<!-- TEE -->


<!DOCTYPE html>
<html class="no-js" lang="en">
<head>

	
	<meta charset="utf-8">
	<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />
	<meta http-equiv="x-ua-compatible" content="ie=edge"><script type="text/javascript">(window.NREUM||(NREUM={})).init={ajax:{deny_list:["bam.nr-data.net"]}};(window.NREUM||(NREUM={})).loader_config={licenseKey:"f9c380acb0",applicationID:"216341725"};window.NREUM||(NREUM={}),__nr_require=function(t,e,n){function r(n){if(!e[n]){var i=e[n]={exports:{}};t[n][0].call(i.exports,function(e){var i=t[n][1][e];return r(i||e)},i,i.exports)}return e[n].exports}if("function"==typeof __nr_require)return __nr_require;for(var i=0;i<n.length;i++)r(n[i]);return r}({1:[function(t,e,n){function r(){}function i(t,e,n,r){return function(){return s.recordSupportability("API/"+e+"/called"),o(t+e,[u.now()].concat(c(arguments)),n?null:this,r),n?void 0:this}}var o=t("handle"),a=t(10),c=t(11),f=t("ee").get("tracer"),u=t("loader"),s=t(4),d=NREUM;"undefined"==typeof window.newrelic&&(newrelic=d);var p=["setPageViewName","setCustomAttribute","setErrorHandler","finished","addToTrace","inlineHit","addRelease"],l="api-",v=l+"ixn-";a(p,function(t,e){d[e]=i(l,e,!0,"api")}),d.addPageAction=i(l,"addPageAction",!0),d.setCurrentRouteName=i(l,"routeName",!0),e.exports=newrelic,d.interaction=function(){return(new r).get()};var m=r.prototype={createTracer:function(t,e){var n={},r=this,i="function"==typeof e;return o(v+"tracer",[u.now(),t,n],r),function(){if(f.emit((i?"":"no-")+"fn-start",[u.now(),r,i],n),i)try{return e.apply(this,arguments)}catch(t){throw f.emit("fn-err",[arguments,this,t],n),t}finally{f.emit("fn-end",[u.now()],n)}}}};a("actionText,setName,setAttribute,save,ignore,onEnd,getContext,end,get".split(","),function(t,e){m[e]=i(v,e)}),newrelic.noticeError=function(t,e){"string"==typeof t&&(t=new Error(t)),s.recordSupportability("API/noticeError/called"),o("err",[t,u.now(),!1,e])}},{}],2:[function(t,e,n){function r(t){if(NREUM.init){for(var e=NREUM.init,n=t.split("."),r=0;r<n.length-1;r++)if(e=e[n[r]],"object"!=typeof e)return;return e=e[n[n.length-1]]}}e.exports={getConfiguration:r}},{}],3:[function(t,e,n){var r=!1;try{var i=Object.defineProperty({},"passive",{get:function(){r=!0}});window.addEventListener("testPassive",null,i),window.removeEventListener("testPassive",null,i)}catch(o){}e.exports=function(t){return r?{passive:!0,capture:!!t}:!!t}},{}],4:[function(t,e,n){function r(t,e){var n=[a,t,{name:t},e];return o("storeMetric",n,null,"api"),n}function i(t,e){var n=[c,t,{name:t},e];return o("storeEventMetrics",n,null,"api"),n}var o=t("handle"),a="sm",c="cm";e.exports={constants:{SUPPORTABILITY_METRIC:a,CUSTOM_METRIC:c},recordSupportability:r,recordCustom:i}},{}],5:[function(t,e,n){function r(){return c.exists&&performance.now?Math.round(performance.now()):(o=Math.max((new Date).getTime(),o))-a}function i(){return o}var o=(new Date).getTime(),a=o,c=t(12);e.exports=r,e.exports.offset=a,e.exports.getLastTimestamp=i},{}],6:[function(t,e,n){function r(t){return!(!t||!t.protocol||"file:"===t.protocol)}e.exports=r},{}],7:[function(t,e,n){function r(t,e){var n=t.getEntries();n.forEach(function(t){"first-paint"===t.name?l("timing",["fp",Math.floor(t.startTime)]):"first-contentful-paint"===t.name&&l("timing",["fcp",Math.floor(t.startTime)])})}function i(t,e){var n=t.getEntries();if(n.length>0){var r=n[n.length-1];if(u&&u<r.startTime)return;var i=[r],o=a({});o&&i.push(o),l("lcp",i)}}function o(t){t.getEntries().forEach(function(t){t.hadRecentInput||l("cls",[t])})}function a(t){var e=navigator.connection||navigator.mozConnection||navigator.webkitConnection;if(e)return e.type&&(t["net-type"]=e.type),e.effectiveType&&(t["net-etype"]=e.effectiveType),e.rtt&&(t["net-rtt"]=e.rtt),e.downlink&&(t["net-dlink"]=e.downlink),t}function c(t){if(t instanceof y&&!w){var e=Math.round(t.timeStamp),n={type:t.type};a(n),e<=v.now()?n.fid=v.now()-e:e>v.offset&&e<=Date.now()?(e-=v.offset,n.fid=v.now()-e):e=v.now(),w=!0,l("timing",["fi",e,n])}}function f(t){"hidden"===t&&(u=v.now(),l("pageHide",[u]))}if(!("init"in NREUM&&"page_view_timing"in NREUM.init&&"enabled"in NREUM.init.page_view_timing&&NREUM.init.page_view_timing.enabled===!1)){var u,s,d,p,l=t("handle"),v=t("loader"),m=t(9),g=t(3),y=NREUM.o.EV;if("PerformanceObserver"in window&&"function"==typeof window.PerformanceObserver){s=new PerformanceObserver(r);try{s.observe({entryTypes:["paint"]})}catch(h){}d=new PerformanceObserver(i);try{d.observe({entryTypes:["largest-contentful-paint"]})}catch(h){}p=new PerformanceObserver(o);try{p.observe({type:"layout-shift",buffered:!0})}catch(h){}}if("addEventListener"in document){var w=!1,b=["click","keydown","mousedown","pointerdown","touchstart"];b.forEach(function(t){document.addEventListener(t,c,g(!1))})}m(f)}},{}],8:[function(t,e,n){function r(t,e){if(!i)return!1;if(t!==i)return!1;if(!e)return!0;if(!o)return!1;for(var n=o.split("."),r=e.split("."),a=0;a<r.length;a++)if(r[a]!==n[a])return!1;return!0}var i=null,o=null,a=/Version\/(\S+)\s+Safari/;if(navigator.userAgent){var c=navigator.userAgent,f=c.match(a);f&&c.indexOf("Chrome")===-1&&c.indexOf("Chromium")===-1&&(i="Safari",o=f[1])}e.exports={agent:i,version:o,match:r}},{}],9:[function(t,e,n){function r(t){function e(){t(c&&document[c]?document[c]:document[o]?"hidden":"visible")}"addEventListener"in document&&a&&document.addEventListener(a,e,i(!1))}var i=t(3);e.exports=r;var o,a,c;"undefined"!=typeof document.hidden?(o="hidden",a="visibilitychange",c="visibilityState"):"undefined"!=typeof document.msHidden?(o="msHidden",a="msvisibilitychange"):"undefined"!=typeof document.webkitHidden&&(o="webkitHidden",a="webkitvisibilitychange",c="webkitVisibilityState")},{}],10:[function(t,e,n){function r(t,e){var n=[],r="",o=0;for(r in t)i.call(t,r)&&(n[o]=e(r,t[r]),o+=1);return n}var i=Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty;e.exports=r},{}],11:[function(t,e,n){function r(t,e,n){e||(e=0),"undefined"==typeof n&&(n=t?t.length:0);for(var r=-1,i=n-e||0,o=Array(i<0?0:i);++r<i;)o[r]=t[e+r];return o}e.exports=r},{}],12:[function(t,e,n){e.exports={exists:"undefined"!=typeof window.performance&&window.performance.timing&&"undefined"!=typeof window.performance.timing.navigationStart}},{}],ee:[function(t,e,n){function r(){}function i(t){function e(t){return t&&t instanceof r?t:t?u(t,f,a):a()}function n(n,r,i,o,a){if(a!==!1&&(a=!0),!l.aborted||o){t&&a&&t(n,r,i);for(var c=e(i),f=m(n),u=f.length,s=0;s<u;s++)f[s].apply(c,r);var p=d[w[n]];return p&&p.push([b,n,r,c]),c}}function o(t,e){h[t]=m(t).concat(e)}function v(t,e){var n=h[t];if(n)for(var r=0;r<n.length;r++)n[r]===e&&n.splice(r,1)}function m(t){return h[t]||[]}function g(t){return p[t]=p[t]||i(n)}function y(t,e){l.aborted||s(t,function(t,n){e=e||"feature",w[n]=e,e in d||(d[e]=[])})}var h={},w={},b={on:o,addEventListener:o,removeEventListener:v,emit:n,get:g,listeners:m,context:e,buffer:y,abort:c,aborted:!1};return b}function o(t){return u(t,f,a)}function a(){return new r}function c(){(d.api||d.feature)&&(l.aborted=!0,d=l.backlog={})}var f="nr@context",u=t("gos"),s=t(10),d={},p={},l=e.exports=i();e.exports.getOrSetContext=o,l.backlog=d},{}],gos:[function(t,e,n){function r(t,e,n){if(i.call(t,e))return t[e];var r=n();if(Object.defineProperty&&Object.keys)try{return Object.defineProperty(t,e,{value:r,writable:!0,enumerable:!1}),r}catch(o){}return t[e]=r,r}var i=Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty;e.exports=r},{}],handle:[function(t,e,n){function r(t,e,n,r){i.buffer([t],r),i.emit(t,e,n)}var i=t("ee").get("handle");e.exports=r,r.ee=i},{}],id:[function(t,e,n){function r(t){var e=typeof t;return!t||"object"!==e&&"function"!==e?-1:t===window?0:a(t,o,function(){return i++})}var i=1,o="nr@id",a=t("gos");e.exports=r},{}],loader:[function(t,e,n){function r(){if(!P++){var t=M.info=NREUM.info,e=g.getElementsByTagName("script")[0];if(setTimeout(u.abort,3e4),!(t&&t.licenseKey&&t.applicationID&&e))return u.abort();f(O,function(e,n){t[e]||(t[e]=n)});var n=a();c("mark",["onload",n+M.offset],null,"api"),c("timing",["load",n]);var r=g.createElement("script");0===t.agent.indexOf("http://")||0===t.agent.indexOf("https://")?r.src=t.agent:r.src=v+"://"+t.agent,e.parentNode.insertBefore(r,e)}}function i(){"complete"===g.readyState&&o()}function o(){c("mark",["domContent",a()+M.offset],null,"api")}var a=t(5),c=t("handle"),f=t(10),u=t("ee"),s=t(8),d=t(6),p=t(2),l=t(3),v=p.getConfiguration("ssl")===!1?"http":"https",m=window,g=m.document,y="addEventListener",h="attachEvent",w=m.XMLHttpRequest,b=w&&w.prototype,E=!d(m.location);NREUM.o={ST:setTimeout,SI:m.setImmediate,CT:clearTimeout,XHR:w,REQ:m.Request,EV:m.Event,PR:m.Promise,MO:m.MutationObserver};var x=""+location,O={beacon:"bam.nr-data.net",errorBeacon:"bam.nr-data.net",agent:"js-agent.newrelic.com/nr-1214.min.js"},T=w&&b&&b[y]&&!/CriOS/.test(navigator.userAgent),M=e.exports={offset:a.getLastTimestamp(),now:a,origin:x,features:{},xhrWrappable:T,userAgent:s,disabled:E};if(!E){t(1),t(7),g[y]?(g[y]("DOMContentLoaded",o,l(!1)),m[y]("load",r,l(!1))):(g[h]("onreadystatechange",i),m[h]("onload",r)),c("mark",["firstbyte",a.getLastTimestamp()],null,"api");var P=0}},{}],"wrap-function":[function(t,e,n){function r(t,e){function n(e,n,r,f,u){function nrWrapper(){var o,a,s,p;try{a=this,o=d(arguments),s="function"==typeof r?r(o,a):r||{}}catch(l){i([l,"",[o,a,f],s],t)}c(n+"start",[o,a,f],s,u);try{return p=e.apply(a,o)}catch(v){throw c(n+"err",[o,a,v],s,u),v}finally{c(n+"end",[o,a,p],s,u)}}return a(e)?e:(n||(n=""),nrWrapper[p]=e,o(e,nrWrapper,t),nrWrapper)}function r(t,e,r,i,o){r||(r="");var c,f,u,s="-"===r.charAt(0);for(u=0;u<e.length;u++)f=e[u],c=t[f],a(c)||(t[f]=n(c,s?f+r:r,i,f,o))}function c(n,r,o,a){if(!v||e){var c=v;v=!0;try{t.emit(n,r,o,e,a)}catch(f){i([f,n,r,o],t)}v=c}}return t||(t=s),n.inPlace=r,n.flag=p,n}function i(t,e){e||(e=s);try{e.emit("internal-error",t)}catch(n){}}function o(t,e,n){if(Object.defineProperty&&Object.keys)try{var r=Object.keys(t);return r.forEach(function(n){Object.defineProperty(e,n,{get:function(){return t[n]},set:function(e){return t[n]=e,e}})}),e}catch(o){i([o],n)}for(var a in t)l.call(t,a)&&(e[a]=t[a]);return e}function a(t){return!(t&&t instanceof Function&&t.apply&&!t[p])}function c(t,e){var n=e(t);return n[p]=t,o(t,n,s),n}function f(t,e,n){var r=t[e];t[e]=c(r,n)}function u(){for(var t=arguments.length,e=new Array(t),n=0;n<t;++n)e[n]=arguments[n];return e}var s=t("ee"),d=t(11),p="nr@original",l=Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty,v=!1;e.exports=r,e.exports.wrapFunction=c,e.exports.wrapInPlace=f,e.exports.argsToArray=u},{}]},{},["loader"]);</script>
	<meta http-equiv="Cache-Control" content="no-cache" />
	<meta http-equiv="Pragma" content="no-cache" />
	<meta http-equiv="Expires" content="0" />
	<!-- <pre>array (
  0 => 
  array (
    'id' => '6526',
    'SECTION_ID' => '129',
    'PARENT_ID' => '0',
    'BLOCK_ID' => '0',
    'order' => '13',
    'visible' => '1',
    'feature' => '0',
    'hide' => '0',
    'name1' => 'Groups Sue to Force FDA Decision on Petitions to Ban Phthalates in Food',
    'url' => 'groups-sue-to-force-fda-decision-on-petitions-to-ban-phthalates-in-food',
    'bitly' => '6ch',
    'lead_img' => 'phthalates-lawsuit-fda-food-safety_02824.jpg',
    'meta_title' => 'Groups Sue to Force FDA Decision on Petitions to Ban Phthalates in Food',
    'meta_desc' => 'While FDA delays, children and adults consume dangerous levels of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in foods',
    'meta_img' => 'phthalates-lawsuit-fda-food-safety_02815.jpg',
    'meta_json' => '',
    'update_meta_title' => '0',
    'update_meta_desc' => '0',
    'update_meta_img' => '1',
    'update_meta_json' => '0',
    'start_time' => '0',
    'end_time' => '0',
    'content' => 
    array (
      'typ' => 
      array (
        'page_id' => '6526',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'text' => 
        array (
          0 => 'Groups Sue to Force FDA Decision on Petitions to Ban Phthalates in Food',
          1 => 'While FDA delays, children and adults consume dangerous levels of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in foods',
          2 => '',
        ),
        'checkbox' => 
        array (
          0 => '0',
          1 => '0',
          2 => '0',
          3 => '0',
        ),
        'date' => 
        array (
          0 => '2021-12-07',
        ),
        'relation' => 
        array (
          0 => 
          array (
            'custom' => 
            array (
              0 => '',
            ),
            'page_id' => '308',
            'basic' => 
            array (
              'page_id' => '308',
              'root_url' => 'issues',
              'root' => 'Issues',
              'text' => 
              array (
                0 => 'Food Safety',
                1 => '',
                2 => 'Food Safety',
                3 => 'From:CFSTrueFood+#foodsafety',
              ),
              'rich' => 
              array (
                0 => '<p>According to federal data, each year, one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. These figures are likely to be far higher, as most food illnesses go unreported. The most five common pathogens causing foodborne illnesses resulting in hospitalizations are: salmonella, norovirus, Campylobacter, toxoplasma gondii, and E. coli 0157.</p>
<p>Almost every week brings more news of food contamination or foodborne illness outbreak. What’s going on? Our industrialized food system is the root cause of many of these outbreaks.</p>
<p>Industrialization of the food supply</p>
<p>One likely cause is overcrowded conditions on factory farms, where animals get sick and pass the disease on to other animals. Another factor is our wide distribution system, in which contaminated food is transported across the nation. Also, we are increasingly relying on imported foods with unknown safety standards. (For example, 60 percent of our seafood is imported.) Adding to this perfect storm is government deregulation and inadequate funding for inspections and oversight.</p>
<p>Another critical food safety problem is the thousands of chemical additives Americans consume every day. Thanks to industry influence over the approval process, the long-term safety risks for most of these substances are unknown.</p>
<p>For example, for years science has pointed to chemical food dyes as a significant contributor to child behavioral problems. And yet the federal government still denies this connection. In addition, we’ve seen a huge increase in food allergies in children in recent years, but without much explanation of the causes. Clearly, more research is needed into how the industrialized food supply may be impacting our health in ways that are less obvious than foodborne illness.</p>
<p>Political influence</p>
