Food manufacturers are not currently required to test final products for contaminants.
The head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is urging lawmakers to pass legislation mandating food manufacturers test for lead in their food products from overseas.
Speaking to the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, Dr. Robert Califf said the FDA needs lawmakers to enact legislation granting the agency authority to make lead testing compulsory among such manufacturers, as it is unable to do so alone.
Under current laws, manufacturers are not required to test final products for contaminants before entering the U.S. market.
âI think the best way to think about the FDA in general is that weâre referees, you all in Congress actually write the rule book; much like in any sport itâs the leadership that writes the rule book and we enact whatâs in the rule book,â Dr. Califf said. âIn the case of food establishments, like most sports, the first line of defense is the players in the game which is the industry that produces the products,â he continued.
âBy and large they do a great job but sometimes they donât and as referees, we have to be really wise about where we step in because we donât have an unlimited budget,â he added.
The FDA head noted the agency supervises around 275,000 registered manufacturing facilities both in the United States and overseas but budget constraints mean the agency often has to rely on the manufacturers to conduct testing.
Applesauce Products Recalled Over Lead
Dr. Califfâs comments come after the FDA said in March that it had identified six cinnamon products in the U.S. containing lead.
At the time time, the agency said the lead levels ranged from 2.03 to 3.4 parts per million (ppm), which is relatively low, although officials noted prolonged use could still be unsafe.
Last fall, the agency also recalled thousands of cinnamon applesauce products that it said were contaminated with lead, this time ranging from 2,000 to nearly 5,000 ppm.
âIn the case of cinnamon applesauce, if there had been mandatory testing when it got imported into the U.S. from Ecuador, the stores that were selling it probably would have picked it up at that point,â Dr. Califf told lawmakers on Thursday.
âItâs the way the drug system works,â he added. âThe manufacturers of drugs have to test every batchâ for potential contamination.
Lead Poisoning Signs, Symptoms
Lead is toxic to humans, and there is no safe level of exposure.
Children from low-income households and those who live in housing built before 1978âbefore lead in paint was banned by the federal governmentâare at the greatest risk of lead exposure, the CDC warns.
Symptoms of lead poisoning are often difficult to detect, particularly in children, and may not appear until dangerously high levels accumulate.
In children, the signs and symptoms of lead poisoning may include tiredness, fatigue, vomiting, irritability, loss of appetite, hearing loss, constipation, and seizures.
Symptoms of lead exposure in adults include headaches, abdominal pain, vomiting, anemia, muscle aches and pain, irritability, fatigue, high blood pressure, and reproductive issues, the agency said.
Original News Source Link – Epoch Times
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