Salmonella Threat Results in Food Recalls, Presidential Review of FDA

Gluten Free Cafe Asian Noodles are part of a precautionary recall by the Hains Celestial Group due to current concerns over salmonella in peanut products; see here for more information.

Out of similar concerns, General Mills voluntarily recalled the peanut-butter cookie flavor of Lärabars, which are all gluten-free. See here for more information.

As you can see here, many other foods have been recalled due to recent salmonella contamination in peanut products, which has resulted in eight deaths and hundreds of illnesses. The recalls are of historic proportions.

The business that seems to be at the source of the contamination is Peanut Corporation of America (PCA). According to USA Today,

The government...accused the peanut butter manufacturer Peanut Corp. of America (PCA) of shipping products in 2007 and 2008 after internal tests found bacterial contamination, violating food safety regulations.

The company's actions "can only be described as reprehensible and criminal," said Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., who oversees Food and Drug Administration funding. "Not only did this company knowingly sell tainted products, it shopped for a laboratory that would provide the acceptable results they were seeking. This behavior represents the worst of our current food safety regulatory system."

The alleged misbehavior of PCA reminds me of the poor practices of Wellshire Farms, which has repeatedly released food mislabeled as gluten-free and failed to have them removed from store shelves.

There are probably many responsible food producers who can self-govern and refrain from selling toxic or dangerously mislabeled foods. But the above examples indicate that there are others who seem unconcerned that sickness and even death can result from their irresponsibility. People on medical diets can try to limit risks by avoiding processed foods, but otherwise the only answer to malfeasance seems to be stricter food regulation.

In response to the salmonella scare, President Obama heeded the calls of food safety advocates in ordering a review of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). I hope that this review will consider issues such as gluten contamination and extend to the USDA and other agencies involved in evaluating food safety.

Here is an AP video segment on the story.



Source (1:28)

Bye-Bye Bush!

I've been thinking for a long time about how horrible the Bush administration has been—the worst in United States history to date, as far as I can tell—but to my surprise I realize I can say something good about it in terms of celiac disease and food allergies.

Yes, I have to recognize that it was under Bush's watch that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued its Consensus Statement on Celiac Disease (2004) and other publications devoted to increasing public awareness. Also during this period, the FDA improved food labeling and enforced rules preventing marketers from presenting spelt products as wheat-free or gluten-free.

None of that makes up for the damage done to the country and the world by the Bush-Cheney regime. Even where progress was made for people with celiac disease, health care suffered and under-regulated food marketers still got away with irresponsible labeling. But it's interesting to note that some progress was made, and encouraging to imagine that much more progress might be made under Barack Obama and Joseph Biden.

Sanjay Gupta for Surgeon General?

Judging from recent reports including these from The Washington Post and Reuters, it appears that CNN's Sanjay Gupta is Barack Obama's top pick for Surgeon General.

To the best of my knowledge, Gupta is not known for his coverage of the condition, but he is a colleague of anchor Heidi Collins, spokesperson for the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA).

This is another sign of hope that celiac disease might become part of the health and food agenda of the Obama administration.

CeliActivism: Health Care Reform

The Obama transition team welcomes input

During the second half of this month, Tom Daschle and the Obama transition team will welcome public input on its health care policy. Much of the attention at the forthcoming health care community discussions will probably be on how more people (especially children) can receive affordable health insurance, but this might be an ideal time to become more aggressive about finding ways to heighten awareness of celiac disease.

As you might recall, Barack Obama supports preventative medicine and judicious government spending. I would imagine that he is also looking to create "success stories" during the initial phase of his presidency.

I think that a celiac disease awareness policy would achieve those goals because

* More than 2,000,000 Americans of all ages (about one percent of the population) are estimated to have celiac disease that is undiagnosed or misdiagnosed even though they may be experiencing symptoms.

* Diagnosing and treating celiac disease in the undiagnosed children can help them develop normally, avoiding illnesses such as osteoporosis.

* Diagnosing and treating celiac disease in the undiagnosed general population can also prove beneficial, fending off osteoporosis as well as chronic fatigue, thyroid disease, and some forms of cancer, along with many other health issues.

* Decreasing the "time to diagnosis" from its current length of about 10 years can eliminate unnecessary tests and medical visits.

