I think this is a key reminder of how important the American FDA, EPA and other consumer protection agencies are and how terrible it is for politicians to consider gutting or neutering them.
https://reason.com/volokh/2022/05/13/how-bad-government-poli...
Quote from the article:
"Bad U.S. policy surely didn't cause the infant formula crisis, but it just as surely made the situation worse than it needed to be."
Much of the article seems to be making the argument that the FDA is preventing importation of formula from other nations during the crisis because the FDA hasn't done all its bureaucratic work wrt certification of those sources. This seems a relevant point to raise when we're talking about food shortages for infants.
Which isn’t to say the current POTUS shouldn’t tell them to relax that rule. They should. I’m objecting to laying so much blame on the FDA - our federal agencies are acting on laws and policies enacted by our politicians.
The important question is why are they blocking European formula? Is there a nutrition deficit? Are there contaminants or is it adulterated? A failure to follow Good Manufacturing Processes? [1] Or is it just that approval is still in process?
[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thalidomide_scandal
[1] https://www.fda.gov/food/current-good-manufacturing-practice...
Highly unfortunate that their are families in the “greatest country in the world” who now have to literally scavenge for formula.
How smug are you now?
I feel the most protected as a consumer when I don't get shocked plugging something in.
But I agree, even if you don't go all the way to the point of executing offenders, making more execs personally liable when there are gross cases of neglect would be an improvement.
Read through and carefully notice things like:
> Cronobacter sakazakii is commonly found in the environment and a variety of areas in the home.
> It's important to follow the instructions for proper preparation, handling and storage of powder formulas.
...and paragraphs of text explaining how they test for this stuff and found no evidence of contamination.
It's also pretty infuriating that companies get to claim their recalls are "voluntary" when they're anything but. The agency comes to them, says "recall or we will" and the company gets to save face and call it voluntary and act like they're heroes.
By the time the FDA is involved, it's because the company didn't act voluntarily when it had evidence of product contamination.
I was as well. I don't know what the "Chinese Fedex" rate's were but maybe it's because most of the volume they move is from China -> US and the return trips are empty.
This resulted in small post office pushing two or more 2TEU containers every day filled majorly with powdered milk, sent as normal international post package to China.