Comments on: FDA goes all widgety in effort to better communications http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/12/08/fda-goes-all-widgety-in-effort-to-better-communications/ Blogging by a team of pet-care experts. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 07:26:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Sandi K http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/12/08/fda-goes-all-widgety-in-effort-to-better-communications/comment-page-1/#comment-480711 Sandi K Wed, 23 Dec 2009 23:15:42 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=10517#comment-480711 I guess Im not seeing the difference between the widget and signing up for FDA recall notices which we have been able to do for a long time now....dont we get the same info from both sources? I dont see how this widget speeds anything up but maybe Im not understanding something. Im having a hard time figuring FDA out. I dont like to generalize because I know there are caring people who work there and for CVM but at the same time, it appears to me that they really think a pet food co will come forward and tell them everything when they find a problem with their food. It remains to be seen whether the new Reportable Food Registry will help improve things but its my understanding that its not legally enforced or required. Im afraid they expect this sort of "honor system" to work but I think its time they realize that stiffer laws and regs are what is needed when it comes to pet food safety. Thanks Gina and Christie for following up with more questions. I guess Im not seeing the difference between the widget and signing up for FDA recall notices which we have been able to do for a long time now….dont we get the same info from both sources? I dont see how this widget speeds anything up but maybe Im not understanding something. Im having a hard time figuring FDA out. I dont like to generalize because I know there are caring people who work there and for CVM but at the same time, it appears to me that they really think a pet food co will come forward and tell them everything when they find a problem with their food. It remains to be seen whether the new Reportable Food Registry will help improve things but its my understanding that its not legally enforced or required. Im afraid they expect this sort of “honor system” to work but I think its time they realize that stiffer laws and regs are what is needed when it comes to pet food safety.

Thanks Gina and Christie for following up with more questions.

]]> By: Gina Spadafori http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/12/08/fda-goes-all-widgety-in-effort-to-better-communications/comment-page-1/#comment-480014 Gina Spadafori Thu, 10 Dec 2009 21:06:26 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=10517#comment-480014 I will ask the FDA about that Monday when I have the interview with the Deputy Director. I will ask the FDA about that Monday when I have the interview with the Deputy Director.

]]> By: Eucritta http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/12/08/fda-goes-all-widgety-in-effort-to-better-communications/comment-page-1/#comment-480008 Eucritta Thu, 10 Dec 2009 19:46:41 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=10517#comment-480008 The Pet Carousel recall just made the widget - several hours after it was posted to Twitter, and who knows how long since it was posted to the FDA website, where the announcement is dated yesterday. The Pet Carousel recall just made the widget - several hours after it was posted to Twitter, and who knows how long since it was posted to the FDA website, where the announcement is dated yesterday.

]]> By: Carol V http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/12/08/fda-goes-all-widgety-in-effort-to-better-communications/comment-page-1/#comment-480005 Carol V Thu, 10 Dec 2009 19:22:31 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=10517#comment-480005 http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm193736.htm I don't see this recall on the Widget...sigh... http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm193736.htm

I don’t see this recall on the Widget…sigh…

]]> By: Gina Spadafori http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/12/08/fda-goes-all-widgety-in-effort-to-better-communications/comment-page-1/#comment-479964 Gina Spadafori Thu, 10 Dec 2009 01:23:32 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=10517#comment-479964 The FDA is a formerly great agency, like FEMA, and both were starved nearly to death and then handed over to industry to play with. As Grover Norquist has so remarkably said, the goal of the modern conservative movement has been government so small it would fit in a bathtub. We got an idea of what that bathtub looked like: It was called New Orleans, during Katrina. No doubt there is waste and mismanagement in government, at all levels, and these problems need to be addressed. But I am not libertarian enough to wish all government away, and I doubt that who actually looks at what it was like before the reforms of the Progressive Era (one of which was the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906, which start the FDA) would want that, either. The FDA needs to be given the power to force recalls and the mandate to serve the public again. This has not yet happened, although I am seeing some movement in that direction. The FDA is a formerly great agency, like FEMA, and both were starved nearly to death and then handed over to industry to play with. As Grover Norquist has so remarkably said, the goal of the modern conservative movement has been government so small it would fit in a bathtub.

We got an idea of what that bathtub looked like: It was called New Orleans, during Katrina.

No doubt there is waste and mismanagement in government, at all levels, and these problems need to be addressed.

But I am not libertarian enough to wish all government away, and I doubt that who actually looks at what it was like before the reforms of the Progressive Era (one of which was the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906, which start the FDA) would want that, either.

The FDA needs to be given the power to force recalls and the mandate to serve the public again. This has not yet happened, although I am seeing some movement in that direction.

]]> By: LauraS http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/12/08/fda-goes-all-widgety-in-effort-to-better-communications/comment-page-1/#comment-479957 LauraS Wed, 09 Dec 2009 23:50:07 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=10517#comment-479957 What did we try? My apologies for coming late to this party. What did we try? My apologies for coming late to this party.

