Trick or Treat
Congress took advantage of the Dubai Port scandal in early March to do some additional damage to our country. They again weakened states rights, made us less safe, and gave in to yet another lobbying industry. Here’s how they did it.Each state has laws about food processing, but the new bill passed by the house, The National Uniformity of Food Act, will bring food labeling under the control of the FDA alone. What’s the problem with that? Well, the Consumers Union and the Consumer Federation of America warns that are 200 health laws established by the states that would be eliminated, without a replacement added to FDA laws.
It was a state law that originally revealed the truth about Ephedra and Aspartame. With this bill, we will no longer see important warnings about mercury in fish, arsenic in drinking water and lead in candy.
The Attorneys General of 37 states sent a letter to Congress to fight the bill, to no avail. And now wonder…
After accepting $31 million in campaign contributions, the House passed this law requiring states to follow only the FDA regulations, which are much more lax. For example, the FDA has guidelines for how much lead can be in candy. States could previously outlaw any candy that had lead in it.
They said they did this so that food companies don’t have the additional expense of printing 50 different labels. However, when the top industry lobbyist for the Food Products Association was asked, he couldn’t come up with a single company that prints 2 different labels.
With America facing obesity and other health-related problems, it only benefits us to be as informed as we can about the food we eat.
Unrelated: My brother and his wife have a new baby girl! I am officially an aunt.
By terra - 3/31/2006
8 Comments:
Congratulations Terra, and especially to your brother and his wife. That is very exciting.
I wonder if the pasage of this new bill will mean that the State of California will let businesses take down their Prop 65 signs form everywhere. I understand the initial intention of the proposition out here, but really, there are signs on nearly every building now that say, "WARNING THIS FACILITY CONTAINS ONE OR MORE CHEMICALS KNOWN TO THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA TO CAUSE CANCER, BIRTH DEFECTS OR REPRODUCTIVE HARM." Gas stations, Star Bucks, restaurants, basically anyplace that sells anything tobacco, coffee, petroleum, fish, or alcohol realted have them up. It is really amazing. The first time I saw one I remember being taken aback a little but now I think people have seen so many of them and they are up in such frequency that they have lost their effectiveness.
Still though, I don't like the federal governmnt telling states what to do. Bad times in that regard. They should really force legislature to mandate warnings about extremely high fat and sodium products for a while just to see if maybe that will deter people. I know that if I had to look at a big warning label about how bad for me say a milkshake was that I would be more apt to eat something less bad for me.
Terra, as a note, and in no way is it a justification, I can name at least three foood, but not fast food, companies that currently print at least 2 different kinds of labels.
You're right about the warning signs. It gets to the point that everything causes cancer, so why bother.
However, I have a different interpretation of what is bad. I would rather eat something with 5 grams of fat, than something laced with pesticides or lead.
People need to be educated on the concept of balance (I'm not a supporter of fad diets). We need a certain amount of fat and sodium in our diets, but we don't need chemicals whose intentions are to kill. (plus, I think healthy food tastes better)
The states rights issue is the big one here. States made decisions in the best interests of their citizens, and the federal government has overrun them to please their donors. It's a sad situation.
Do those companies print 2 different labels for marketing, or because of different states having different regulations?
I've never seen any warning other than "this was made in a factory that also produces nuts."
They make different labels for different state regulations. There are at lile three different pending and in place state regulations that come to mind. It is also a major issue for companies becaue not only do they need to begin printing different labels, but they also have to go back and figure out how many different items in finished goods inventory need to be pulled and re-labeld if possible or coompletely wasted if the label is part of the product seal. It just kind of creates a logistical nightmare. But really, protecting the consumer should be the most important thing so clearly this regulation over-steps the fed govt's job and stomps on the rights of states. Some uniformity is good though because what happens when ten different states have warnings for a certain chemical but they all determine different grades for what is/isnt acceptable and all choose to label it differently?
This would all be moot if the FDA simply stood up for the people it was created to protect--they're not here to make things 'easier' for companies. If it were truly cost-prohibitive, then companies simply wouldn't do it.
I love when the White House and Congress are controlled by the same party...
Hey??? What Goes Here????
Isn't the "Republican" party the party of less gov't regulation and State's rights and ooooo, I forgot morality?????
Whats more immoral than allowing the masses to unknowingly poison themselves.....ooooo as long as those campaingn kickbacks keep on roooollllling in!
My conservative friends (True Conservatism is a virtue I honor & Respect) Don't look know ----but the Republican Party has about as much substance and integrity as a foot/long terd with ALL the shit scraped off!
Terra:GREAT EXPOSE
Keep on with the Good Fight! OOrah!
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