Food safety

A key Republican on the House Agriculture Committee is warning the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) not to furlough federal meat inspectors as a way to comply with the spending sequester.

In a Wednesday letter to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, Rep. Michael Conaway (R-Texas) said this plan would put both jobs and consumer safety at risk.

The United States is not immune from the risks associated from substandard and knock-off medications, according to a new report by the Institute of Medicine.

While the risks are exponentially greater in developing countries, the report warns federal regulators that counterfeit drugs are a deadly reality in America as well. In the four months from September 2012 to January 2013, “negligent production” by a Massachusetts pharmacy sickened 600 people and killed 44, according to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. 

Red Bull and Monster Energy are hiring lobbyists amid scrutiny from regulators about possible health risks from their products.

The Food and Drug Administration released two regulations aimed at preventing contamination of the food supply.

The restaurant chain Chipotle Mexican Grill says the agency needs to do more about banning certain drugs from farm feed.

Rep. Edward Markey noted in letters to two agencies that bluefin tuna caught near San Diego were tainted with radiation.

A House Democrat accused the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Friday of a "dereliction of duty" on antibiotic resistance after the agency appealed an order to ban three drugs in animal feed.

"I suppose it’s not much of a surprise," Rep. Louise Slaughter (N.Y.) said of the FDA. "They’ve buried their heads in the sand and ignored the threat of antibiotic resistance for well over 30 years. But avoiding this problem … only increases the threat to our public health."

Sen. Reid praised the work of the bill's sponsors as "exemplary for what the rest of us should do."

"I appreciate everyone's help and it takes everyone's help to get where we are," Sen. Reid said.

A proposed rule by the Agriculture Department that would speed up inspections at poultry processing plants has enraged unions.