]]> By: Anne T http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/12/08/fda-goes-all-widgety-in-effort-to-better-communications/comment-page-1/#comment-479956 Anne T Wed, 09 Dec 2009 23:37:35 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=10517#comment-479956 We tried that. The Bill is stalled, forever. No one wants to upset the applecart of Big Pharma and Agribusiness. Too many perks at stake. We tried that. The Bill is stalled, forever. No one wants to upset the applecart of Big Pharma and Agribusiness. Too many perks at stake.

]]> By: LauraS http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/12/08/fda-goes-all-widgety-in-effort-to-better-communications/comment-page-1/#comment-479951 LauraS Wed, 09 Dec 2009 22:38:25 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=10517#comment-479951 If the FDA already has the legal authority to do the things that some here are claiming, can somebody point me to both the specific law and the regulations that created this authority? Beyond that, does the FDA have adequate funding after years and years of budget cuts by hostile administrations? There's lots of changes I'd like to see such as mandatory COO labeling and a lot more auditing/testing of foods for safety, but I'm not convinced that the FDA has the legal authority or budget to do these things. If not, then perhaps we need to be contacting our US congressional reps and US senators. If the FDA already has the legal authority to do the things that some here are claiming, can somebody point me to both the specific law and the regulations that created this authority? Beyond that, does the FDA have adequate funding after years and years of budget cuts by hostile administrations?

There’s lots of changes I’d like to see such as mandatory COO labeling and a lot more auditing/testing of foods for safety, but I’m not convinced that the FDA has the legal authority or budget to do these things. If not, then perhaps we need to be contacting our US congressional reps and US senators.

]]> By: Gina Spadafori http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/12/08/fda-goes-all-widgety-in-effort-to-better-communications/comment-page-1/#comment-479907 Gina Spadafori Wed, 09 Dec 2009 15:46:06 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=10517#comment-479907 You know, I actually agree with much of what you say, but saying "I do not" and "I said" while not putting your name to your opinions is less than convincing to anyone. You know, I actually agree with much of what you say, but saying “I do not” and “I said” while not putting your name to your opinions is less than convincing to anyone.

]]> By: diedmarch172007 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/12/08/fda-goes-all-widgety-in-effort-to-better-communications/comment-page-1/#comment-479905 diedmarch172007 Wed, 09 Dec 2009 15:37:11 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=10517#comment-479905 The FDA, the 16 dead, the "all the food on store shelves is just fine" -that- FDA thinks a widget will help? With what? A faster lie is still just a lie and the one thing the FDA can be counted on to do is lie and cover up. Probably won't be all that fast anyway. They will just use the widget as an excuse, "Oh, this new technology messed up, it is not our fault that it failed until all the deadly products got sold and eaten, bring out your dead." Then the FDA will lie about many dead you brought out. I do not trust the FDA any further than I can throw any of my dead pets and thanks in great part to the FDA, there are plenty of dead pets to be a flinging. There will be more. Dead babies too. I said the whole bright new world of blogger/FDA cooperation much ballyhooed for Tuesday would amount to nothing, be insulting to pet owners at the very least if not outright offensive and that is exactly how it turned out. The FDA does not need any more power, they abuse what they have now. The FDA does not need any more money, they would abuse that too. Food would not be any more dangerous if the entire FDA vanished overnight, it might be safer if they did. A new agency would take years to reach the level of corruption the FDA has managed to attain, perhaps decades. I do not buy the excuse that the FDA is just incompetent, they are doing a cracker jack job for big food and pharma. The FDA, the 16 dead, the “all the food on store shelves is just fine” -that- FDA thinks a widget will help?
With what?

A faster lie is still just a lie and the one thing the FDA can be counted on to do is lie and cover up. Probably won’t be all that fast anyway. They will just use the widget as an excuse, “Oh, this new technology messed up, it is not our fault that it failed until all the deadly products got sold and eaten, bring out your dead.” Then the FDA will lie about many dead you brought out.

I do not trust the FDA any further than I can throw any of my dead pets and thanks in great part to the FDA, there are plenty of dead pets to be a flinging. There will be more.
Dead babies too.

I said the whole bright new world of blogger/FDA cooperation much ballyhooed for Tuesday would amount to nothing, be insulting to pet owners at the very least if not outright offensive and that is exactly how it turned out.

The FDA does not need any more power, they abuse what they have now. The FDA does not need any more money, they would abuse that too.
Food would not be any more dangerous if the entire FDA vanished overnight, it might be safer if they did. A new agency would take years to reach the level of corruption the FDA has managed to attain, perhaps decades.

I do not buy the excuse that the FDA is just incompetent, they are doing a cracker jack job for big food and pharma.

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