<p>Nothing about food safety takes place in a political vacuum. For decades, the food industry has lobbied to ensure the status quo. And when we finally do get a rare policy victory, such as the passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act (passed in 2010), the game switches to “starving the beast” – limiting the funds for government to adequately carry out the legislative intent.</p>
<p>Powerful trade groups such as the American Meat Institute lobby against common sense policy improvements, such as expanding required testing for deadly bacteria in ground beef. Another important political factor is international trade. Other nations get upset when theU.S.government demands higher scrutiny of imports. In addition, the Food and Drug Administration, despite having jurisdiction over most of the food supply, is constantly under-funded, limiting inspection and enforcement actions; again, thanks to powerful lobbyists who like it that way.</p>
<p>What can we do about it?</p>
<p>President Obama has pledged a complete overhaul of our food system. The Center for Food Safety believes this will require elevating food safety within government to be a cabinet level agency. The mission of this new food agency must be to evaluate how best to regulate food production to prevent the greatest food safety hazards caused by large industrial agriculture and processed foods and while also protecting and supporting smaller, family, and diversified farms. But such an overhaul can only be successful by removing politics from food safety.</p>
<p>Additional Food Safety Resources</p>
<p><a href="http://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/cdc-and-food-safety.html" target="_blank">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.fsis.usda.gov/" target="_blank">United States Department of Agriculture</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.fda.gov/food/foodsafety/default.htm" target="_blank">Food and Drug Administration</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.foodsafety.gov/" target="_blank">FoodSafety.gov</a></p>',
              ),
              'lead_img' => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
              'gallery' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
                  1 => 'NEW REPORT: TPP Serves Up an Unsavory Dinner',
                  2 => '<p>If you’ve been listening to or reading the news at any point over the past year, it’s likely that you’ve heard about the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP. While the term may be familiar, the connection between TPP and what you find on your dinner plate may not be.</p>',
                  3 => 'http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/reports/4573/tpp-serves-up-an-unsavory-dinner',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'oilandwater_thinkbeforeyoupink_hero2_14465.jpg',
                  1 => 'Tell Bee Sweet Citrus and Wonderful Company to Stop Watering Our Food with Oil Wastewater!',
                  2 => '<p>The use of oil wastewater for food irrigation is an urgent public health issue because of the potentially hazardous chemicals associated with all oil extraction processes – including toxic chemicals linked to cancer. Tell Wonderful Company and Bee Sweet Citrus to stop watering our food with toxic oil wastewater!</p>',
                  3 => 'http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/1881/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=19536',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'istock_000009992043small_78906.jpg',
                  1 => 'Court Victory: Consumers Have a Right to Know About Their Food',
                  2 => '<p>The Washington D.C. Court of Appeals upheld the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) rule which requires information about where meat is raised and slaughtered. USDA drafted COOL rules in 2009 and finalized them in 2013.</p>',
                  3 => 'http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/3404/court-victory-consumers-have-a-right-to-know-about-their-food',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
              ),
              'images' => 
              array (
                0 => 'foodsafety_48189.png',
                1 => '',
                2 => 'foodsafety_68552.png',
                3 => '',
              ),
              'group' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '94',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '48',
                  'sub_group' => '0',
                  'name1' => 'Food Safety',
                  'url' => 'food-safety',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'order' => '4',
                ),
              ),
              'color' => 
              array (
                0 => '#f79676',
                1 => 'Food Safety Mauve',
              ),
              'section' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '219',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Food Safety & Food Recalls',
                  'url' => 'food-safety-and-food-recalls',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '158',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '329',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Industrialization of the Food Supply',
                  'url' => 'industrialization-of-the-food-supply',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '159',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '330',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Political Influence',
                  'url' => 'political-influence',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '160',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
              ),
              'checkbox' => 
              array (
                0 => '1',
                1 => '0',
                2 => '1',
              ),
              'url' => '/issues/308/food-safety',
            ),
          ),
          1 => 
          array (
            'custom' => 
            array (
              0 => '',
            ),
            'page_id' => '6379',
            'basic' => 
            array (
              'page_id' => '6379',
              'root_url' => 'media',
              'root' => 'Media',
              'text' => 
              array (
                0 => 'Petition: FDA Must Stop Allowing Harmful PFAS in our Food',
                1 => 'FDA has failed to take adequate action on dangerous chemicals despite acknowledging harm',
                2 => '',
              ),
              'checkbox' => 
              array (
                0 => '0',
                1 => '0',
                2 => '0',
                3 => '0',
              ),
              'date' => 
              array (
                0 => '2021-06-03',
              ),
              'relation' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'custom' => 
                  array (
                    0 => '',
                  ),
                  'page_id' => '308',
                ),
              ),
              'rich' => 
              array (
                0 => '<p>Today, a group of health, environmental, and consumer organizations <a href="http://blogs.edf.org/health/files/2021/06/PFAS-Petition-to-FDA-FINAL-6-1-21.pdf">sent a formal petition</a> to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ban all PFAS (per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances) that accumulate in the body. </p>
<p>A Freedom of Information Act request response recently revealed that FDA described serious health concerns with the use of certain "short chain" PFAS in correspondence with PFAS manufacturers, and said that the companies needed to provide evidence that the chemicals were safe to continue using them. The agency then rejected an offer from one company to conduct additional studies within two years because that would take too much time in light of the chemicals\' risks. Despite this, the FDA soon after accepted a separate industry proposal for all manufacturers to have five years to voluntarily phase out the unsafe PFAS.</p>
<p>There is extensive PFAS contamination across the US due to widespread use of the chemicals in many industries, in firefighting foam, in household products, food packaging and more. Scientific evidence demonstrating harm to health, particularly children\'s health, from the chemicals is overwhelming. This has resulted in an outcry for action on the chemicals often spearheaded by communities that are dealing with contamination – and significant progress at the state-level.  </p>
<p>FDA-approved PFAS are a major contributor to this problem. The chemicals are used in many food applications, including to provide water and grease resistance to paper and paperboard that comes into contact with food. They are commonly found in takeout containers, plastic bottles, disposable bowls and plates in addition to popcorn bags, pet food bags and more. </p>
<p>The petition was filed by Environmental Defense Fund, Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, Center for Environmental Health, Center for Food Safety, Consumer Federation of America, Consumer Reports, Defend Our Health, Environmental Working Group, Green Science Policy Institute, Healthy Babies Bright Futures, and League of Conservation Voters.</p>
<p>FDA has not done enough when it comes to protecting the public from PFAS, and the few actions it has taken have been inadequate and, often, after years of delay. The agency has acted in a piecemeal way, phasing out some varieties of PFAS but still approving new ones for food, all while the evidence accumulates showing the chemicals build up in our bodies and are linked to cancer, immunological, reproductive, and developmental harm. Advocates are now asking the agency to take decisive steps on this class of chemicals. </p>
<p>The petition requests that the FDA revoke all approvals for use of the chemicals in food and food packaging and issue a regulation banning them unless there is evidence that the use is safe. This is necessary not only due to the known danger of many varieties of PFAS, but also the FDA\'s inadequate actions thus far on the chemicals. The agency should stop assuming these chemicals are safe and conduct thorough assessments of health and environmental impacts.  </p>
<p>"FDA is not doing its job. It phased out some varieties of PFAS, but approved new ones for food," <strong>said Jaydee Hanson, policy director at Center for Food Safety.</strong> "The agency ignored evidence showing these chemicals build up in our bodies and are linked to cancer, immunological, reproductive, and developmental harm. Instead of just agreeing with the chemical companies, FDA needs to protect the public and act on these dangerous chemicals immediately."</p>
<p>"FDA needs to shut the door, permanently, on PFAS in food and food packaging," said <strong>Dr. Maricel Maffini, scientist and coauthor of the petition</strong>. "The agency has a poor track record when it comes to evaluating the safety of these chemicals and taking action. We think it\'s past time for the FDA to follow the science and put the public\'s health first."</p>
<p>"Given the evidence linking PFAS to numerous health harms, including breast cancer, it is imperative for the FDA to step up and start protecting our health", said <strong>Lisette van Vliet, Senior Policy Coordinator at Breast Cancer Prevention Partners</strong>. "Allowing the continued use of these chemicals in food packaging is unacceptable."</p>
<p>"There is no excuse for the FDA to continue allowing millions of Americans to be exposed to toxic PFAS in food packaging and foodware, especially when safer alternatives are available," said <strong>Sue Chiang, Pollution Prevention Director, Center for Environmental Health</strong>. "The FDA needs to turn off the tap to toxic PFAS. We all deserve access to toxic free food that doesn\'t harm people across the product lifecycle from workers, to consumers, to fenceline communities disproportionately impacted by irresponsible disposal practices."</p>
<p>"Americans are routinely exposed to PFAS \'forever chemicals,\' which are pervasive in food packaging and may be toxic at very low levels," said <strong>Dr. Michael Hansen, PhD, senior scientist at Consumer Reports</strong>. "We need action by the FDA to ensure the public is protected and not unwittingly consuming these dangerous substances in the food they eat." </p>
<p>"While states like Maine, Washington, Vermont, and New York have already taken action to eliminate PFAS from food packaging, the FDA has done little to address the clear hazards PFAS poses," said <strong>Patrick MacRoy, Deputy Director of Defend Our Health</strong>. "We hope this petition will provide the impetus for the new administration at FDA to finally provide the Federal leadership desperately called for."</p>
<p>"The FDA has understood the risks of PFAS since the 1960s but failed to act," said <strong>Scott Faber, Senior Vice President for Government Affairs for the Environmental Working Group</strong>. "The evidence linking PFAS to cancer and harm to the reproductive and immune systems has only grown stronger, but the FDA has still refused to protect us. There is no better example of FDA\'s broken food chemical review system than the presence of toxic forever chemicals in food packaging. If the FDA once again puts the chemical companies ahead of our health, Congress should simply ban PFAS from food packaging."</p>
<p>"Persistent chemicals linked to health harm have no place in our food packaging," said <strong>Tom Bruton, PhD, Senior Scientist at Green Science Policy Institute</strong>. "FDA should swiftly and transparently revoke approvals for the short-chain PFAS that its own scientists have found are unsafe."</p>
<p>"There should be no place in the U.S. food supply for toxic chemicals like PFAS that persist in the bodies of pregnant women and children," said <strong>Jane Houlihan, Research Director of Health Babies Bright Futures</strong>. "All babies deserve a clean, healthy start in life, free of toxic chemicals that put their healthy development at risk. FDA should help make that a reality."</p>
<p>"It\'s long past time for the federal government to protect our families from dangerous PFAS chemicals once and for all," said <strong>Madeleine Foote, Deputy Legislative Director, LCV</strong>. "PFAS contamination is an equity issue – the FDA has a responsibility to protect the health of our communities, particularly communities of color and low-income communities who may be exposed to higher levels of these toxic \'forever chemicals.\'"</p>
<p>This is a formal petition the agency is required by law to answer within 180 days. The petition makes the case that the FDA is leaving people\'s health in jeopardy by allowing dangerous PFAS to come into contact with food.  </p>',
