True, Jacob PS 181 Prof. Ansell The Consolidation Debate The United States government currently has pending in Congress the proposal to consolidate agencies and their respective roles in administering, regulating, and enforcing food safety programs. In the way of this proposal being passed are the rich and powerful food industries that do not wish to see consolidation happen. These opponents testifying before Congress point out the move would bring “no guaranteed improvements” in food safety, and they contend that the proposed consolidation is purely bureaucratic, adding that “diversity is crucial to addressing the multi-faceted.” In actuality their motives for opposing the consolidation of agencies pertain to industries’ fears of profit loss and the added burden compliance costs. Food industries perceive consolidation of the food safety agencies as the formation of a dominant authoritarian agency that will take away any creative control the industries have left. There has always been a debate about a single food safety agency in the US government with the Democrats on Capital Hill promoting the issue while the Republicans side with the food industries and negate the idea. Proponents arguing for a consolidated food safety agency believe that the separate agencies are too fragmented and inefficient. The General Accounting Office (GAO), one of the biggest supporters of consolidation, called the current US food safety system, “a patchwork structure that cannot address existing and emerging food safety risks.”(The Lipman Report, 2002) This statement refers to the absurd division that occurs between the twelve different agencies, but specifically the USDA and the FDA. Such inspection discrepancy examples include beef broth versus chicken broth, hot dogs in pastry dough versus hot dogs on a bun, pizza with meat topping versus meatless pizza, and open faced sandwiches versus regular
True, Jacob PS 181 Prof. Ansell sandwiches. The FDA and USDA each deal with one or the other even though the examples above show close relation to their counter part. Also the USDA is required to conduct inspections every day, while the FDA does not need to conduct certain inspections for up to five years. Lately the proposal of a consolidated agency has had more interest because of the looming paranoia since the events of September 11th. There has been major concern of bioterrorism involving United States food supply. This concern has caused the proposal of a single agency to get attention back in Congress. Senator Richard Durbin (D-Ill) was the first Senator since September 11th to introduce a consolidation bill. He proposed, “A single, independent agency with uniform safety standards and regulations based on food hazards would provide and easier framework for implementing US standards in an international context…when out own agencies don’t have uniform safety and inspection standards for all potentially hazardous foods, the establishment of uniform international standards will be next to impossible.”(Durbin, 1999) Durbin’s bill was later defeated in Congress, but that did not stop the rising push for a consolidated food agency. In March of 2002, Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge revived the idea of a consolidated agency, stating that the Bush administration was looking at the idea seriously again. Ridge emphasized that in the wake of September 11th, the President has asked the Office of Homeland Security to look at how government has been organized and ask, “Is this the best way for us to be organized for future needs and future challenges and future threats?”(Food Chemical News, 2002) The bill is still being heavily debated on Capital Hill with the majority of the Republicans being the major opponents, the majority of the
True, Jacob PS 181 Prof. Ansell democrats being the major supporters of the bill, and the Bush administration in limbo on where it stands. The major obstacles that will do everything in the power to influence the bill being defeated again are the major food industries led by the National Food Processors Association (NFPA). Food industry representatives fought the bill when Senator Durbin initially introduced it. They argued consolidation would raise their costs without necessarily increasing security. Another concern of the food industry groups, specifically the meat industries, is the dropping price of cattle. They blame the price decline on the further concentration of the food safety system, and believe that consolidation would only make things worse. Though Tom Ridge has reassured members of the NFPA and other industry groups that they would be very involved in any reorganization or consolidation efforts the food industries’ views have not changed. Kelly Johnston, NFPA’s executive vice president, was quick to state that Ridge had never mentioned his intentions of one single agency, instead referring to coordination and a consolidation of existing agency functions. Johnston made it clear that the food industry intended working with the administration on improving the use of food safety resources, but most segments of the industry saw consolidation of the food safety system as not being an option. Peter Cleary, spokesman for the Grocery Manufacturers of America was noted stating, “We believe that as Governor Ridge examines food safety systems, that he will make the same conclusion – that reorganization by itself will not affect public health…the logistical problems alone are staggering – that’s why there’s no political support for it in Congress.”(Food Chemical News, 2002) Though this statement has some validity, it can also be said that because the major food industry groups like the National Food
True, Jacob PS 181 Prof. Ansell Processors Association were known to financially support Republican politicians on Capital Hill. Though there is no decisive evidence that can connect the food industry groups persuading Republican Congressmen in their decisions when voting over the organization of the food safety system it can be said that there is a strong partnership between the Republicans and the food industry groups. Democrats on Capital Hill already are strong in their position of supporting a consolidated food safety program. It is ultimately up to the Republicans in Congress to decide whether protecting the big food agencies or the national defense and security of the United States is more important to them. The party supports both national security and the protection of big business, but by voting for or against the food safety system consolidation bill the Republican party can only support whichever of the two issues the party feels stronger about. Though the food industry blames much of the high costs and price falls in slaughtered cattle and packaged beef on the concentration of the food safety system, there really is no evidence of this. Industries have to keep up with standards, thus there will be compliance costs necessary to stay safe, but as for the dropping of beef prices, this has to do more with the declining inflation prices of cattle and packaged beef, and the drop of prices due to an increase in productivity with increasing technology. A Montana State University study conducted a statistical analysis on the decline of beef prices, and came to the conclusion that the reasons of those above, and not the increasing concentration of the United State food safety system are why beef prices have dropped. Though the major meat industries will keep pushing the issue that agency consolidation is bad for the cattle and beef prices and thus bad for meat industries, there is only conflicting evidence of that statement.
True, Jacob PS 181 Prof. Ansell Though the fight for food consolidation seems to be a political party dispute, Democrats versus Republicans, as well as a corporate battle between the food industry groups and the consumers and the organizations that represent them, there are those not on either side of the issue that are just trying to enlighten those on opposite sides in their decision making. Dr. Robert Tauxe of the US Center of Disease Control brought a little wisdom to the debate by explaining that sometimes a simple solution to complex problem is no always that easy to achieve. His words, “Some of the problems of food supply safety that have come about have been related to the rapid industrialization of our food supply over the last 40 years. We have created animal cities and those cities have the same problems with water and sewage treatment as the big (human) cities.”(Martineau, 2000) Not siding with one party or the other, Dr. Tauxe is just trying to get those who must make the decision on Capital Hill to not let their bias persuade their vote. Consolidation may or may not be the answer, but one cannot pick consolidation purely on current feelings and fears of bioterrorism as the simple answer, and one cannot negate consolidation of the food safety system merely because of the influence of the selfinterested food industry groups. When voting on the consolidation bill Congress must think about the overall picture and what will best suit the United States economically and organizationally dealing with food safety for the years to come.