Only half of FDA scientists had full confidence in egg safety

LA Times: According to a survey done before the salmonella outbreak, only one half of the scientists working at FDA had full confidence that their organization sufficiently protects customers from food-borne illnesses in eggs.

“What is scary to me is that this is indicative of a much larger problem,” said Francesca T. Grifo, director of the group’s Scientific Integrity Program. “This is an agency in need of additional resources and authority, and I would add transparency to that list.”

Slow egg recall due to Senate stalling?

Politico: The recall of the 600 million eggs related to the recent salmonella outbreak has been handicapped by Senate’s yearlong inability to pass a food safety overhaul. The new regulations are necessary due to the weak nature of the current law, e.g. The FDA is not permitted to authorize recalls.

“Without the muscle of an updated law to actually carry out these rules, we’re afraid of more outbreaks like these,” said Erik Olsen, deputy director of the Pew Health Group’s Food Portfolio.
“This is really an object lesson in why we need the food safety legislation.”

Iceland takes steps towards increasing freedom of information

AFP reports of Iceland’s efforts to become a new safe haven for journalists and whistleblowers with the world’s most extensive freedom of information legislation. This legislation was developed with the assistance of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who is famed after his site uploaded almost 77,000 classified US military documents on the war in Afghanistan. Their goal is to ultimately protect and encourage whistleblowing and free information, concepts they believe are vital to democracy.

“We took all the best laws from around the world and pulled them together, just like tax havens do, in order to create freedom of information and expression, a transparency haven,” Birgitta Jonsdottir, the member of parliament behind the initiative, told AFP.

OSHA investigates wrongfully terminated whistleblower

CSP Information Group reports on an employee at Kwick convenience store complained to OSHA of safety hazards at the workplace. After being discharged, a whistleblower complaint was filed to OSHA. OSHA concluded the employee was wrongfully terminated, and the Labor Department is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, in addition to back pay, and reinstatement to the job.

“Employees should be free to exercise their rights under the law without fear of termination or retaliation by their employers,” William A. Burke, OSHA’s acting regional administrator in Dallas, said in a press release. “This lawsuit underscores the Labor Department’s commitment to vigorously take action to protect those rights.”

Johnson & Johnson takes steps to ensure drug safety

NY Times reports that after a set of recalls of various popular over-the-counter drugs, including Tylenol, Johnson & Johnson has announced their plans to improve the quality control. This is in retaliation to manufacturing problems at McNeil Consumer Healthcare (division of J&J), after pulling back products consumers complained had a “musty or moldy odor”.

McNeil’s conduct surrounding the recalls is the subject of inquiry by both the House Committee on Oversight and Investigations and by the Food and Drug Administration’s office of criminal investigations. In the last two years, F.D.A. inspectors have found significant violations of manufacturing standards at two McNeil plants, according to the agency’s Web site.

Interior Department seeking help from whistleblowers for ethical reform

An article on The Hill informs that the Interior Department’s offshore drilling agency has decided to open a hotline for reporting of ethical issues, a step following the creation on a investigative unit. The goal is to make progress in reforming the agency.

We will take reported actions of misconduct, either within [Bureau of Ocean Energy Management] or by industry, very seriously and will investigate these allegations promptly and aggressively …

Allegations of misconduct or unethical behavior involving BOEM personnel or persons who interact with BOEM personnel can be reported online by going to www.boemre.gov/iru or by calling 877-440-0173 or 202-208-5646.”

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