Critics say FDA is broken, needs to restore its reputation

Is the FDA a broken agency? Every few months, the Food and Drug Administration goes into fire-brigade mode, rushing to get control over another safety crisis, says an MSNBC article yesterday. Both critics and supporters acknowledge the FDA is struggling and even suggest breaking it up and moving food safety to a new agency. "You've got an agency that quite frankly is either non-functional, or dysfunctional, or maybe all of the above," said Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich.

We continue to report on the salmonella, BPA, and melamine scandals, and to speak out on the FDA's ability to protect our food supply and Obama's plan for an overhaul. With its "Not In My Food" campaign, Consumers Union has been advocating for a major overhaul of the FDA's food safety program, and issued a statement last month calling Obama's plan "good news."

Read the complete Consumers Union statement on Obama's FDA comments. We'd like to hear from you: In your opinion, what will it take to clean up the FDA?