              ),
              'file' => 
              array (
                0 => '',
                1 => '',
              ),
              'link' => 
              array (
                0 => '',
                1 => '',
              ),
              'lead_img' => 'pfas-chemicals-petition-center-for-food-safety_44002.jpg',
              'gallery' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'pfas-chemicals-petition-center-for-food-safety_44002.jpg',
                  1 => '',
                  2 => '',
                  3 => '',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
              ),
              'url' => '/press-releases/6379/petition-fda-must-stop-allowing-harmful-pfas-in-our-food',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'rich' => 
        array (
          0 => '<p>WASHINGTON—Today, Center for Food Safety and allies <a href="https://earthjustice.org/sites/default/files/files/2021.12.7_complaint.final_1.pdf" target="_blank">represented by Earthjustice</a> <a href="https://earthjustice.org/sites/default/files/files/2021.12.7_mandamus_pet.final_.pdf">sued the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in federal court</a> to compel long overdue action on petitions the advocates filed in 2016 asking FDA to ban phthalates in food packaging and processing materials.</p>
<p>Phthalates are endocrine-disrupting chemicals—meaning they interfere with hormone-regulated processes in the body—and are linked to birth defects, infertility, miscarriage, reduced IQ, and attention and behavior disorders in children. Babies and young children, as well as communities of color and economically insecure individuals, face heightened risks of serious health problems from phthalate exposure compared to the general population.</p>
<p>Despite decades of scientific studies linking phthalates to serious and irreversible health harms, FDA has continued to allow the use of more than two dozen phthalates in food packaging and processing materials. Phthalates leach out of these materials into infant formula, milk, cheese, meat, baked goods, cereals, snack foods, boxed macaroni and cheese, cooking oils, and other food products. Because phthalates are present in so many foods but are not disclosed on labels, it is impossible for consumers to avoid exposure.</p>
<p>In 2016, a coalition of health and environmental advocates filed two related petitions asking FDA to ban phthalates in food packaging and processing materials, citing the growing body of scientific evidence that phthalates pose urgent risks to public health when they leach into food and drinks. Federal law required FDA to respond to the principal petition within 180 days. But more than five and a half years later, FDA still has not acted.</p>
<p>"FDA is sitting on years of scientific evidence that phthalates used in food packaging and processing materials are dangerous to human health," said<strong> Earthjustice attorney Katherine O\'Brien</strong>. "While FDA idles, babies and children are consuming phthalates in their food that endanger their brain development and long-term health."</p>
<p>"FDA\'s failure to act to get phthalates out of food is creating a serious public health problem of great magnitude," said <strong>Dr. Ami Zota, </strong><strong>a professor at George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health who is an internationally recognized expert on the racial and socioeconomic disparities in phthalates exposures and health effects</strong><strong>.</strong>  "Until FDA reverses course, the health burdens from phthalate exposure in food will continue to disproportionately harm people of color, people of low wealth, and babies and young children undergoing critical periods of growth and development."</p>
<p>"FDA\'s failure to act has caused unnecessary and avoidable harm to the health of people across the United States, especially infants and young children," said <strong>Dr. Russ Hauser, a professor at Harvard Medical School and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health who is an internationally recognized expert on the health effects of phthalates</strong>. "There is extensive scientific evidence that phthalates the FDA has authorized for food-contact uses are unsafe, and FDA action to eliminate these chemicals from food is long overdue."</p>
<p>The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Environmental Defense Fund, Learning Disabilities Association of America, Center for Food Safety, Center for Environmental Health, Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, Defend Our Health, and Alaska Community Action on Toxics.</p>
<p>Plaintiff quotes:</p>
<p>"The FDA had an obligation under the law to make a final decision on these petitions in 2018 at the latest," said <strong>Tom Neltner, chemicals policy director for Environmental Defense Fund.</strong> ?"Every phthalate that has been studied for health effects has been found to pose a health risk. It\'s past time for the FDA to act on all phthalates as a class of chemicals that do not belong in our food." </p>
<p>"No child should be exposed to phthalates in their food," said <strong>Tracy Gregoire, Director of the Healthy Children Project at the Learning Disabilities Association of America.</strong> "These chemicals are linked to lifelong learning challenges, ADHD and lower IQ. FDA has the power and the responsibility to protect children\'s brain health by taking action on phthalates now."</p>
<p>"Science proves that phthalates have significant, detrimental health effects on women, children, and other vulnerable populations," <strong>said Kristina Sinclair, associate attorney at Center for Food Safety.</strong> "FDA has the duty and authority to reduce and prevent these harmful impacts by banning phthalates from our food supply."</p>
<p>"The FDA needs to come down from its perch on the sidelines," said <strong>CSPI president Dr. Peter G. Lurie.</strong> "The risk that many phthalates pose to children\'s developing brains far outweighs whatever reward these discredited chemicals offer to the food packaging industry."</p>
<p>"The Center for Environmental Health has long been engaged in the fight to get harmful endocrine disrupting chemicals like bisphenols, PFAS, and phthalates out of food and food packaging," said <strong>Dr. Jimena Díaz Leiva, Science Director, Center for Environmental Health.</strong> "The FDA has failed to protect the public by continuing to allow these harmful chemicals in food and food-contact materials—people deserve the right to eat food free from toxic chemicals. We are proud to join in this lawsuit with Earthjustice to push FDA to stop delaying and act now to ban phthalates as food additives or in food-contact materials." </p>
<p>"Survivors of breast cancer and breastfeeding mothers work extra hard to avoid hormone disrupting chemicals that could contribute to a recurrence of their cancer or harm the development of their children" said <strong>Lisette van Vliet, Senior Policy Manager for Breast Cancer Prevention Partners</strong>. "It is well past time the FDA did its job and stopped the use of these harmful chemicals in food packaging and processing materials."</p>
<p>"It is unconscionable that despite research dating back to the 1970s showing the dangers of phthalates, the FDA has continued to allow this toxic chemical in food processing equipment and in packaging," said <strong>Mike Belliveau, executive director of Defend Our Health.</strong> "While states, such as Maine and Vermont, have already taken action to ban phthalates from food packaging, and industry leaders have already taken action to clean-up their production lines, the FDA won\'t even do the minimum of answering a petition. It\'s long past time for the agency to protect the young children and people of color who are disproportionately exposed to phthalates."</p>
<p>"I am concerned about the harm caused by phthalates to our children and future generations," said <strong>Margaret Yellow Wolf Tarrant, Environmental Justice Organizer with Alaska Community Action on Toxics.</strong> "Our Indigenous Peoples living in rural communities in Alaska, especially those who have lower incomes, have few fresh food options available and by necessity must rely on more packaged and processed foods.  We face a disproportionate burden from not just phthalate exposure but also exposure to other toxic chemicals. It is FDA\'s job to protect our health and well-being and we will hold them accountable."</p>',
        ),
        'file' => 
        array (
          0 => '',
          1 => '',
        ),
        'link' => 
        array (
          0 => '',
          1 => '',
        ),
        'lead_img' => 'phthalates-lawsuit-fda-food-safety_02824.jpg',
        'gallery' => 
        array (
          0 => 
          array (
            0 => 'phthalates-lawsuit-fda-food-safety_02824.jpg',
            1 => '',
            2 => '',
            3 => '',
            4 => '',
            5 => '',
            6 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'group' => 
        array (
          0 => 
          array (
            'id' => '110',
            'PARENT_ID' => '0',
            'sub_group' => '0',
            'name1' => 'Press Releases Categories',
            'url' => 'press-releases-categories',
            'visible' => '1',
            'order' => '5',
          ),
          1 => 
          array (
            'id' => '118',
            'PARENT_ID' => '110',
            'sub_group' => '0',
            'name1' => 'Food Safety',
            'url' => 'food-safety',
            'visible' => '1',
            'order' => '12',
          ),
        ),
        'url' => '/press-releases/6526/groups-sue-to-force-fda-decision-on-petitions-to-ban-phthalates-in-food',
      ),
      'bid' => 
      array (
        'page_link' => '/press-releases/6526/groups-sue-to-force-fda-decision-on-petitions-to-ban-phthalates-in-food',
        'bitly' => '6ch',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'lead_img' => 'phthalates-lawsuit-fda-food-safety_02824.jpg',
        'rich_snippet' => '<p>WASHINGTON—Today, Center for Food Safety and allies <a href="https://earthjustice.org/sites/default/files/files/2021.12.7_complaint.final_1.pdf" target="_blank">represented by Earthjustice</a> <a href="https://earthjustice.org/sites/default/files/files/202.',
        'page' => 
        array (
          'id' => '6526',
          'SECTION_ID' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '0',
          'BLOCK_ID' => '0',
          'order' => '1',
          'visible' => '1',
          'feature' => '0',
          'hide' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Groups Sue to Force FDA Decision on Petitions to Ban Phthalates in Food',
          'url' => 'groups-sue-to-force-fda-decision-on-petitions-to-ban-phthalates-in-food',
          'bitly' => '6ch',
          'lead_img' => 'phthalates-lawsuit-fda-food-safety_02824.jpg',
          'meta_title' => 'Groups Sue to Force FDA Decision on Petitions to Ban Phthalates in Food',
          'meta_desc' => 'While FDA delays, children and adults consume dangerous levels of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in foods',
          'meta_img' => 'phthalates-lawsuit-fda-food-safety_02815.jpg',
          'meta_json' => '',
          'update_meta_title' => '0',
          'update_meta_desc' => '0',
          'update_meta_img' => '1',
          'update_meta_json' => '0',
          'start_time' => '0',
          'end_time' => '0',
        ),
        'section' => 
        array (
          'id' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '486',
          'PAGE_ID' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Press Releases',
          'url' => 'press-releases',
          'hide' => '0',
          'order' => '1',
        ),
        'bid_380' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Title',
          'block_type' => 'Plain Text',
          'block_alias' => 'title',
          'post_id' => '66075',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 'Groups Sue to Force FDA Decision on Petitions to Ban Phthalates in Food',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5959' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Subtitle',
          'block_type' => 'Plain Text',
          'block_alias' => 'subtitle',
          'post_id' => '66076',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 'While FDA delays, children and adults consume dangerous levels of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in foods',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5957' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Show Hero Image',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'hide_hero',
          'post_id' => '66077',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_381' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Date',
          'block_type' => 'Date',
          'block_alias' => 'date',
          'post_id' => '66078',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '2021-12-07',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_2294' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel1',
          'post_id' => '66079',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'custom_title' => '',
              'page_id' => '308',
              'name1' => 'Food Safety',
              'section_name1' => 'Issues',
              'page_link' => '/issues/308/food-safety',
              'lead_img' => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
              'rich_snippet' => '<p>According to federal data, each year, one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. These figures are likely to be far higher, as most food illnesses go unreported. The most five common pathogens causing foodborne i.',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_3612' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue 2',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel2',
          'post_id' => '66080',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'custom_title' => '',
              'page_id' => '6379',
              'name1' => 'Petition: FDA Must Stop Allowing Harmful PFAS in our Food',
              'section_name1' => 'Press Releases',
              'page_link' => '/press-releases/6379/petition-fda-must-stop-allowing-harmful-pfas-in-our-food',
              'lead_img' => 'pfas-chemicals-petition-center-for-food-safety_44002.jpg',
              'rich_snippet' => ' Today, a group of health, environmental, and consumer organizations  sent a formal petition  to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ban all PFAS (per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances) that accumulate in the body.  
