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Author Topic: Obama warns of US food 'hazard'  (Read 2440 times)

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Offline bijou

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Obama warns of US food 'hazard'
« on: March 14, 2009, 01:51:08 PM »
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President Barack Obama has said the US food safety system is a "public health hazard" and in need of an overhaul.

He sounded the warning during his weekly radio and video address, as he appointed a new head of the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

New York Health Commissioner Margaret Hamburg has been named for the post.

Mr Obama cited a string of recent food safety scandals including a salmonella outbreak in peanut products this year that has been linked to nine deaths.

The president said recent underfunding and understaffing at the FDA had left the agency unable to conduct annual inspections of more than a fraction of America's 150,000 food processing premises.

"That is a hazard to public health. It is unacceptable. And it will change under the leadership of Dr Margaret Hamburg," Mr Obama pledged.


The president also announced he was creating a working group to co-ordinate food safety laws throughout government and advise him on how to update the legislation, which he said had not been touched since it was drafted a century ago.

The appointment of 53-year-old Dr Hamburg, a bioterrorism expert who was an assistant health secretary under President Bill Clinton, must be approved by the Senate.

Mr Obama also named Baltimore Health Commissioner Joshua Sharfstein as her deputy.

The president noted contaminated food outbreaks had more than tripled to nearly 350 a year since the early 1990s.

He cited a contaminated spinach scare in 2006 and this year's salmonella peanut product outbreak, which left more than 600 people ill and led to one of the largest product recalls in US history.

Mr Obama said when he learned of the recall, he immediately thought of his seven-year-old daughter, Sasha, who eats peanut butter sandwiches several times a week.

"No parent should have to worry that their child is going to get sick from their lunch," he said.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7943560.stm

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Offline Tess

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Re: Obama warns of US food 'hazard'
« Reply #1 on: March 14, 2009, 02:05:00 PM »
Fear Monger
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Offline bijou

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Re: Obama warns of US food 'hazard'
« Reply #2 on: March 14, 2009, 02:06:48 PM »
Quote from: Tess on March 14, 2009, 02:05:00 PM
Fear Monger
Surely not, he's completely opposed to the politics of fear.  :whatever:
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Offline Attero Dominatus

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Re: Obama warns of US food 'hazard'
« Reply #3 on: March 14, 2009, 02:27:11 PM »
Quote from: Tess on March 14, 2009, 02:05:00 PM
Fear Monger

I seem to recall that the moonbats accused Bush of fear mongering. Hypocrisy defines liberalism.
« Last Edit: March 14, 2009, 02:29:06 PM by Attero Dominatus »
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Offline DixieBelle

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Re: Obama warns of US food 'hazard'
« Reply #4 on: March 14, 2009, 04:29:26 PM »
Yet more big govt because, you know, they are so effective at putting our best interests first!
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Offline NHSparky

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Re: Obama warns of US food 'hazard'
« Reply #5 on: March 14, 2009, 05:00:59 PM »
Hmmmm...when I was a kid, we bought out cattle/pork and paid our neighbors (and actually helped) to slaughter, cut, and wrap them.

Funny, I don't recall a government inspector ever being there.  Nor do I recall coming down with salmonella, E coli, etc...
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Offline Crazy Horse

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Re: Obama warns of US food 'hazard'
« Reply #6 on: March 14, 2009, 05:58:37 PM »
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He cited a contaminated spinach scare in 2006


Look assmunch..................that was an E-coli outbreak on "ORGANIC" spinach....................What do ya think make it organic and suceptable to e-coli???? Shit as fertilizer........nah.  We worked hard to make veggies and fruits and other thing better, longer lasting etc.................and yet you dumbass shiteating liberals want us to turn the clock back 100 years on our food production........Well **** OFF :bird:
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Offline Chris_

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Re: Obama warns of US food 'hazard'
« Reply #7 on: March 14, 2009, 06:03:11 PM »
How did anyone manage to survive before Obama?  :whatever:
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Offline rich_t

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Re: Obama warns of US food 'hazard'
« Reply #8 on: March 14, 2009, 06:17:06 PM »
Yes we have had a few e coli and salmonella outbreaks in recent years.  But in a country of well over 300 million it's hardly been an epidemic.

Nothing more than fear mongering in order to grow the Fed.
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Offline Bluesuiter-Retired

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Re: Obama warns of US food 'hazard'
« Reply #9 on: March 15, 2009, 10:57:01 AM »
The peanuts probably came from JIMMY "the peanut farmer" Karter's peanut farm.
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Offline The Village Idiot

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Re: Obama warns of US food 'hazard'
« Reply #10 on: March 18, 2009, 12:01:10 AM »
Quote from: bijou on March 14, 2009, 02:06:48 PM
Surely not, he's completely opposed to the politics of fear.  :whatever:

everything needs reformed. everything in a crisis. everything needs fixing now, now, NOW. just don't read the details or expect results.... just be in awe that we are addressing the issue.
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