1 percent of produce coming in from Mexico is inspected," he said. "A sample is taken and the truck allowed to go. If they find a problem, they try to catch up to the truck."
Part of this situation, he added, has an historical background. Thirty years ago agricultural inspections were taken from the department of agriculture and divided into a patchwork system. Then after 2001, the department of Homeland Security took over. That meant, however, that inspections were more geared to look for terrorists or deadly materials. The inspectors aren't trained tell a good tomato from a bad one.
Now the inspection system is so broken, Mahoney said, the Department of Agriculture doesn't want it back.
The growers indicated cures would have to include consistency -- all growers held to the same standards -- and some kind of protection against overseas production. Not so much in the form of tariffs, but at least equal vigor in ensuring the safety of imported food. The idea of federal inspectors being stationed overseas and inspecting product before it is sent here is one suggestion.
|
|
|
|
« Last Edit: August 03, 2008, 10:56:15 AM by 3catkidneyfailure »
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
straybaby
|
|
« Reply #83 on: August 04, 2008, 01:41:16 AM » |
|
okay, I'm tired and seeing cross-eyed and will have to really read the article later . . . . BUT! if he's the president, Why The F*** are they calling him Mr Clinton? And for some reason, I thought he wanted the controls but was squashed on them? |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
3catkidneyfailure
|
|
« Reply #84 on: August 04, 2008, 09:48:45 AM » |
|
Unified food and drug safety administration with seizure and instant recall and instant
import rejection power gets my vote over the antiquated, patchwork system that is
ever more failing the American public and the health of the American consumer. Bring
on the food Nazis (sorry for the reference, but is descriptive of the necessary authority)
over self-monitoring greedy food industry imp. I realize some in the government are
really trying to function under the existing system, but it's just not working and needs
very great revamping and reorganization and needs to be independent of the food industry
lobby. The welfare and health concerns of the consuming public need to be the focus.
The main initiative announced today, requiring the F.D.A. to bar foods imported from countries with substandard safety systems, was recommended more than four years ago by David A. Kessler, then the Commissioner of Food and Drugs. Dr. Kessler warned then that the nation's food-safety laws, essentially unchanged since 1938, were in ''urgent need'' of an overhaul.
11 years later, too, ...
|
|
|
|
« Last Edit: August 04, 2008, 10:18:50 AM by 3catkidneyfailure »
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
3catkidneyfailure
|
|
« Reply #85 on: August 05, 2008, 04:35:48 PM » |
|
This is a new to me comment email on the tomato salmonella investigation from the Commissioner of the FDA speaking in Andy's Take, and worth reading: http://www.fda.gov:80/oc/vonEschenbach/andys_take/default.htmlThe comment that got me going here is "Andy" saying if we didn't demand year round access to all fruits and vegetables, so many wouldn't be imported when it's not our growing season. I don't believe I've heard anyone else say that, but it could result in fewer import problems. |
|
|
|
« Last Edit: August 05, 2008, 05:46:29 PM by 3catkidneyfailure »
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
straybaby
|
|
« Reply #86 on: August 06, 2008, 12:34:52 PM » |
|
"Andy" needs a reality check. Us "demanding" fresh food is no excuse for doing a pathetic job. There are no inspectors in Mexico and less than 1% of produce is inspected coming over the border. Fact is, we would have to close our borders to trade if we want to use his thinking.  Fewer imports and more American product would be nice, but Fair Trade and safe imports shouldn't be a problem if the agencies and producers would hold themselves to some standards aside from the bottom line$. |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