 A Freedom of Information Act requ.',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_3613' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue 3',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel3',
          'post_id' => '66081',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_382' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Description',
          'block_type' => 'Rich Text',
          'block_alias' => 'desc',
          'post_id' => '66082',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '<p>WASHINGTON—Today, Center for Food Safety and allies <a href="https://earthjustice.org/sites/default/files/files/2021.12.7_complaint.final_1.pdf" target="_blank">represented by Earthjustice</a> <a href="https://earthjustice.org/sites/default/files/files/2021.12.7_mandamus_pet.final_.pdf">sued the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in federal court</a> to compel long overdue action on petitions the advocates filed in 2016 asking FDA to ban phthalates in food packaging and processing materials.</p>
<p>Phthalates are endocrine-disrupting chemicals—meaning they interfere with hormone-regulated processes in the body—and are linked to birth defects, infertility, miscarriage, reduced IQ, and attention and behavior disorders in children. Babies and young children, as well as communities of color and economically insecure individuals, face heightened risks of serious health problems from phthalate exposure compared to the general population.</p>
<p>Despite decades of scientific studies linking phthalates to serious and irreversible health harms, FDA has continued to allow the use of more than two dozen phthalates in food packaging and processing materials. Phthalates leach out of these materials into infant formula, milk, cheese, meat, baked goods, cereals, snack foods, boxed macaroni and cheese, cooking oils, and other food products. Because phthalates are present in so many foods but are not disclosed on labels, it is impossible for consumers to avoid exposure.</p>
<p>In 2016, a coalition of health and environmental advocates filed two related petitions asking FDA to ban phthalates in food packaging and processing materials, citing the growing body of scientific evidence that phthalates pose urgent risks to public health when they leach into food and drinks. Federal law required FDA to respond to the principal petition within 180 days. But more than five and a half years later, FDA still has not acted.</p>
<p>"FDA is sitting on years of scientific evidence that phthalates used in food packaging and processing materials are dangerous to human health," said<strong> Earthjustice attorney Katherine O\'Brien</strong>. "While FDA idles, babies and children are consuming phthalates in their food that endanger their brain development and long-term health."</p>
<p>"FDA\'s failure to act to get phthalates out of food is creating a serious public health problem of great magnitude," said <strong>Dr. Ami Zota, </strong><strong>a professor at George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health who is an internationally recognized expert on the racial and socioeconomic disparities in phthalates exposures and health effects</strong><strong>.</strong>  "Until FDA reverses course, the health burdens from phthalate exposure in food will continue to disproportionately harm people of color, people of low wealth, and babies and young children undergoing critical periods of growth and development."</p>
<p>"FDA\'s failure to act has caused unnecessary and avoidable harm to the health of people across the United States, especially infants and young children," said <strong>Dr. Russ Hauser, a professor at Harvard Medical School and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health who is an internationally recognized expert on the health effects of phthalates</strong>. "There is extensive scientific evidence that phthalates the FDA has authorized for food-contact uses are unsafe, and FDA action to eliminate these chemicals from food is long overdue."</p>
<p>The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Environmental Defense Fund, Learning Disabilities Association of America, Center for Food Safety, Center for Environmental Health, Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, Defend Our Health, and Alaska Community Action on Toxics.</p>
<p>Plaintiff quotes:</p>
<p>"The FDA had an obligation under the law to make a final decision on these petitions in 2018 at the latest," said <strong>Tom Neltner, chemicals policy director for Environmental Defense Fund.</strong> ?"Every phthalate that has been studied for health effects has been found to pose a health risk. It\'s past time for the FDA to act on all phthalates as a class of chemicals that do not belong in our food." </p>
<p>"No child should be exposed to phthalates in their food," said <strong>Tracy Gregoire, Director of the Healthy Children Project at the Learning Disabilities Association of America.</strong> "These chemicals are linked to lifelong learning challenges, ADHD and lower IQ. FDA has the power and the responsibility to protect children\'s brain health by taking action on phthalates now."</p>
<p>"Science proves that phthalates have significant, detrimental health effects on women, children, and other vulnerable populations," <strong>said Kristina Sinclair, associate attorney at Center for Food Safety.</strong> "FDA has the duty and authority to reduce and prevent these harmful impacts by banning phthalates from our food supply."</p>
<p>"The FDA needs to come down from its perch on the sidelines," said <strong>CSPI president Dr. Peter G. Lurie.</strong> "The risk that many phthalates pose to children\'s developing brains far outweighs whatever reward these discredited chemicals offer to the food packaging industry."</p>
<p>"The Center for Environmental Health has long been engaged in the fight to get harmful endocrine disrupting chemicals like bisphenols, PFAS, and phthalates out of food and food packaging," said <strong>Dr. Jimena Díaz Leiva, Science Director, Center for Environmental Health.</strong> "The FDA has failed to protect the public by continuing to allow these harmful chemicals in food and food-contact materials—people deserve the right to eat food free from toxic chemicals. We are proud to join in this lawsuit with Earthjustice to push FDA to stop delaying and act now to ban phthalates as food additives or in food-contact materials." </p>
<p>"Survivors of breast cancer and breastfeeding mothers work extra hard to avoid hormone disrupting chemicals that could contribute to a recurrence of their cancer or harm the development of their children" said <strong>Lisette van Vliet, Senior Policy Manager for Breast Cancer Prevention Partners</strong>. "It is well past time the FDA did its job and stopped the use of these harmful chemicals in food packaging and processing materials."</p>
<p>"It is unconscionable that despite research dating back to the 1970s showing the dangers of phthalates, the FDA has continued to allow this toxic chemical in food processing equipment and in packaging," said <strong>Mike Belliveau, executive director of Defend Our Health.</strong> "While states, such as Maine and Vermont, have already taken action to ban phthalates from food packaging, and industry leaders have already taken action to clean-up their production lines, the FDA won\'t even do the minimum of answering a petition. It\'s long past time for the agency to protect the young children and people of color who are disproportionately exposed to phthalates."</p>
<p>"I am concerned about the harm caused by phthalates to our children and future generations," said <strong>Margaret Yellow Wolf Tarrant, Environmental Justice Organizer with Alaska Community Action on Toxics.</strong> "Our Indigenous Peoples living in rural communities in Alaska, especially those who have lower incomes, have few fresh food options available and by necessity must rely on more packaged and processed foods.  We face a disproportionate burden from not just phthalate exposure but also exposure to other toxic chemicals. It is FDA\'s job to protect our health and well-being and we will hold them accountable."</p>',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_383' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'PDF File',
          'block_type' => 'File',
          'block_alias' => 'pdf',
          'post_id' => '66083',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_1168' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'CFS Link',
          'block_type' => 'Link',
          'block_alias' => 'link',
          'post_id' => '66084',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_1169' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Image Gallery',
          'block_type' => 'Image Gallery',
          'block_alias' => 'images',
          'post_id' => '66093',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              0 => 'phthalates-lawsuit-fda-food-safety_02824.jpg',
              1 => '',
              2 => '',
              3 => '',
              4 => '',
              5 => '',
              6 => 'Groups Sue to Force FDA Decision on Petitions to Ban Phthalates in Food',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_2291' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Category',
          'block_type' => 'Grouping',
          'block_alias' => 'cat',
          'post_id' => '66086',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'id' => '118',
              'PARENT_ID' => '110',
              'sub_group' => '0',
              'name1' => 'Food Safety',
              'url' => 'food-safety',
              'visible' => '1',
              'order' => '12',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4805' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Tweets',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'tweets',
          'post_id' => '66087',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4806' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Quotes',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'quotes',
          'post_id' => '66088',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4807' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Join CFS',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'join',
          'post_id' => '66089',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5592' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Hide',
          'block_type' => 'Hide - In \'page\' table',
          'block_alias' => '',
          'post_id' => '66090',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5835' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Scheduler',
          'block_type' => 'Schedule',
          'block_alias' => 'scheduler',
          'post_id' => '66091',
          'content' => 
          array (
            'id' => '384',
            'PAGE_ID' => '6526',
            'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
            'set_time' => '0',
            'start_time_hour' => 'NA',
            'start_time_minute' => '00',
            'start_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'end_time_hour' => 'NA',
            'end_time_minute' => '00',
            'end_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'start_month' => '12',
            'start_day' => '07',
            'start_year' => '2021',
            'end_month' => '12',
            'end_day' => '07',
            'end_year' => '2021',
            'occurs' => 'once',
            'repeat_every_int' => '1',
            'repeat_every_period' => 'year',
            'repeat_stop_after' => '1',
            'float_period' => 'first',
            'float_day_o_w' => 'sunday',
            'float_repeat_every_x_mo' => '1',
            'float_stop_after' => '1',
            'events' => 
            array (
              0 => 
              array (
                'id' => '3533',
                'SCHEDULE_ID' => '384',
                'PAGE_ID' => '6526',
                'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
                'date_start' => '2021-12-07 00:00:00',
                'date_end' => '2021-12-07 00:00:00',
                'has_start_time' => '0',
                'has_end_time' => '0',
                'occurs' => 'once',
                'start' => 'Tuesday, December 7, 2021',
                'end' => '',
              ),
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5955' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Unique Url',
          'block_type' => 'Unique Root URL',
          'block_alias' => 'unique_url',
          'post_id' => '66092',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
          ),
        ),
      ),
      'alias' => 
      array (
        'page_link' => '/press-releases/6526/groups-sue-to-force-fda-decision-on-petitions-to-ban-phthalates-in-food',
        'bitly' => '6ch',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'lead_img' => 'phthalates-lawsuit-fda-food-safety_02824.jpg',
        'rich_snippet' => '<p>WASHINGTON—Today, Center for Food Safety and allies <a href="https://earthjustice.org/sites/default/files/files/2021.12.7_complaint.final_1.pdf" target="_blank">represented by Earthjustice</a> <a href="https://earthjustice.org/sites/default/files/files/202.',
        'page' => 
        array (
          'id' => '6526',
          'SECTION_ID' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '0',
          'BLOCK_ID' => '0',
          'order' => '1',
          'visible' => '1',
          'feature' => '0',
          'hide' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Groups Sue to Force FDA Decision on Petitions to Ban Phthalates in Food',
          'url' => 'groups-sue-to-force-fda-decision-on-petitions-to-ban-phthalates-in-food',
          'bitly' => '6ch',
          'lead_img' => 'phthalates-lawsuit-fda-food-safety_02824.jpg',
          'meta_title' => 'Groups Sue to Force FDA Decision on Petitions to Ban Phthalates in Food',
          'meta_desc' => 'While FDA delays, children and adults consume dangerous levels of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in foods',
          'meta_img' => 'phthalates-lawsuit-fda-food-safety_02815.jpg',
          'meta_json' => '',
          'update_meta_title' => '0',
          'update_meta_desc' => '0',
          'update_meta_img' => '1',
          'update_meta_json' => '0',
          'start_time' => '0',
          'end_time' => '0',
        ),
        'section' => 
        array (
          'id' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '486',
          'PAGE_ID' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Press Releases',
          'url' => 'press-releases',
          'hide' => '0',
          'order' => '1',
        ),
        'bid_3613' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue 3',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel3',
          'post_id' => '66081',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5592' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Hide',
          'block_type' => 'Hide - In \'page\' table',
          'block_alias' => '',
          'post_id' => '66090',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'alias' => 
        array (
          'title' => 'Groups Sue to Force FDA Decision on Petitions to Ban Phthalates in Food',
          'subtitle' => 'While FDA delays, children and adults consume dangerous levels of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in foods',
          'hide_hero' => '0',
          'date' => '2021-12-07',
          'rel1' => 
          array (
            'custom_title' => '',
            'page_id' => '308',
            'name1' => 'Food Safety',
            'section_name1' => 'Issues',
            'page_link' => '/issues/308/food-safety',
            'lead_img' => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
            'rich_snippet' => '<p>According to federal data, each year, one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. These figures are likely to be far higher, as most food illnesses go unreported. The most five common pathogens causing foodborne i.',
          ),
          'rel2' => 
          array (
            'custom_title' => '',
            'page_id' => '6379',
            'name1' => 'Petition: FDA Must Stop Allowing Harmful PFAS in our Food',
            'section_name1' => 'Press Releases',
            'page_link' => '/press-releases/6379/petition-fda-must-stop-allowing-harmful-pfas-in-our-food',
            'lead_img' => 'pfas-chemicals-petition-center-for-food-safety_44002.jpg',
            'rich_snippet' => ' Today, a group of health, environmental, and consumer organizations  sent a formal petition  to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ban all PFAS (per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances) that accumulate in the body.  
 A Freedom of Information Act requ.',
          ),
          'desc' => '<p>WASHINGTON—Today, Center for Food Safety and allies <a href="https://earthjustice.org/sites/default/files/files/2021.12.7_complaint.final_1.pdf" target="_blank">represented by Earthjustice</a> <a href="https://earthjustice.org/sites/default/files/files/2021.12.7_mandamus_pet.final_.pdf">sued the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in federal court</a> to compel long overdue action on petitions the advocates filed in 2016 asking FDA to ban phthalates in food packaging and processing materials.</p>
<p>Phthalates are endocrine-disrupting chemicals—meaning they interfere with hormone-regulated processes in the body—and are linked to birth defects, infertility, miscarriage, reduced IQ, and attention and behavior disorders in children. Babies and young children, as well as communities of color and economically insecure individuals, face heightened risks of serious health problems from phthalate exposure compared to the general population.</p>
<p>Despite decades of scientific studies linking phthalates to serious and irreversible health harms, FDA has continued to allow the use of more than two dozen phthalates in food packaging and processing materials. Phthalates leach out of these materials into infant formula, milk, cheese, meat, baked goods, cereals, snack foods, boxed macaroni and cheese, cooking oils, and other food products. Because phthalates are present in so many foods but are not disclosed on labels, it is impossible for consumers to avoid exposure.</p>
<p>In 2016, a coalition of health and environmental advocates filed two related petitions asking FDA to ban phthalates in food packaging and processing materials, citing the growing body of scientific evidence that phthalates pose urgent risks to public health when they leach into food and drinks. Federal law required FDA to respond to the principal petition within 180 days. But more than five and a half years later, FDA still has not acted.</p>
<p>"FDA is sitting on years of scientific evidence that phthalates used in food packaging and processing materials are dangerous to human health," said<strong> Earthjustice attorney Katherine O\'Brien</strong>. "While FDA idles, babies and children are consuming phthalates in their food that endanger their brain development and long-term health."</p>
<p>"FDA\'s failure to act to get phthalates out of food is creating a serious public health problem of great magnitude," said <strong>Dr. Ami Zota, </strong><strong>a professor at George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health who is an internationally recognized expert on the racial and socioeconomic disparities in phthalates exposures and health effects</strong><strong>.</strong>  "Until FDA reverses course, the health burdens from phthalate exposure in food will continue to disproportionately harm people of color, people of low wealth, and babies and young children undergoing critical periods of growth and development."</p>
<p>"FDA\'s failure to act has caused unnecessary and avoidable harm to the health of people across the United States, especially infants and young children," said <strong>Dr. Russ Hauser, a professor at Harvard Medical School and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health who is an internationally recognized expert on the health effects of phthalates</strong>. "There is extensive scientific evidence that phthalates the FDA has authorized for food-contact uses are unsafe, and FDA action to eliminate these chemicals from food is long overdue."</p>
<p>The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Environmental Defense Fund, Learning Disabilities Association of America, Center for Food Safety, Center for Environmental Health, Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, Defend Our Health, and Alaska Community Action on Toxics.</p>
