Some Experts Warn Against Eating High-Risk Foods During Shutdown, But Others Say Safety Doesn’t Hinge Completely On FDA
"The FDA made it really clear that the responsibility for food safety lies with the companies," said Catherine Donnelly, a professor at the University of Vermont. "They just have responsibility for oversight and determining whether there are violations." But other experts say that especially pregnant women or children with an immune deficiency might want to avoid taking any risks.
CNN:
FDA And The Government Shutdown: Foods You May Want To Avoid
Should you be worried about the safety of your food during the government shutdown? The answer is complicated, and it depends who you ask. "We are very concerned that the shutdown may lead to lapses in food safety, but we don't know where or when these will happen," said Sarah Sorscher, deputy director of regulatory affairs at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a consumer advocacy group. (Goldschmidt and Scutti, 1/16)
Reuters:
U.S. Shutdown Taking Toll On FDA, USDA Inspection Roles: Experts
The partial government shutdown is taking a toll on key safety inspection duties performed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Department of Agriculture, food safety experts said on Wednesday. Workers in public health laboratories are reporting disruptions in the analysis of DNA from food samples involved in foodborne outbreaks, and have raised concerns about a USDA program that tests agricultural commodities for unsafe levels of pesticides, they said. (1/16)
Boston Globe:
Antihunger Groups Tell Governor Baker To Craft ‘Disaster Plan’ For Emergency Food Requests Amid Shutdown
Leading antihunger groups in Massachusetts on Wednesday called for an end to the partial federal government shutdown and urged Governor Charlie Baker to prepare a “disaster plan” for a likely spike in emergency food requests if the stalemate grinds on past February. ...The statement was put out by the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, Greater Boston Food Bank, Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, Merrimack Valley Food Bank, and Project Bread. (Andersen, 1/16)
