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FDA Acts to Protect Consumers from Vibrio in Oysters

October 18, 2009

b>Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal/b>br/>For 15 years, the Center for Science in the Public Interest has been urging the Food and Drug Administration to protect consumers from Vibrio vulnificusthe deadly bacteria found in almost all Gulf Coast oysters harvested in warmer months. The FDA announced this weekend that the agency will now require those oysters shipped to other states to be processed to kill the pathogen.

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New Legislation Should Be Passed Quickly, Food Safety Advocates Urge

June 2, 2009

b>Bill Gives FDA New Power and Resources to Prevent Contaminated Food/b>br/>WASHINGTONFood safety advocates, led by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest, say that rapid passage of the Food Safety Enhancement Act is the best hope for making Americas food safer. CSPI food safety director Caroline Smith DeWaal testified in support of the legislation today, on behalf of the consumer and public health groups that are members of the Safe Food Coalition.

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Pistachio Recall Shows FDA Needs to Shift from Voluntary Guidance to Food Safety Mandates for the Nut Industry

April 7, 2009

b>Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal/b>br/>The latest recall of a popular nutpistachiosis expanding to include all nuts processed by Setton Farms in 2008. This recall, coming on the heels of a peanut recall affecting over 2,000 products, is another blow to farmers, nut processors, and consumer confidence. It proves the Food and Drug Administration urgently needs to institute mandatory process controls for all tree nuts and peanuts. The FDA should immediately require processors to institute process controls that would ensure safe product.

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Long Shelf Life May Mean Continuing Hazard from Peanut Products

January 22, 2009

b>Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal/b>br/>The tragic outbreak from peanut butter has already sickened hundreds of people and killed more people than the infamous 1993 Jack in the Box outbreak or the 2006 spinach outbreak. Given the long shelf life of these peanut products, this outbreak may sicken and kill many more if the Food and Drug Administration does not act to effectively remove contaminated products from stores and facilities that may have them. Yet, without mandates for recall and few inspectors, the agencys ability to protect the public is minimal.

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FDA Approves Irradiation for Spinach, Lettuce

August 20, 2008

b>Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal/b>br/>FDAs announcement today that it will allow food processors to irradiate some leafy greens (spinach and iceberg lettuce) may not be the futuristic cure-all the agency is looking for. Irradiation is a treatment used at the end of production. While it may be safe and effective in treating some pathogens, it is notand should not be mistaken fora silver bullet.

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CSPI Praises Senators for Bipartisan Food Safety Bill

August 13, 2008

b>Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal/b>br/>The bipartisan FDA Food Safety Modernization Act would help refocus the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on preventing, rather than just reacting to, food-borne disease outbreaks. Senators Richard Durbin, Judd Gregg, Christopher Dodd, Richard Burr, Tom Harkin, and Lamar Alexander have developed constructive legislation in a bipartisan manner, proving that the safety of the food we serve our families is not a partisan political issue.

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FDA Finds Salmonella Strain on Jalapeno Pepper

July 20, 2008

b>Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal/b>br/>More than 1,200 Americans have gotten sick and two people have died after eating produce contaminated with Salmonella Saintpaul. With an investigation spanning many weeks, food safety regulators have had a challenging time trying to track suspected tomatoes and peppers up or down the supply chain, hampered by paper records and repacking practices that effectively hide the identity of produce in the distribution chain.

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House Vote for More Food Safety Money Praised

June 19, 2008

b>Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal/b>br/>The Food and Drug Administration desperately needs the $150 million in new money approved by the House of Representatives last night, particularly the $67 million designated for the Centers for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. Its good news for consumers, merchants, and restaurateurs, who are sick and tired of outbreaks, like the latest one linked to tomatoes, that result in illnesses, wasted food, and a reduction in consumer confidence in our federal food safety programs. While FDA urgently needs even more funding, were glad that the House leadership and the White House came to agreement on this down payment for restoring credibility to the FDA…

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Senate Move on FDA Funding Praised

May 7, 2008

b>Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal/b>br/>Along with my colleagues in the Alliance for a Stronger FDA, I stand in strong support of Senator Herb Kohls move to include $275 million in new funding for the Food and Drug Administration in the pending emergency supplemental appropriations bill. Virtually no one, inside or outside Congress, believes that the FDA has the resources necessary to assure the safety of Americans food, drugs, and medical devices. The proof hits home for American consumers every day.
o one, inside or outside Congress, believes that the FDA has the resources necessary to assure the safety of Americans food, drugs, and medical devices. The proof hits home for American consumers every day…

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