In China, the number of children who are ill from contaminated milk powder continues to increase:

“A third infant has died in China after drinking contaminated baby milk powder and more than 6,200 are ill, the country’s health minister said today.

The number of children suffering after being fed products tainted with melamine, a chemical used in plastics that can help to disguise the fact that milk has been diluted, is five times higher than authorities anticipated and is expected to continue rising.”

link: Chinese tainted milk powder leaves 6,200 children ill

As the election cycle draws to a close, both Senator McCain and Senator Obama are advocating fiscal responsibility and controlled government spending. One agency that requires additional funding and additional staffing is the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

A report filed in December of 2007 gave the FDA a failing grade. “The report uncovered failures at every turn. The most glaring is that the FDA lost 600 inspectors in the past four years, making the agency unable to protect the country’s food supply. And the FDA’s responsibilities have grown, rendering the agency ineffective.” It is not inconceivable that such a diaster can happen to the American food supply. Last year, thousands of households lost pets because of the contamination in the pet food supply. Presently, the FDA cannot fulfill its mandate of protecting the American food supply. It is a harsh reality that the next administration will have to address - hopefully not as a consequence of tragedy.

Catherine Forsythe