* Celiac disease can be initially screened through simple and relatively inexpensive blood tests.

* Celiac disease is treatable by diet, not medication or operations or procedures.

* The Obama administration does not need to initiate an awareness program from scratch. It can shape a policy that is informed by the examples of other countries, especially those in Europe.

* By raising awareness at a point in time when the vast majority of people with celiac disease are unidentified, the Obama administration can measurably accelerate the rate of diagnosis—in other words, it can point to results.

I hope that this type of message makes its way to people who can see the reasoning in it and take action to make it happen. If you agree, please think of how you can help to get the message across, whether it's through a community health care discussion, contact with sympathetic political figures such as Kemp Hannon, Nita Lowey, and Hillary Clinton, or contact with an advocacy group such as the American Celiac Disease Alliance (ACDA) and National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA).

Gluten-Free, Politically

It's a very good morning over at Gluten-Free NYC, filled with the promise of positive change—and not just because of enthusiasm over Barack Obama's victory. As the nation moves toward a fresh start and the possibility of more unity, it strikes GFNYC that a health policy that raises public awareness of celiac disease is something that both Democrats and Republicans can agree upon.

As you might recall, GFNYC supported Barack Obama but noted that both of the big party presidential tickets could offer improvements for people with celiac disease. Gluten Free Blog expressed a similar position in favor of Obama.

As John McCain and Sarah Palin return to their regular jobs as senator and governor, they can still follow through on their concern for "special needs" households, including those affected by celiac disease and associated conditions, including Down Syndrome and, possibly, autism as it is currently being diagnosed.

Palin in particular should also be aware that millions of Americans may still be undiagnosed with celiac disease, as her prominent supporter Jane Swift and her outspoken advocate Elisabeth Hasselbeck are known to have the condition. So perhaps the Anchorage GIG group can do something with that.

Closer to home, Kemp Hannon retained his seat in the New York State Senate. He has recognized that early screening for celiac disease is an idea worth consideration.

As far as the national government is concerned, GFNYC notes that Representative Nita Lowey, Senator James Inhofe, and Senator Ben Nelson all remain in office. They might not agree on much, but each has advocated on behalf of people with celiac disease.

Also remaining in office is Senator Hillary Clinton, an advocate of universal health care whose husband Bill recently talked up the value of "gluten-free" cassava.

Presiding over all of these politicians will be Barack Obama, a supporter of preventive medicine and universal health care for children who recognizes that some government programs are worth additional funding even during budgetary crises. GFNYC hopes that the FDA's ability to enforce food labeling accuracy will improve under his administration.

Celiac disease might not mean much to the general population in the great scheme of things. But sensible, progressive policies regarding celiac disease should find a place on the agenda as American leaders search for ways to build unity and consensus.

"Joe the Celiac"

For readers of this blog, the good news about the 2008 presidential election might be that both of the major party candidates seem to be sympathetic to the needs of gluten-free people.

During the third debate, John McCain made the point that his running mate Sarah Palin is attuned to the concerns of "special needs" families. And one of McCain and Palin's more prominent supporters is Jane Swift, who is said to have celiac disease herself.

During the debate, Barack Obama echoed McCain in expressing concern for "special needs" families. But when it came to health care and budget policies, there was a clear difference between the two candidates.

McCain talked about freezing the budget and making cuts using a "hatchet" approach, while Obama stressed the importance of using a "scalpel" approach that might even allow for greater allocations for some worthy programs. Furthermore, he supported universal health care for children and preventative medicine as a way of controlling costs over the long run.

Obama's positions should have great appeal for people on gluten-free and other medical diets. As discussed previously on this blog, the FDA needs more support to safeguard our food and drug supply from contamination and ensure that labels are trustworthy. Furthermore, in a nation where the vast majority of people with celiac disease remain undiagnosed, the medical and financial benefits of preventative medicine and universal health care for children could be substantial.

No matter who wins the election, advocates for people with celiac disease might be able to make inroads through the Oval Office based on the principles espoused by the candidates during their campaigns. Gluten-Free NYC happens to favor Barack Obama for many reasons including the positions mentioned above, but if you'd like to share your own gluten-free "Joe the Celiac" or "Jane the Celiac" perspective feel free to do so here!

Photo: David Marc Fischer