<p>Plaintiff quotes:</p>
<p>"The FDA had an obligation under the law to make a final decision on these petitions in 2018 at the latest," said <strong>Tom Neltner, chemicals policy director for Environmental Defense Fund.</strong> ?"Every phthalate that has been studied for health effects has been found to pose a health risk. It\'s past time for the FDA to act on all phthalates as a class of chemicals that do not belong in our food." </p>
<p>"No child should be exposed to phthalates in their food," said <strong>Tracy Gregoire, Director of the Healthy Children Project at the Learning Disabilities Association of America.</strong> "These chemicals are linked to lifelong learning challenges, ADHD and lower IQ. FDA has the power and the responsibility to protect children\'s brain health by taking action on phthalates now."</p>
<p>"Science proves that phthalates have significant, detrimental health effects on women, children, and other vulnerable populations," <strong>said Kristina Sinclair, associate attorney at Center for Food Safety.</strong> "FDA has the duty and authority to reduce and prevent these harmful impacts by banning phthalates from our food supply."</p>
<p>"The FDA needs to come down from its perch on the sidelines," said <strong>CSPI president Dr. Peter G. Lurie.</strong> "The risk that many phthalates pose to children\'s developing brains far outweighs whatever reward these discredited chemicals offer to the food packaging industry."</p>
<p>"The Center for Environmental Health has long been engaged in the fight to get harmful endocrine disrupting chemicals like bisphenols, PFAS, and phthalates out of food and food packaging," said <strong>Dr. Jimena Díaz Leiva, Science Director, Center for Environmental Health.</strong> "The FDA has failed to protect the public by continuing to allow these harmful chemicals in food and food-contact materials—people deserve the right to eat food free from toxic chemicals. We are proud to join in this lawsuit with Earthjustice to push FDA to stop delaying and act now to ban phthalates as food additives or in food-contact materials." </p>
<p>"Survivors of breast cancer and breastfeeding mothers work extra hard to avoid hormone disrupting chemicals that could contribute to a recurrence of their cancer or harm the development of their children" said <strong>Lisette van Vliet, Senior Policy Manager for Breast Cancer Prevention Partners</strong>. "It is well past time the FDA did its job and stopped the use of these harmful chemicals in food packaging and processing materials."</p>
<p>"It is unconscionable that despite research dating back to the 1970s showing the dangers of phthalates, the FDA has continued to allow this toxic chemical in food processing equipment and in packaging," said <strong>Mike Belliveau, executive director of Defend Our Health.</strong> "While states, such as Maine and Vermont, have already taken action to ban phthalates from food packaging, and industry leaders have already taken action to clean-up their production lines, the FDA won\'t even do the minimum of answering a petition. It\'s long past time for the agency to protect the young children and people of color who are disproportionately exposed to phthalates."</p>
<p>"I am concerned about the harm caused by phthalates to our children and future generations," said <strong>Margaret Yellow Wolf Tarrant, Environmental Justice Organizer with Alaska Community Action on Toxics.</strong> "Our Indigenous Peoples living in rural communities in Alaska, especially those who have lower incomes, have few fresh food options available and by necessity must rely on more packaged and processed foods.  We face a disproportionate burden from not just phthalate exposure but also exposure to other toxic chemicals. It is FDA\'s job to protect our health and well-being and we will hold them accountable."</p>',
          'pdf' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
          'link' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
          'images' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              0 => 'phthalates-lawsuit-fda-food-safety_02824.jpg',
              1 => '',
              2 => '',
              3 => '',
              4 => '',
              5 => '',
              6 => 'Groups Sue to Force FDA Decision on Petitions to Ban Phthalates in Food',
              7 => 1000,
              8 => 562,
            ),
          ),
          'cat' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'id' => '118',
              'PARENT_ID' => '110',
              'sub_group' => '0',
              'name1' => 'Food Safety',
              'url' => 'food-safety',
              'visible' => '1',
              'order' => '12',
            ),
          ),
          'tweets' => '0',
          'quotes' => '0',
          'join' => '0',
          'scheduler' => 
          array (
            'id' => '384',
            'PAGE_ID' => '6526',
            'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
            'set_time' => '0',
            'start_time_hour' => 'NA',
            'start_time_minute' => '00',
            'start_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'end_time_hour' => 'NA',
            'end_time_minute' => '00',
            'end_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'start_month' => '12',
            'start_day' => '07',
            'start_year' => '2021',
            'end_month' => '12',
            'end_day' => '07',
            'end_year' => '2021',
            'occurs' => 'once',
            'repeat_every_int' => '1',
            'repeat_every_period' => 'year',
            'repeat_stop_after' => '1',
            'float_period' => 'first',
            'float_day_o_w' => 'sunday',
            'float_repeat_every_x_mo' => '1',
            'float_stop_after' => '1',
            'events' => 
            array (
              0 => 
              array (
                'id' => '3533',
                'SCHEDULE_ID' => '384',
                'PAGE_ID' => '6526',
                'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
                'date_start' => '2021-12-07 00:00:00',
                'date_end' => '2021-12-07 00:00:00',
                'has_start_time' => '0',
                'has_end_time' => '0',
                'occurs' => 'once',
                'start' => 'Tuesday, December 7, 2021',
                'end' => '',
              ),
            ),
          ),
          'unique_url' => '',
        ),
      ),
    ),
  ),
  1 => 
  array (
    'id' => '6525',
    'SECTION_ID' => '129',
    'PARENT_ID' => '0',
    'BLOCK_ID' => '0',
    'order' => '14',
    'visible' => '1',
    'feature' => '0',
    'hide' => '0',
    'name1' => 'Center for Food Safety Calls for Ban on Brazilian Beef Imports Due to Mad Cow Disease',
    'url' => 'center-for-food-safety-calls-for-ban-on-brazilian-beef-imports-due-to-mad-cow-disease',
    'bitly' => '6cg',
    'lead_img' => 'brazilian-beef-feedlots-mad-cow-disease-food-safety-center-import-ban-china-meat-industry_27323.jpg',
    'meta_title' => 'Center for Food Safety Calls for Ban on Brazilian Beef Imports Due to Mad Cow Disease',
    'meta_desc' => 'In September, Brazil confirmed two cases of what it called atypical mad cow disease in animals, triggering a suspension of beef exports to China.',
    'meta_img' => 'brazilian-beef-feedlots-mad-cow-disease-food-safety-center-import-ban-china-meat-industry_27312.jpg',
    'meta_json' => '',
    'update_meta_title' => '0',
    'update_meta_desc' => '0',
    'update_meta_img' => '1',
    'update_meta_json' => '0',
    'start_time' => '0',
    'end_time' => '0',
    'content' => 
    array (
      'typ' => 
      array (
        'page_id' => '6525',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'text' => 
        array (
          0 => 'Center for Food Safety Calls for Ban on Brazilian Beef Imports Due to Mad Cow Disease',
          1 => '',
          2 => '',
        ),
        'checkbox' => 
        array (
          0 => '0',
          1 => '0',
          2 => '0',
          3 => '0',
        ),
        'date' => 
        array (
          0 => '2021-12-06',
        ),
        'relation' => 
        array (
          0 => 
          array (
            'custom' => 
            array (
              0 => '',
            ),
            'page_id' => '1040',
            'basic' => 
            array (
              'page_id' => '1040',
              'root_url' => 'issues',
              'root' => 'Issues',
              'text' => 
              array (
                0 => 'Mad Cow Disease',
                1 => '',
                2 => 'Mad Cow Disease',
                3 => 'From:CFSTrueFood+madcow',
              ),
              'rich' => 
              array (
                0 => '<p>Formally known as Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), “Mad Cow Disease” is a persistent food safety concern in the U.S. and abroad.&nbsp; BSE occurs when cattle are fed rendered meat products made from other dead, disabled or diseased cattle or sheep as a feed supplement -- or when chickens are fed rendered animals and their manure is mixed into cattle feed.</p>',
              ),
              'lead_img' => 'istock_000004774254small_85256.jpg',
              'gallery' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'istock_000004774254small_85256.jpg',
                  1 => '',
                  2 => '',
                  3 => '/issues/1040/mad-cow-disease/about-mad-cow-disease',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'istock_000003763904small_85256.jpg',
                  1 => '',
                  2 => '',
                  3 => '/issues/1040/mad-cow-disease/about-mad-cow-disease',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
              ),
              'images' => 
              array (
                0 => '',
                1 => '',
                2 => 'home_bg_tile_madcow_29147.png',
                3 => '',
              ),
              'group' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '94',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '48',
                  'sub_group' => '0',
                  'name1' => 'Food Safety',
                  'url' => 'food-safety',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'order' => '4',
                ),
              ),
              'color' => 
              array (
                0 => '#f79676',
                1 => '',
              ),
              'relation' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'custom' => 
                  array (
                    0 => '',
                  ),
                  'page_id' => '308',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  'custom' => 
                  array (
                    0 => '',
                  ),
                  'page_id' => '307',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  'custom' => 
                  array (
                    0 => '',
                  ),
                  'page_id' => '706',
                ),
                3 => 
                array (
                  'custom' => 
                  array (
                    0 => '',
                  ),
                  'page_id' => '865',
                ),
                4 => 
                array (
                  'custom' => 
                  array (
                    0 => '',
                  ),
                  'page_id' => '905',
                ),
              ),
              'section' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '283',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '1040',
                  'name1' => 'About Mad Cow Disease',
                  'url' => 'about-mad-cow-disease',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '194',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '274',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '1040',
                  'name1' => 'Mad Cow Disease Q & A',
                  'url' => 'mad-cow-disease-q-and-a',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '197',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '275',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '1040',
                  'name1' => 'Risks from Vitamin Supplements',
                  'url' => 'risks-from-vitamin-supplements',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '201',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                3 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '273',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '1040',
                  'name1' => 'Government Regulation',
                  'url' => 'government-regulation-273',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '205',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                4 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '276',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '1040',
                  'name1' => 'Timeline: Mad Cow Disease Outbreaks',
                  'url' => 'timeline-mad-cow-disease-outbreaks',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '207',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
              ),
              'checkbox' => 
              array (
                0 => '0',
                1 => '0',
                2 => '0',
              ),
              'url' => '/issues/1040/mad-cow-disease',
            ),
          ),
          1 => 
          array (
            'custom' => 
            array (
              0 => '',
            ),
            'page_id' => '307',
            'basic' => 
            array (
              'page_id' => '307',
              'root_url' => 'issues',
              'root' => 'Issues',
              'text' => 
              array (
                0 => 'Animal Factories',
                1 => '',
                2 => 'Animal Factories',
                3 => 'From:CFSTrueFood+CAFO+facttory farms+animal factories',
              ),
              'rich' => 
              array (
                0 => '<p>In the last few decades, consolidation of food production has concentrated power in the hands of fewer and fewer corporations.&nbsp; Many of today’s farms are actually large industrial facilities, not family farms with green pastures and red barns that most Americans imagine. &nbsp;The operation of these consolidated operations have little to no regard for the environment, animal welfare or food safety, and they often put the health of consumers and rural communities at risk for the sake of profit.</p>',
              ),
              'lead_img' => 'chainreaction2socialpromoweb_90391.jpg',
              'gallery' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'chainreaction2socialpromoweb_90391.jpg',
                  1 => 'Fast Food Companies Make Progress in Addressing Antibiotic Resistance Crisis',
                  2 => '<p>Today, groups including Center for Food Safety released Chain Reaction II, the 2nd annual report ranking the top 25 U.S. restaurant chains on their antibiotics policies. Find out who passed, who failed, and what you can do to urge companies to step up to the plate on antibiotics use.</p>',
                  3 => 'http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/4001/idaho-ag-gag-law-overturned-ruled-unconstitutional-in-federal-court',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
              ),
              'images' => 
              array (
                0 => 'cafos_48232.png',
                1 => '',
                2 => 'mud_96426c_38739.jpg',
                3 => '',
              ),
              'color' => 
              array (
                0 => '#85594a',
                1 => 'Factory Farms Brown',
              ),
              'section' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '224',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '307',
                  'name1' => 'About Animal Factories',
                  'url' => 'about-animal-factories',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '13',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '507',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '307',
                  'name1' => 'Animal Factories and Animal Welfare',
                  'url' => 'animal-factories-and-animal-welfare',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '22',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '225',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '307',
                  'name1' => 'Animal Factories and Public Health',
                  'url' => 'animal-factories-and-public-health',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '29',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                3 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '226',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '307',
                  'name1' => 'Animal Factories and Environmental Pollution',
                  'url' => 'animal-factories-and-environmental-pollution',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '37',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                4 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '227',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '307',
                  'name1' => 'Animal Factories and Corporate Control',
                  'url' => 'animal-factories-and-corporate-control',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '45',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                5 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '551',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '307',
                  'name1' => 'Ag-Gag Laws in the U.S.',
                  'url' => 'ag-gag-laws-in-the-us',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '49',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                6 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '526',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '307',
                  'name1' => 'Opt Out of Industrial Meat',
                  'url' => 'opt-out-of-industrial-meat',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '51',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                7 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '544',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '307',
                  'name1' => 'Tell Tillamook to Dump Dirty Dairy!',
                  'url' => 'tell-tillamook-to-dump-dirty-dairy',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '56',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => 'http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/actions/5745/be-the-truth-tillamook-say-goodbye-to-mega-dairies',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                8 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '443',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '307',
                  'name1' => 'State Legislative Map',
                  'url' => 'state-legislative-map',
                  'visible' => '0',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '60',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => 'http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/1881/p/salsa/web/common/public/content?content_item_KEY=14020',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                9 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '392',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '307',
                  'name1' => 'Animal Factories Map',
                  'url' => 'animal-factories-map',
                  'visible' => '0',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '63',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
              ),
              'checkbox' => 
              array (
                0 => '1',
                1 => '0',
                2 => '1',
              ),
              'url' => '/issues/307/animal-factories',
            ),
          ),
          2 => 
          array (
            'custom' => 
            array (
              0 => '',
            ),
            'page_id' => '308',
            'basic' => 
            array (
              'page_id' => '308',
              'root_url' => 'issues',
              'root' => 'Issues',
              'text' => 
              array (
                0 => 'Food Safety',
                1 => '',
                2 => 'Food Safety',
                3 => 'From:CFSTrueFood+#foodsafety',
              ),
              'rich' => 
              array (
