Strange "Protection" Racket

Trey Smith

Once again, the federal agency charged with protecting the public from tainted food has ignored a mountain of scientific research and decided to allow a toxic chemical to remain in food packaging.

The federal Food and Drug Administration announced today it would not take immediate steps to bar bisphenol-A, or BPA, a synthetic estrogen and plastics component, in canned food and liquid infant formula containers.

“The next decision the FDA should make is to remove ‘responsible for protecting the public health’ from its mission statement,” said Jane Houlihan, Senior Vice President for Research of the Environmental Working Group. “It’s false advertising. Allowing a chemical as toxic as BPA, and linked to so many serious health problems, to remain in food means the agency has veered dangerously off course.”

The FDA’s decision comes five years since Environmental Working Group’s groundbreaking 2007 study showed that leached from epoxy linings of cans into surrounding food and drink. EWG’s tests showed the highest concentrations of the chemical, a synthetic estrogen, in canned soup, pasta and infant formula.
~ from FDA Keeps Toxic Plastic Chemical in Food, Infant Formula ~

Think that sounds bad? There's more!

And you thought pink slime was bad: The Obama administration is proposing to fire USDA inspectors and let the poultry industry inspect its own slaughterhouse lines — while simultaneously speeding up the kill line.

The USDA says the new rules would save taxpayer money, as much as $95 million over three years via the elimination of 800 inspector positions. Meanwhile, the poultry industry would save something like a quarter of a billion dollars by ramping up the kill line, all while supposedly improving the safety of the food it produces.
~ from Proposed Rules: You Lose, Poultry Industry Wins via TruthDig ~

Here we have two different cases with a really obvious similarity: Both side with the financial interests of corporations over the health and safety of the rest of us! At least the government is protecting somebody's interests.