Shortcomings of the Food and Drug Administration
English 101
Dr. Greg Jenkins
Brandon Turner
April 14, 2011
The FDA’s Shortcomings The Food and Drug Administration, or FDA for short, is a government agency responsible for protecting the public health by assuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical devices, our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation, and by regulating the manufacture, marketing, and distribution of tobacco products. The FDA is also responsible for advancing the public health by helping to speed innovations that make medicines and foods more effective, safer, and more affordable; and helping the public get the accurate, science-based information they need to use medicines and foods, and to reduce tobacco use to improve health (About FDA 1). I am deeply concerned about how the FDA is regulating food. In my opinion, the FDA is failing miserably with their duties to the citizens of the United States of America. They appear to be more interested in profit than with the overall well being of the public. They are allowing people to consume dangerous amounts of fluoride. Studies have shown that food additives are causing serious health related issues. I feel that the FDA needs a massive overhaul in their top-level leadership positions in order for them to improve. The use of fluoride in America is an example of the FDA abusing the public’s trust, all for the sake of profit. Fluoride is a natural occurring mineral in the environment. Fluoride levels in water vary around the world, depending on the type of rock and sediment in a region. The higher the fluoride content in water, the greater the likelihood of cancer, malformed babies, mental retardation, bone disease, and severe dental problems (Richards 133). There are certain guidelines set by the FDA that are supposed to protect the public from ingesting too much fluoride. They have set the safe upper limit for drinking water at four milligrams per liter of
Dr. Greg Jenkins
Brandon Turner
April 14, 2011
The FDA’s Shortcomings The Food and Drug Administration, or FDA for short, is a government agency responsible for protecting the public health by assuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical devices, our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation, and by regulating the manufacture, marketing, and distribution of tobacco products. The FDA is also responsible for advancing the public health by helping to speed innovations that make medicines and foods more effective, safer, and more affordable; and helping the public get the accurate, science-based information they need to use medicines and foods, and to reduce tobacco use to improve health (About FDA 1). I am deeply concerned about how the FDA is regulating food. In my opinion, the FDA is failing miserably with their duties to the citizens of the United States of America. They appear to be more interested in profit than with the overall well being of the public. They are allowing people to consume dangerous amounts of fluoride. Studies have shown that food additives are causing serious health related issues. I feel that the FDA needs a massive overhaul in their top-level leadership positions in order for them to improve. The use of fluoride in America is an example of the FDA abusing the public’s trust, all for the sake of profit. Fluoride is a natural occurring mineral in the environment. Fluoride levels in water vary around the world, depending on the type of rock and sediment in a region. The higher the fluoride content in water, the greater the likelihood of cancer, malformed babies, mental retardation, bone disease, and severe dental problems (Richards 133). There are certain guidelines set by the FDA that are supposed to protect the public from ingesting too much fluoride. They have set the safe upper limit for drinking water at four milligrams per liter of
Cited: Fitzgerald, Randall. The Hundred-Year Lie. New York, NY: Penguin Group, 2006. Print. Parker, Hilary. "A sweet problem: Princeton researchers find that high- fructose corn syrup prompts considerably more weight gain." Princeton University. News at Princeton, 22 Mar 2010. Web. 13 Apr 2011. <http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S26/91/22K07/>. Richards, Byron. Fight for Your Health: Exposing the FDA 's Betrayal of America. Minneapolis, MN: Wellness Resources Books, 2006. Print. Sekerak, Jeff. "Food Additives Bad for Brain Function?." Superior Body Health. Jeff Sekerak, 26 Feb 2010. Web. 13 Apr 2011. <http://superiorbodyhealth.com/blog/2010/02/food-additives- affect-brain-function/>. United States. About FDA. Silver Spring: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2010. Web. 13 Apr 2011.