After tens of thousands of Chinese babies were injured – and four killed – when a toxic industrial chemical called melamine was found infant formula, one would think our Food and Drug Administration would be on high alert, immediately warning parents if they found any evidence of this chemical in U.S. infant formula. Well, one would be wrong.
Yes indeed, the FDA has evidence of traces of melamine found in a “single sample” of U.S. infant formula and several samples of dietary supplements. But not only are they poo poo-ing the possible risk, even though they admit that they have no idea what a safe level of melamine would be (and previously announcing a zero tolerance policy), but they also failed to publicly name the products involved, so that parents would know.
That is, at least until the Associated Press did their own Freedom of information Act request and published a report identifying the tainted products as Mead Johnson's Infant Formula Powder and Enfamil LIPIL with Iron. AP, which obtained copies of the FDA’s tests, also reported that a melamine byproduct, cyanuric acid, was found in Nestlé's Good Start Supreme Infant Formula with Iron. The FDA confirmed the accuracy of the AP’s report only after the AP report was published.
Meanwhile, the AP also revealed that a third formula-maker, Abbot Laboratories, had discovered during in-house testing that it had also found trace levels of melamine in its formula. All told, the three manufacturers of infant formula that the AP identified as being tainted with trace amounts of melamine—Abbott Laboratories, Nestle and Mead Johnson—manufacture more than 90 percent of all infant formula produced in the United States.
Even more alarming, “It was not until the AP inquired about tests on domestic formula that the FDA articulated that while it couldn't set a safe exposure for infants, it would accept some melamine in formula — raising the question of whether the decision to accept very low concentrations was made only after traces were detected.”
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), who leads a panel that oversees the FDA budget, said the agency was taking a "marketplace first, science last" approach.
Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI), added, "If no safe level of melamine has been established for consumption by children, then the FDA should immediately recall any formula that has tested positive for even trace amounts of the contaminant."
As we have said many times (see here, here, and here), drug companies are not properly ensuring the safety of their products and the FDA is failing to regulate. There couldn’t be a worse time to afford the pharmaceutical industry complete immunity for injuries and deaths due to unsafe drugs. We hope the U.S. Supreme court takes note.
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