Congressman Dennis Kucinich fed up with the feds demands they shit or get off the pot
Congressman Dennis Kucinich targeted the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration Monday for failing to adequately protect consumer’s pets by
failing to come to a conclusion that would allow them to order a mandatory
recall of the pet jerky treats imported from China blamed in the deaths of
thousands of pets. Instead, he says, they just drag their feet waiting for
ability to do so, “By allowing the treats to stay on the market as the
years-long investigation drags on, the FDA is guaranteeing more pets will
die. Why?” asks Kucinich.
In a heartfelt statement, Kucinich echoes
the sentiments of many Americans who are deeply concerned about the
government’s ability to adequately protect them – as well as their pets –
from dangerous products.
It has highlighted a fatal flaw in the food
safety system: that while a suspected product is under investigation by the
FDA, the FDA cannot detain the products from the market until a conclusion
is reached, effectively leaving it up to corporations to make that decision.
Leaving consumers and their pets at the mercy of an impotent government and
multinational conglomerates to decide what is in the best interest of their
stockholders before they consider what is best for people or their pets.
In a press release Monday Kucinich published the following statement:
FDA Allows Pet Deaths to Mount While Awaiting Scientific Certainty
Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) today released the following statement
criticizing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for failing to adequately
protect domestic pets.
“After a weeks-long investigative trip to
China and thousands of reports of sick and dying dogs, the FDA still has no
answers and offers pet owners no protection,” said Kucinich.
Constituents reported illnesses in their pets after feeding them chicken
jerky snacks, including ‘Waggin’ Train.’ Kucinich then wrote to the FDA
demanding strong action and a briefing on their investigation. The FDA,
which had known about problems with the snacks since 2008, issued a warning
in November of 2011 about the instances of illnesses, but did not issue a
recall.
After Kucinich demanded stronger action, the FDA sent
inspectors to plants in China to investigate the conditions in which the
treats were manufactured. The FDA failed to reach a conclusion, releasing
their raw data with little context.
“The FDA is waiting to request a
recall until it has full scientific certainty about which contaminant or
chemical in chicken jerky pet treats is causing deaths of pets all over the
country.
“As the FDA waits, it has to decide who pays the cost of
the uncertainty. Will it be the dog treat manufacturers, who refuse to
issue a recall on their own and make even more money in doing so? Or will
it be beloved dogs and cats who pay with their health and their lives and
whose owners receive no real warning about the danger posed by dog treats?
“By allowing the treats to stay on the market as the years-long
investigation drags on, the FDA is guaranteeing more pets will die. Why?”
said Kucinich.
Diagnosis: The FDA suffers from chronic constipation
Until there is a recall, the only protection consumers have is an out of
date, ineffective and adequate warning system in place, leaving pet parents
informed about the very real danger the treats pose, which sadly is
precisely why the reports of illness and deaths of pets continues to climb.
Recent accounts that there have been over 3,000 reports to the FDA* that
some of the best-selling treats in America are danger to pets.
As the
reports continue to escalate, the FDA has been incapable of finding the
toxin responsible for causing so much anguish and pain in over 5 1/2 years.
Efforts at doing so have been a haphazard, unorganized, illogical mess; the
majority of which, unfortunately were tests for bacterial pathogens, are not
related in any way to the cause of acute organ failure which has been
primarily been responsible for illness and death of dogs associated with the
pet treats.
Complications: The FDA suffers from ED, i.e.: impotency
Despite the growing number of reports, the FDA has done little to quell
consumer concerns that the government is capable or even fully committed to
protecting their pets. The FDA explains their inability to do so using the
same, tired excuse for the products continued place on the market: they
can’t recall them until they find the toxin; judging by the recent release
of data of a spreadsheet outlining the testing the FDA has done since the
investigation began in 2007, did little to assuage their fears or quell the
growing anger and discontent with the government’s impotency.
Source:
FDA Allows Pet Deaths to Mount While Awaiting Scientific Certainty,
Certainty That has Eluded Them Since 2008:
http://http/kucinich.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=304018
Related articles: Jerky treats from China blamed for pet deaths; owners
sue:
http://vitals.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/13/12724875-jerky-treats-from-china-blamed-for-pet-deaths-owners-sue
Source:
http://poisonedpets.com/2012/07/25/congressman-kucinich-tears-the-fda-a-new-one-as-pet-deaths-continue-to-soar/
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