                0 => '<p>According to federal data, each year, one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. These figures are likely to be far higher, as most food illnesses go unreported. The most five common pathogens causing foodborne illnesses resulting in hospitalizations are: salmonella, norovirus, Campylobacter, toxoplasma gondii, and E. coli 0157.</p>
<p>Almost every week brings more news of food contamination or foodborne illness outbreak. What’s going on? Our industrialized food system is the root cause of many of these outbreaks.</p>
<p>Industrialization of the food supply</p>
<p>One likely cause is overcrowded conditions on factory farms, where animals get sick and pass the disease on to other animals. Another factor is our wide distribution system, in which contaminated food is transported across the nation. Also, we are increasingly relying on imported foods with unknown safety standards. (For example, 60 percent of our seafood is imported.) Adding to this perfect storm is government deregulation and inadequate funding for inspections and oversight.</p>
<p>Another critical food safety problem is the thousands of chemical additives Americans consume every day. Thanks to industry influence over the approval process, the long-term safety risks for most of these substances are unknown.</p>
<p>For example, for years science has pointed to chemical food dyes as a significant contributor to child behavioral problems. And yet the federal government still denies this connection. In addition, we’ve seen a huge increase in food allergies in children in recent years, but without much explanation of the causes. Clearly, more research is needed into how the industrialized food supply may be impacting our health in ways that are less obvious than foodborne illness.</p>
<p>Political influence</p>
<p>Nothing about food safety takes place in a political vacuum. For decades, the food industry has lobbied to ensure the status quo. And when we finally do get a rare policy victory, such as the passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act (passed in 2010), the game switches to “starving the beast” – limiting the funds for government to adequately carry out the legislative intent.</p>
<p>Powerful trade groups such as the American Meat Institute lobby against common sense policy improvements, such as expanding required testing for deadly bacteria in ground beef. Another important political factor is international trade. Other nations get upset when theU.S.government demands higher scrutiny of imports. In addition, the Food and Drug Administration, despite having jurisdiction over most of the food supply, is constantly under-funded, limiting inspection and enforcement actions; again, thanks to powerful lobbyists who like it that way.</p>
<p>What can we do about it?</p>
<p>President Obama has pledged a complete overhaul of our food system. The Center for Food Safety believes this will require elevating food safety within government to be a cabinet level agency. The mission of this new food agency must be to evaluate how best to regulate food production to prevent the greatest food safety hazards caused by large industrial agriculture and processed foods and while also protecting and supporting smaller, family, and diversified farms. But such an overhaul can only be successful by removing politics from food safety.</p>
<p>Additional Food Safety Resources</p>
<p><a href="http://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/cdc-and-food-safety.html" target="_blank">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.fsis.usda.gov/" target="_blank">United States Department of Agriculture</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.fda.gov/food/foodsafety/default.htm" target="_blank">Food and Drug Administration</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.foodsafety.gov/" target="_blank">FoodSafety.gov</a></p>',
              ),
              'lead_img' => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
              'gallery' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
                  1 => 'NEW REPORT: TPP Serves Up an Unsavory Dinner',
                  2 => '<p>If you’ve been listening to or reading the news at any point over the past year, it’s likely that you’ve heard about the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP. While the term may be familiar, the connection between TPP and what you find on your dinner plate may not be.</p>',
                  3 => 'http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/reports/4573/tpp-serves-up-an-unsavory-dinner',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'oilandwater_thinkbeforeyoupink_hero2_14465.jpg',
                  1 => 'Tell Bee Sweet Citrus and Wonderful Company to Stop Watering Our Food with Oil Wastewater!',
                  2 => '<p>The use of oil wastewater for food irrigation is an urgent public health issue because of the potentially hazardous chemicals associated with all oil extraction processes – including toxic chemicals linked to cancer. Tell Wonderful Company and Bee Sweet Citrus to stop watering our food with toxic oil wastewater!</p>',
                  3 => 'http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/1881/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=19536',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'istock_000009992043small_78906.jpg',
                  1 => 'Court Victory: Consumers Have a Right to Know About Their Food',
                  2 => '<p>The Washington D.C. Court of Appeals upheld the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) rule which requires information about where meat is raised and slaughtered. USDA drafted COOL rules in 2009 and finalized them in 2013.</p>',
                  3 => 'http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/3404/court-victory-consumers-have-a-right-to-know-about-their-food',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
              ),
              'images' => 
              array (
                0 => 'foodsafety_48189.png',
                1 => '',
                2 => 'foodsafety_68552.png',
                3 => '',
              ),
              'group' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '94',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '48',
                  'sub_group' => '0',
                  'name1' => 'Food Safety',
                  'url' => 'food-safety',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'order' => '4',
                ),
              ),
              'color' => 
              array (
                0 => '#f79676',
                1 => 'Food Safety Mauve',
              ),
              'section' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '219',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Food Safety & Food Recalls',
                  'url' => 'food-safety-and-food-recalls',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '158',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '329',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Industrialization of the Food Supply',
                  'url' => 'industrialization-of-the-food-supply',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '159',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '330',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Political Influence',
                  'url' => 'political-influence',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '160',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
              ),
              'checkbox' => 
              array (
                0 => '1',
                1 => '0',
                2 => '1',
              ),
              'url' => '/issues/308/food-safety',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'rich' => 
        array (
          0 => '<p>WASHINGTON—It has been <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/brazil-investigating-two-suspected-cases-mad-cow-disease-humans-2021-11-11/">reported</a> by Reuters and other international media outlets that Brazil is experiencing an outbreak of mad cow disease. In September, Brazil confirmed two cases of what it called "atypical" mad cow disease in animals, triggering a suspension of beef exports to China. According to <a href="https://www.politico.com/newsletters/weekly-agriculture/2021/12/06/bidens-missing-usda-appointees-799281?tab=most-read">Politico</a>, Brazil waited months before notifying the U.S. and other trade partners. It is uncertain whether these cases are spontaneous cases that are isolated or if they are the result of feeding practices employed by Brazilian feedlots.</p>
<p><strong>The following is a statement from Jaydee Hanson, policy director at Center for Food Safety:</strong></p>
<p>"Given the history of corruption in the Brazilian meat industry, the U.S. Department of Agriculture should send veterinarians to Brazil to review the feed practices of each of the beef operations where animals with mad cow disease were found. The veterinarians should watch for ground animal proteins being added to the cows\' feed. Until there is a report from the team that confirms no likelihood of any future mad cow disease on these farms, the U.S. should ban Brazilian beef imports. Afterwards, no Brazilian beef should be processed and packed in U.S. facilities and no Brazilian beef should be allowed to be added to ground meat in the U.S. Finally, as a precautionary health measure, the U.S. should require that in the future, Brazilian beef be labeled as coming from Brazil so that consumers can decide if they want to buy it."</p>',
        ),
        'file' => 
        array (
          0 => '',
          1 => '',
        ),
        'link' => 
        array (
          0 => '',
          1 => '',
        ),
        'lead_img' => 'brazilian-beef-feedlots-mad-cow-disease-food-safety-center-import-ban-china-meat-industry_27323.jpg',
        'gallery' => 
        array (
          0 => 
          array (
            0 => 'brazilian-beef-feedlots-mad-cow-disease-food-safety-center-import-ban-china-meat-industry_27323.jpg',
            1 => '',
            2 => '',
            3 => '',
            4 => '',
            5 => '',
            6 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'group' => 
        array (
          0 => 
          array (
            'id' => '110',
            'PARENT_ID' => '0',
            'sub_group' => '0',
            'name1' => 'Press Releases Categories',
            'url' => 'press-releases-categories',
            'visible' => '1',
            'order' => '5',
          ),
          1 => 
          array (
            'id' => '110',
            'PARENT_ID' => '0',
            'sub_group' => '0',
            'name1' => 'Press Releases Categories',
            'url' => 'press-releases-categories',
            'visible' => '1',
            'order' => '5',
          ),
          2 => 
          array (
            'id' => '118',
            'PARENT_ID' => '110',
            'sub_group' => '0',
            'name1' => 'Food Safety',
            'url' => 'food-safety',
            'visible' => '1',
            'order' => '12',
          ),
          3 => 
          array (
            'id' => '122',
            'PARENT_ID' => '110',
            'sub_group' => '0',
            'name1' => 'Factory Farming',
            'url' => 'factory-farming',
            'visible' => '1',
            'order' => '16',
          ),
        ),
        'url' => '/press-releases/6525/center-for-food-safety-calls-for-ban-on-brazilian-beef-imports-due-to-mad-cow-disease',
      ),
      'bid' => 
      array (
        'page_link' => '/press-releases/6525/center-for-food-safety-calls-for-ban-on-brazilian-beef-imports-due-to-mad-cow-disease',
        'bitly' => '6cg',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'lead_img' => 'brazilian-beef-feedlots-mad-cow-disease-food-safety-center-import-ban-china-meat-industry_27323.jpg',
        'rich_snippet' => '<p>WASHINGTON—It has been <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/brazil-investigating-two-suspected-cases-mad-cow-disease-humans-2021-11-11/">reported</a> by Reuters and other international media outlets that Brazil is experiencing.',
        'page' => 
        array (
          'id' => '6525',
          'SECTION_ID' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '0',
          'BLOCK_ID' => '0',
          'order' => '1',
          'visible' => '1',
          'feature' => '0',
          'hide' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Center for Food Safety Calls for Ban on Brazilian Beef Imports Due to Mad Cow Disease',
          'url' => 'center-for-food-safety-calls-for-ban-on-brazilian-beef-imports-due-to-mad-cow-disease',
          'bitly' => '6cg',
          'lead_img' => 'brazilian-beef-feedlots-mad-cow-disease-food-safety-center-import-ban-china-meat-industry_27323.jpg',
          'meta_title' => 'Center for Food Safety Calls for Ban on Brazilian Beef Imports Due to Mad Cow Disease',
          'meta_desc' => 'In September, Brazil confirmed two cases of what it called atypical mad cow disease in animals, triggering a suspension of beef exports to China.',
          'meta_img' => 'brazilian-beef-feedlots-mad-cow-disease-food-safety-center-import-ban-china-meat-industry_27312.jpg',
          'meta_json' => '',
          'update_meta_title' => '0',
          'update_meta_desc' => '0',
          'update_meta_img' => '1',
          'update_meta_json' => '0',
          'start_time' => '0',
          'end_time' => '0',
        ),
        'section' => 
        array (
          'id' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '486',
          'PAGE_ID' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Press Releases',
          'url' => 'press-releases',
          'hide' => '0',
          'order' => '1',
        ),
        'bid_380' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Title',
          'block_type' => 'Plain Text',
          'block_alias' => 'title',
          'post_id' => '66056',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 'Center for Food Safety Calls for Ban on Brazilian Beef Imports Due to Mad Cow Disease',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5959' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Subtitle',
          'block_type' => 'Plain Text',
          'block_alias' => 'subtitle',
          'post_id' => '66057',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5957' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Show Hero Image',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'hide_hero',
          'post_id' => '66058',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_381' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Date',
          'block_type' => 'Date',
          'block_alias' => 'date',
          'post_id' => '66059',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '2021-12-06',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_2294' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel1',
          'post_id' => '66060',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'custom_title' => '',
              'page_id' => '1040',
              'name1' => 'Mad Cow Disease',
              'section_name1' => 'Issues',
              'page_link' => '/issues/1040/mad-cow-disease',
              'lead_img' => 'istock_000004774254small_85256.jpg',
              'rich_snippet' => '<p>Formally known as Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), “Mad Cow Disease” is a persistent food safety concern in the U.S. and abroad.  BSE occurs when cattle are fed rendered meat products made from other dead, disabled or diseased cattle or sheep a.',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_3612' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue 2',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel2',
          'post_id' => '66061',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'custom_title' => '',
              'page_id' => '307',
              'name1' => 'Animal Factories',
              'section_name1' => 'Issues',
              'page_link' => '/issues/307/animal-factories',
              'lead_img' => 'chainreaction2socialpromoweb_90391.jpg',
              'rich_snippet' => '<p>In the last few decades, consolidation of food production has concentrated power in the hands of fewer and fewer corporations.  Many of today’s farms are actually large industrial facilities, not family farms with green pastures and red barns that most .',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_3613' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue 3',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel3',
          'post_id' => '66062',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'custom_title' => '',
              'page_id' => '308',
              'name1' => 'Food Safety',
              'section_name1' => 'Issues',
              'page_link' => '/issues/308/food-safety',
              'lead_img' => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
              'rich_snippet' => '<p>According to federal data, each year, one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. These figures are likely to be far higher, as most food illnesses go unreported. The most five common pathogens causing foodborne i.',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_382' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Description',
          'block_type' => 'Rich Text',
          'block_alias' => 'desc',
          'post_id' => '66063',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '<p>WASHINGTON—It has been <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/brazil-investigating-two-suspected-cases-mad-cow-disease-humans-2021-11-11/">reported</a> by Reuters and other international media outlets that Brazil is experiencing an outbreak of mad cow disease. In September, Brazil confirmed two cases of what it called "atypical" mad cow disease in animals, triggering a suspension of beef exports to China. According to <a href="https://www.politico.com/newsletters/weekly-agriculture/2021/12/06/bidens-missing-usda-appointees-799281?tab=most-read">Politico</a>, Brazil waited months before notifying the U.S. and other trade partners. It is uncertain whether these cases are spontaneous cases that are isolated or if they are the result of feeding practices employed by Brazilian feedlots.</p>
<p><strong>The following is a statement from Jaydee Hanson, policy director at Center for Food Safety:</strong></p>
<p>"Given the history of corruption in the Brazilian meat industry, the U.S. Department of Agriculture should send veterinarians to Brazil to review the feed practices of each of the beef operations where animals with mad cow disease were found. The veterinarians should watch for ground animal proteins being added to the cows\' feed. Until there is a report from the team that confirms no likelihood of any future mad cow disease on these farms, the U.S. should ban Brazilian beef imports. Afterwards, no Brazilian beef should be processed and packed in U.S. facilities and no Brazilian beef should be allowed to be added to ground meat in the U.S. Finally, as a precautionary health measure, the U.S. should require that in the future, Brazilian beef be labeled as coming from Brazil so that consumers can decide if they want to buy it."</p>',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_383' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'PDF File',
          'block_type' => 'File',
          'block_alias' => 'pdf',
          'post_id' => '66064',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_1168' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'CFS Link',
          'block_type' => 'Link',
          'block_alias' => 'link',
          'post_id' => '66065',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_1169' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Image Gallery',
          'block_type' => 'Image Gallery',
          'block_alias' => 'images',
          'post_id' => '66074',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              0 => 'brazilian-beef-feedlots-mad-cow-disease-food-safety-center-import-ban-china-meat-industry_27323.jpg',
              1 => '',
              2 => '',
              3 => '',
              4 => '',
              5 => '',
              6 => 'Center for Food Safety Calls for Ban on Brazilian Beef Imports Due to Mad Cow Disease',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_2291' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Category',
          'block_type' => 'Grouping',
          'block_alias' => 'cat',
          'post_id' => '66067',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'id' => '118',
              'PARENT_ID' => '110',
              'sub_group' => '0',
              'name1' => 'Food Safety',
              'url' => 'food-safety',
              'visible' => '1',
              'order' => '12',
            ),
            1 => 
            array (
              'id' => '122',
              'PARENT_ID' => '110',
              'sub_group' => '0',
              'name1' => 'Factory Farming',
              'url' => 'factory-farming',
              'visible' => '1',
              'order' => '16',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4805' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Tweets',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'tweets',
          'post_id' => '66068',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4806' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Quotes',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'quotes',
          'post_id' => '66069',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4807' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Join CFS',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'join',
          'post_id' => '66070',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5592' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Hide',
          'block_type' => 'Hide - In \'page\' table',
          'block_alias' => '',
          'post_id' => '66071',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5835' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Scheduler',
          'block_type' => 'Schedule',
          'block_alias' => 'scheduler',
          'post_id' => '66072',
          'content' => 
          array (
            'id' => '383',
            'PAGE_ID' => '6525',
            'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
            'set_time' => '0',
            'start_time_hour' => 'NA',
            'start_time_minute' => '00',
            'start_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'end_time_hour' => 'NA',
            'end_time_minute' => '00',
            'end_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'start_month' => '12',
            'start_day' => '06',
            'start_year' => '2021',
            'end_month' => '12',
            'end_day' => '06',
            'end_year' => '2021',
            'occurs' => 'once',
            'repeat_every_int' => '1',
            'repeat_every_period' => 'year',
            'repeat_stop_after' => '1',
            'float_period' => 'first',
            'float_day_o_w' => 'sunday',
            'float_repeat_every_x_mo' => '1',
            'float_stop_after' => '1',
            'events' => 
            array (
              0 => 
              array (
                'id' => '3525',
                'SCHEDULE_ID' => '383',
                'PAGE_ID' => '6525',
                'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
                'date_start' => '2021-12-06 00:00:00',
                'date_end' => '2021-12-06 00:00:00',
                'has_start_time' => '0',
                'has_end_time' => '0',
                'occurs' => 'once',
                'start' => 'Monday, December 6, 2021',
                'end' => '',
              ),
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5955' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Unique Url',
          'block_type' => 'Unique Root URL',
          'block_alias' => 'unique_url',
          'post_id' => '66073',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
          ),
        ),
      ),
      'alias' => 
      array (
        'page_link' => '/press-releases/6525/center-for-food-safety-calls-for-ban-on-brazilian-beef-imports-due-to-mad-cow-disease',
        'bitly' => '6cg',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'lead_img' => 'brazilian-beef-feedlots-mad-cow-disease-food-safety-center-import-ban-china-meat-industry_27323.jpg',
        'rich_snippet' => '<p>WASHINGTON—It has been <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/brazil-investigating-two-suspected-cases-mad-cow-disease-humans-2021-11-11/">reported</a> by Reuters and other international media outlets that Brazil is experiencing.',
        'page' => 
        array (
          'id' => '6525',
          'SECTION_ID' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '0',
          'BLOCK_ID' => '0',
          'order' => '1',
          'visible' => '1',
          'feature' => '0',
          'hide' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Center for Food Safety Calls for Ban on Brazilian Beef Imports Due to Mad Cow Disease',
          'url' => 'center-for-food-safety-calls-for-ban-on-brazilian-beef-imports-due-to-mad-cow-disease',
          'bitly' => '6cg',
          'lead_img' => 'brazilian-beef-feedlots-mad-cow-disease-food-safety-center-import-ban-china-meat-industry_27323.jpg',
          'meta_title' => 'Center for Food Safety Calls for Ban on Brazilian Beef Imports Due to Mad Cow Disease',
          'meta_desc' => 'In September, Brazil confirmed two cases of what it called atypical mad cow disease in animals, triggering a suspension of beef exports to China.',
          'meta_img' => 'brazilian-beef-feedlots-mad-cow-disease-food-safety-center-import-ban-china-meat-industry_27312.jpg',
          'meta_json' => '',
          'update_meta_title' => '0',
          'update_meta_desc' => '0',
          'update_meta_img' => '1',
          'update_meta_json' => '0',
          'start_time' => '0',
          'end_time' => '0',
        ),
        'section' => 
        array (
          'id' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '486',
          'PAGE_ID' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Press Releases',
          'url' => 'press-releases',
          'hide' => '0',
          'order' => '1',
        ),
        'bid_5592' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Hide',
          'block_type' => 'Hide - In \'page\' table',
          'block_alias' => '',
          'post_id' => '66071',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'alias' => 
        array (
          'title' => 'Center for Food Safety Calls for Ban on Brazilian Beef Imports Due to Mad Cow Disease',
          'subtitle' => '',
          'hide_hero' => '0',
          'date' => '2021-12-06',
          'rel1' => 
          array (
            'custom_title' => '',
            'page_id' => '1040',
            'name1' => 'Mad Cow Disease',
            'section_name1' => 'Issues',
            'page_link' => '/issues/1040/mad-cow-disease',
            'lead_img' => 'istock_000004774254small_85256.jpg',
            'rich_snippet' => '<p>Formally known as Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), “Mad Cow Disease” is a persistent food safety concern in the U.S. and abroad.  BSE occurs when cattle are fed rendered meat products made from other dead, disabled or diseased cattle or sheep a.',
          ),
          'rel2' => 
          array (
            'custom_title' => '',
            'page_id' => '307',
            'name1' => 'Animal Factories',
            'section_name1' => 'Issues',
            'page_link' => '/issues/307/animal-factories',
            'lead_img' => 'chainreaction2socialpromoweb_90391.jpg',
            'rich_snippet' => '<p>In the last few decades, consolidation of food production has concentrated power in the hands of fewer and fewer corporations.  Many of today’s farms are actually large industrial facilities, not family farms with green pastures and red barns that most .',
          ),
          'rel3' => 
          array (
            'custom_title' => '',
            'page_id' => '308',
            'name1' => 'Food Safety',
            'section_name1' => 'Issues',
            'page_link' => '/issues/308/food-safety',
            'lead_img' => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
            'rich_snippet' => '<p>According to federal data, each year, one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. These figures are likely to be far higher, as most food illnesses go unreported. The most five common pathogens causing foodborne i.',
          ),
          'desc' => '<p>WASHINGTON—It has been <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/brazil-investigating-two-suspected-cases-mad-cow-disease-humans-2021-11-11/">reported</a> by Reuters and other international media outlets that Brazil is experiencing an outbreak of mad cow disease. In September, Brazil confirmed two cases of what it called "atypical" mad cow disease in animals, triggering a suspension of beef exports to China. According to <a href="https://www.politico.com/newsletters/weekly-agriculture/2021/12/06/bidens-missing-usda-appointees-799281?tab=most-read">Politico</a>, Brazil waited months before notifying the U.S. and other trade partners. It is uncertain whether these cases are spontaneous cases that are isolated or if they are the result of feeding practices employed by Brazilian feedlots.</p>
<p><strong>The following is a statement from Jaydee Hanson, policy director at Center for Food Safety:</strong></p>
<p>"Given the history of corruption in the Brazilian meat industry, the U.S. Department of Agriculture should send veterinarians to Brazil to review the feed practices of each of the beef operations where animals with mad cow disease were found. The veterinarians should watch for ground animal proteins being added to the cows\' feed. Until there is a report from the team that confirms no likelihood of any future mad cow disease on these farms, the U.S. should ban Brazilian beef imports. Afterwards, no Brazilian beef should be processed and packed in U.S. facilities and no Brazilian beef should be allowed to be added to ground meat in the U.S. Finally, as a precautionary health measure, the U.S. should require that in the future, Brazilian beef be labeled as coming from Brazil so that consumers can decide if they want to buy it."</p>',
          'pdf' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
          'link' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
          'images' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              0 => 'brazilian-beef-feedlots-mad-cow-disease-food-safety-center-import-ban-china-meat-industry_27323.jpg',
              1 => '',
              2 => '',
              3 => '',
              4 => '',
              5 => '',
              6 => 'Center for Food Safety Calls for Ban on Brazilian Beef Imports Due to Mad Cow Disease',
              7 => 1000,
              8 => 562,
            ),
          ),
          'cat' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'id' => '118',
              'PARENT_ID' => '110',
              'sub_group' => '0',
              'name1' => 'Food Safety',
              'url' => 'food-safety',
              'visible' => '1',
              'order' => '12',
            ),
            1 => 
            array (
              'id' => '122',
              'PARENT_ID' => '110',
              'sub_group' => '0',
              'name1' => 'Factory Farming',
              'url' => 'factory-farming',
              'visible' => '1',
              'order' => '16',
            ),
          ),
          'tweets' => '0',
          'quotes' => '0',
          'join' => '0',
          'scheduler' => 
          array (
            'id' => '383',
            'PAGE_ID' => '6525',
            'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
            'set_time' => '0',
            'start_time_hour' => 'NA',
            'start_time_minute' => '00',
            'start_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'end_time_hour' => 'NA',
            'end_time_minute' => '00',
            'end_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'start_month' => '12',
            'start_day' => '06',
            'start_year' => '2021',
            'end_month' => '12',
            'end_day' => '06',
            'end_year' => '2021',
            'occurs' => 'once',
            'repeat_every_int' => '1',
            'repeat_every_period' => 'year',
            'repeat_stop_after' => '1',
            'float_period' => 'first',
            'float_day_o_w' => 'sunday',
            'float_repeat_every_x_mo' => '1',
            'float_stop_after' => '1',
            'events' => 
            array (
              0 => 
              array (
                'id' => '3525',
                'SCHEDULE_ID' => '383',
                'PAGE_ID' => '6525',
                'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
                'date_start' => '2021-12-06 00:00:00',
                'date_end' => '2021-12-06 00:00:00',
                'has_start_time' => '0',
                'has_end_time' => '0',
                'occurs' => 'once',
                'start' => 'Monday, December 6, 2021',
                'end' => '',
              ),
            ),
          ),
          'unique_url' => '',
        ),
      ),
    ),
  ),
  2 => 
  array (
    'id' => '6524',
    'SECTION_ID' => '129',
    'PARENT_ID' => '0',
    'BLOCK_ID' => '0',
    'order' => '15',
    'visible' => '1',
    'feature' => '0',
    'hide' => '0',
    'name1' => 'Food Safety Advocates Call for Regulation and Transparent Labeling of Cell-Cultured Lab \'Meats\'',
    'url' => 'food-safety-advocates-call-for-regulation-and-transparent-labeling-of-cell-cultured-lab-meats',
    'bitly' => '6cf',
    'lead_img' => 'cell-cultured-meat-usda-fsis-safety-lab-meat_91198.jpg',
    'meta_title' => 'Food Safety Advocates Call for Regulation and Transparent Labeling of Cell-Cultured Lab \'Meats\'',
    'meta_desc' => '"USDA must ensure that the labels used on these products distinguish the cell-derived imitations from real meat and poultry. USDA should use a label like \'s',
    'meta_img' => 'cell-cultured-meat-usda-fsis-safety-lab-meat_91185.jpg',
    'meta_json' => '',
    'update_meta_title' => '0',
    'update_meta_desc' => '0',
    'update_meta_img' => '1',
    'update_meta_json' => '0',
    'start_time' => '0',
    'end_time' => '0',
    'content' => 
    array (
      'typ' => 
      array (
        'page_id' => '6524',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'text' => 
        array (
          0 => 'Food Safety Advocates Call for Regulation and Transparent Labeling of Cell-Cultured Lab \'Meats\'',
          1 => '',
          2 => '',
        ),
        'checkbox' => 
        array (
          0 => '0',
          1 => '0',
          2 => '0',
          3 => '0',
        ),
        'date' => 
        array (
          0 => '2021-12-03',
        ),
        'relation' => 
        array (
          0 => 
          array (
            'custom' => 
            array (
              0 => '',
            ),
            'page_id' => '308',
            'basic' => 
            array (
              'page_id' => '308',
              'root_url' => 'issues',
              'root' => 'Issues',
              'text' => 
              array (
                0 => 'Food Safety',
                1 => '',
                2 => 'Food Safety',
                3 => 'From:CFSTrueFood+#foodsafety',
              ),
              'rich' => 
              array (
                0 => '<p>According to federal data, each year, one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. These figures are likely to be far higher, as most food illnesses go unreported. The most five common pathogens causing foodborne illnesses resulting in hospitalizations are: salmonella, norovirus, Campylobacter, toxoplasma gondii, and E. coli 0157.</p>
<p>Almost every week brings more news of food contamination or foodborne illness outbreak. What’s going on? Our industrialized food system is the root cause of many of these outbreaks.</p>
<p>Industrialization of the food supply</p>
<p>One likely cause is overcrowded conditions on factory farms, where animals get sick and pass the disease on to other animals. Another factor is our wide distribution system, in which contaminated food is transported across the nation. Also, we are increasingly relying on imported foods with unknown safety standards. (For example, 60 percent of our seafood is imported.) Adding to this perfect storm is government deregulation and inadequate funding for inspections and oversight.</p>
<p>Another critical food safety problem is the thousands of chemical additives Americans consume every day. Thanks to industry influence over the approval process, the long-term safety risks for most of these substances are unknown.</p>
<p>For example, for years science has pointed to chemical food dyes as a significant contributor to child behavioral problems. And yet the federal government still denies this connection. In addition, we’ve seen a huge increase in food allergies in children in recent years, but without much explanation of the causes. Clearly, more research is needed into how the industrialized food supply may be impacting our health in ways that are less obvious than foodborne illness.</p>
<p>Political influence</p>
<p>Nothing about food safety takes place in a political vacuum. For decades, the food industry has lobbied to ensure the status quo. And when we finally do get a rare policy victory, such as the passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act (passed in 2010), the game switches to “starving the beast” – limiting the funds for government to adequately carry out the legislative intent.</p>
<p>Powerful trade groups such as the American Meat Institute lobby against common sense policy improvements, such as expanding required testing for deadly bacteria in ground beef. Another important political factor is international trade. Other nations get upset when theU.S.government demands higher scrutiny of imports. In addition, the Food and Drug Administration, despite having jurisdiction over most of the food supply, is constantly under-funded, limiting inspection and enforcement actions; again, thanks to powerful lobbyists who like it that way.</p>
<p>What can we do about it?</p>
<p>President Obama has pledged a complete overhaul of our food system. The Center for Food Safety believes this will require elevating food safety within government to be a cabinet level agency. The mission of this new food agency must be to evaluate how best to regulate food production to prevent the greatest food safety hazards caused by large industrial agriculture and processed foods and while also protecting and supporting smaller, family, and diversified farms. But such an overhaul can only be successful by removing politics from food safety.</p>
<p>Additional Food Safety Resources</p>
<p><a href="http://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/cdc-and-food-safety.html" target="_blank">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.fsis.usda.gov/" target="_blank">United States Department of Agriculture</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.fda.gov/food/foodsafety/default.htm" target="_blank">Food and Drug Administration</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.foodsafety.gov/" target="_blank">FoodSafety.gov</a></p>',
              ),
              'lead_img' => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
              'gallery' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
                  1 => 'NEW REPORT: TPP Serves Up an Unsavory Dinner',
                  2 => '<p>If you’ve been listening to or reading the news at any point over the past year, it’s likely that you’ve heard about the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP. While the term may be familiar, the connection between TPP and what you find on your dinner plate may not be.</p>',
                  3 => 'http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/reports/4573/tpp-serves-up-an-unsavory-dinner',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'oilandwater_thinkbeforeyoupink_hero2_14465.jpg',
                  1 => 'Tell Bee Sweet Citrus and Wonderful Company to Stop Watering Our Food with Oil Wastewater!',
                  2 => '<p>The use of oil wastewater for food irrigation is an urgent public health issue because of the potentially hazardous chemicals associated with all oil extraction processes – including toxic chemicals linked to cancer. Tell Wonderful Company and Bee Sweet Citrus to stop watering our food with toxic oil wastewater!</p>',
                  3 => 'http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/1881/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=19536',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'istock_000009992043small_78906.jpg',
                  1 => 'Court Victory: Consumers Have a Right to Know About Their Food',
                  2 => '<p>The Washington D.C. Court of Appeals upheld the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) rule which requires information about where meat is raised and slaughtered. USDA drafted COOL rules in 2009 and finalized them in 2013.</p>',
                  3 => 'http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/3404/court-victory-consumers-have-a-right-to-know-about-their-food',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
              ),
              'images' => 
              array (
                0 => 'foodsafety_48189.png',
                1 => '',
                2 => 'foodsafety_68552.png',
                3 => '',
              ),
              'group' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '94',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '48',
                  'sub_group' => '0',
                  'name1' => 'Food Safety',
                  'url' => 'food-safety',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'order' => '4',
                ),
              ),
              'color' => 
              array (
                0 => '#f79676',
                1 => 'Food Safety Mauve',
              ),
              'section' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '219',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Food Safety & Food Recalls',
                  'url' => 'food-safety-and-food-recalls',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '158',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '329',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Industrialization of the Food Supply',
                  'url' => 'industrialization-of-the-food-supply',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '159',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '330',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Political Influence',
                  'url' => 'political-influence',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '160',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
              ),
              'checkbox' => 
              array (
                0 => '1',
                1 => '0',
                2 => '1',
              ),
              'url' => '/issues/308/food-safety',
            ),
          ),
          1 => 
          array (
            'custom' => 
            array (
              0 => '',
            ),
            'page_id' => '6351',
            'basic' => 
            array (
              'page_id' => '6351',
              'root_url' => 'media',
              'root' => 'Media',
              'text' => 
              array (
                0 => 'Appeals Court Ruling Allows Novel Genetically Engineered Soy Leghemoglobin in Impossible Burgers',
                1 => '',
                2 => '',
              ),
              'checkbox' => 
              array (
                0 => '1',
                1 => '0',
                2 => '0',
                3 => '0',
              ),
              'date' => 
              array (
                0 => '2021-05-03',
              ),
              'relation' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'custom' => 
                  array (
                    0 => '',
                  ),
                  'page_id' => '311',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  'custom' => 
                  array (
                    0 => '',
                  ),
                  'page_id' => '976',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  'custom' => 
                  array (
                    0 => '',
                  ),
                  'page_id' => '308',
                ),
              ),
              'rich' => 
              array (
                0 => '<p>SAN FRANCISCO—Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued a decision in Center for Food Safety\'s (CFS) lawsuit challenging the Food and Drug Administration\'s (FDA) approval of soy leghemoglobin (a.k.a. "heme"), the novel genetically engineered (GE) color additive that makes Impossible Foods\' eponymous plant-based burger, the Impossible Burger, appear to "bleed" like real meat. In an unpublished opinion, the court ruled that concerned consumers have the right to challenge FDA\'s determination, but affirmed the FDA\'s approval of the novel color additive, even though preliminary animal lab data submitted by Impossible Foods indicated potential health risks including blood clot issues, anemia, and kidney damage.  </p>
<p><strong>In response to the appeals court\'s decision, Center for Food Safety\'s senior attorney Sylvia Wu issued the following statement: </strong></p>
<p>"We are disappointed by the court\'s ruling today, which will allow Impossible Burger and other meatless burgers to be made with a novel genetically engineered chemical without conducting any long-term health studies. FDA is supposed to protect consumers from unsafe novel chemicals in our food supply, instead now consumers bear the burden of avoiding these GMO plant-based burgers."   </p>
<hr />
<p style="text-align: center;">BACKGROUND: </p>
<p>CFS originally <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/5961/center-for-food-safety-filed-lawsuit-against-fda-challenging-decision-to-approve-genetically-engineered-soy-protein-found-in-the-impossible-burger" target="_blank">filed the lawsuit</a> in March 2020; oral arguments in the case <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/5961/center-for-food-safety-filed-lawsuit-against-fda-challenging-decision-to-approve-genetically-engineered-soy-protein-found-in-the-impossible-burger" target="_blank">were presented</a> last month. CFS argued that FDA used a lower safety standard when it approved GE heme to be used in raw Impossible Burgers sold in grocery stores. Instead of using the color additive safety standard that specifies "convincing evidence that establishes with reasonable certainty that no harm will result from the intended use of the color additive," FDA conflated that standard with the food additive safety standard, which does not specify that there must be "convincing evidence."  </p>
<p>CFS also argued that FDA approved GE heme without the animal lab study on longer-term health effects called for by FDA\'s own testing guidelines. Today\'s ruling cements FDA\'s food additive approval, allowing Impossible Foods and other plant-based meat companies to use GE heme for no other purposes other than make their burgers more marketable. Despite avidly supporting plant-based diets, CFS urges consumers to avoid eating these GMO plant-based burgers.   <br /> </p>',
              ),
              'file' => 
              array (
                0 => '',
                1 => '',
              ),
              'link' => 
              array (
                0 => '',
                1 => '',
              ),
              'lead_img' => 'impossible_burger_at_hells_kitchen_minneapolis_-_vegan_meat_41303643735_57009_71960.jpg',
              'gallery' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'impossible_burger_at_hells_kitchen_minneapolis_-_vegan_meat_41303643735_57009_71960.jpg',
                  1 => '',
                  2 => '',
                  3 => '',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
              ),
              'url' => '/press-releases/6351/appeals-court-ruling-allows-novel-genetically-engineered-soy-leghemoglobin-in-impossible-burgers',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'rich' => 
        array (
          0 => '<p>WASHINGTON—Yesterday, Center for Food Safety (CFS) and Food and Water Watch <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/cfs-comments-on-labeling-of-synthetic-cell-cultured-meat-and-poultry-products_90637.pdf" target="_blank">submitted comments</a> to U.S Department of Agriculture\'s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), urging the agency to regulate and clearly label novel genetically engineered cell-cultured meat ("lab meat") products. On behalf of its citizen advocacy community, CFS also submitted over 6,000 public comments to the USDA <a href="http://www.regulations.gov/document/FSIS-2020-0036-0001">docket</a> that closed yesterday, highlighting consumer concerns around cell-cultured meats\' safety and labeling.</p>
<p>"Cell-cultured meats are imitation foods synthesized from animal cells, not meat or poultry that consumers know,"<strong> said Jaydee Hanson, policy director at CFS.</strong> "USDA must ensure that the labels used on these products distinguish the cell-derived imitations from real meat and poultry. USDA should use a label like \'synthetic protein product made from beef cells.\' We don\'t allow artificial vanilla to be called vanilla, but rather call it synthetic vanilla. A similar naming is called for here to avoid confusion."</p>
<p>Cell-cultured, or lab-grown, meat is produced via synthetic biological processes wherein animal cells are extracted and subsequently "fed" fetal bovine serum (the blood of calf fetuses, minus the blood cells) or chemical mixes as they grow in bioreactors. While this method sounds similar to other forms of fermentation, there are marked differences. Unlike conventional meat products, cell-cultured meat is often produced via genetically engineered cell lines that permit cells to grow exponentially. Further, the fetal bovine serum is extracted via inhumane methods.</p>
<p>Most importantly, a host of unanswered safety questions remain. Unlike a live animal, animal cells do not have immune systems to protect from pathogens. Animal cell cultures are frequently infected with bacteria, fungi, and mycoplasma, which along with antibiotics and fungicides added to kill them could end up in the fake meat products. Growth hormones and other potent biochemicals in the bioreactor stew are also a concern, and novel ingredients that are genetically engineered could pose the risks of food allergies.  </p>
<p>"Antibiotics and anti-fungal drugs will be unavoidable if cell-cultured meat facilities scale up to any size, and this can only worsen the resistance epidemic that is rendering these life-saving medications useless for ever more people," <strong>said Bill Freese, science director at CFS.</strong> "The health effects of growth hormone residues and other cell-culture additives in fake meat is also a concern, particularly if they\'re genetically engineered," he added.   </p>
<p>USDA\'s FSIS is required to regulate the labeling of all meat and poultry products under its authority to ensure products are not misbranded. Consumers are already confused by various food label claims, such as "natural" or "sustainable," on slaughtered meat and poultry products. These labels and others like them are not independently verified and lack clear definitions, underscoring the need for an improved framework for labeling cell-cultured meats.</p>
<p>In the comments submitted today, CFS and allies maintain that synthetic products comprised of cultured animal cells should be clearly differentiated from meat products before they are marketed. The primary criterion for differentiation is whether the product came from a slaughtered animal or from cultured protein, fat, bone, and other cells taken from livestock and poultry.</p>
<p>Any labels used to market cell-cultured meat products should list all ingredients and materials used in the manufacturing process. Consumers should know both about the ingredients in the final product and the ingredients in the laboratory environment in which the cells are being "cultured." These disclosures enable the consumer to make informed moral, environmental, and health choices and should therefore be mandatory.</p>
<p>Lastly, CFS and allies urge USDA\'s FSIS to look beyond the existing Trump-era regulations for genetically engineered, or bioengineered, food labeling. The 2018 rules (that CFS is <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/6517/legal-challenge-to-usdas-deceptive-and-discriminatory-gmo-labeling-scheme-moves-forward">challenging</a> in court) include provisions which will leave most GMO-derived foods unlabeled; discriminate against tens of millions of Americans by permitting the use of QR codes; prohibit the use of the widely-known terms "GMO" and "GE"; and prohibit retailers from providing more information to consumers. Cell-cultured meat products should be labeled in a way that enables the consumer to determine whether the manufacturing of the product involved the use of synthetic biology or the use of genetically engineered cell-lines (both in the culturing and in any additives included in the final product).</p>
<p><a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/cfs-comments-on-labeling-of-synthetic-cell-cultured-meat-and-poultry-products_90637.pdf" target="_blank">READ THE COMMENTS >></a></p>',
        ),
        'file' => 
        array (
          0 => '',
          1 => '',
        ),
        'link' => 
        array (
          0 => '',
          1 => '',
        ),
        'lead_img' => 'cell-cultured-meat-usda-fsis-safety-lab-meat_91198.jpg',
        'gallery' => 
        array (
          0 => 
          array (
            0 => 'cell-cultured-meat-usda-fsis-safety-lab-meat_91198.jpg',
            1 => '',
            2 => '',
            3 => '',
            4 => '',
            5 => '',
            6 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'url' => '/press-releases/6524/food-safety-advocates-call-for-regulation-and-transparent-labeling-of-cell-cultured-lab-meats',
      ),
      'bid' => 
      array (
        'page_link' => '/press-releases/6524/food-safety-advocates-call-for-regulation-and-transparent-labeling-of-cell-cultured-lab-meats',
        'bitly' => '6cf',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'lead_img' => 'cell-cultured-meat-usda-fsis-safety-lab-meat_91198.jpg',
        'rich_snippet' => '<p>WASHINGTON—Yesterday, Center for Food Safety (CFS) and Food and Water Watch <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/cfs-comments-on-labeling-of-synthetic-cell-cultured-meat-and-poultry-products_90637.pdf" target="_blank">submitted comments</a> to .',
        'page' => 
        array (
          'id' => '6524',
          'SECTION_ID' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '0',
          'BLOCK_ID' => '0',
          'order' => '1',
          'visible' => '1',
          'feature' => '0',
          'hide' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Food Safety Advocates Call for Regulation and Transparent Labeling of Cell-Cultured Lab \'Meats\'',
          'url' => 'food-safety-advocates-call-for-regulation-and-transparent-labeling-of-cell-cultured-lab-meats',
          'bitly' => '6cf',
          'lead_img' => 'cell-cultured-meat-usda-fsis-safety-lab-meat_91198.jpg',
          'meta_title' => 'Food Safety Advocates Call for Regulation and Transparent Labeling of Cell-Cultured Lab \'Meats\'',
          'meta_desc' => '"USDA must ensure that the labels used on these products distinguish the cell-derived imitations from real meat and poultry. USDA should use a label like \'s',
          'meta_img' => 'cell-cultured-meat-usda-fsis-safety-lab-meat_91185.jpg',
          'meta_json' => '',
          'update_meta_title' => '0',
          'update_meta_desc' => '0',
          'update_meta_img' => '1',
          'update_meta_json' => '0',
          'start_time' => '0',
          'end_time' => '0',
        ),
        'section' => 
        array (
          'id' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '486',
          'PAGE_ID' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Press Releases',
          'url' => 'press-releases',
          'hide' => '0',
          'order' => '1',
        ),
        'bid_380' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Title',
          'block_type' => 'Plain Text',
          'block_alias' => 'title',
          'post_id' => '66037',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 'Food Safety Advocates Call for Regulation and Transparent Labeling of Cell-Cultured Lab \'Meats\'',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5959' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Subtitle',
          'block_type' => 'Plain Text',
          'block_alias' => 'subtitle',
          'post_id' => '66038',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5957' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Show Hero Image',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'hide_hero',
          'post_id' => '66039',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_381' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Date',
          'block_type' => 'Date',
          'block_alias' => 'date',
          'post_id' => '66040',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '2021-12-03',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_2294' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel1',
          'post_id' => '66041',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'custom_title' => '',
              'page_id' => '308',
              'name1' => 'Food Safety',
              'section_name1' => 'Issues',
              'page_link' => '/issues/308/food-safety',
              'lead_img' => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
              'rich_snippet' => '<p>According to federal data, each year, one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. These figures are likely to be far higher, as most food illnesses go unreported. The most five common pathogens causing foodborne i.',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_3612' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue 2',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel2',
          'post_id' => '66042',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'custom_title' => '',
              'page_id' => '6351',
              'name1' => 'Appeals Court Ruling Allows Novel Genetically Engineered Soy Leghemoglobin in Impossible Burgers',
              'section_name1' => 'Press Releases',
              'page_link' => '/press-releases/6351/appeals-court-ruling-allows-novel-genetically-engineered-soy-leghemoglobin-in-impossible-burgers',
              'lead_img' => 'impossible_burger_at_hells_kitchen_minneapolis_-_vegan_meat_41303643735_57009_71960.jpg',
              'rich_snippet' => ' SAN FRANCISCO—Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued a decision in Center for Food Safety&#039;s (CFS) lawsuit challenging the Food and Drug Administration&#039;s (FDA) approval of soy leghemoglobin (a.k.a. "heme"), the .',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_3613' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue 3',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel3',
          'post_id' => '66043',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_382' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Description',
          'block_type' => 'Rich Text',
          'block_alias' => 'desc',
          'post_id' => '66044',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '<p>WASHINGTON—Yesterday, Center for Food Safety (CFS) and Food and Water Watch <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/cfs-comments-on-labeling-of-synthetic-cell-cultured-meat-and-poultry-products_90637.pdf" target="_blank">submitted comments</a> to U.S Department of Agriculture\'s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), urging the agency to regulate and clearly label novel genetically engineered cell-cultured meat ("lab meat") products. On behalf of its citizen advocacy community, CFS also submitted over 6,000 public comments to the USDA <a href="http://www.regulations.gov/document/FSIS-2020-0036-0001">docket</a> that closed yesterday, highlighting consumer concerns around cell-cultured meats\' safety and labeling.</p>
<p>"Cell-cultured meats are imitation foods synthesized from animal cells, not meat or poultry that consumers know,"<strong> said Jaydee Hanson, policy director at CFS.</strong> "USDA must ensure that the labels used on these products distinguish the cell-derived imitations from real meat and poultry. USDA should use a label like \'synthetic protein product made from beef cells.\' We don\'t allow artificial vanilla to be called vanilla, but rather call it synthetic vanilla. A similar naming is called for here to avoid confusion."</p>
<p>Cell-cultured, or lab-grown, meat is produced via synthetic biological processes wherein animal cells are extracted and subsequently "fed" fetal bovine serum (the blood of calf fetuses, minus the blood cells) or chemical mixes as they grow in bioreactors. While this method sounds similar to other forms of fermentation, there are marked differences. Unlike conventional meat products, cell-cultured meat is often produced via genetically engineered cell lines that permit cells to grow exponentially. Further, the fetal bovine serum is extracted via inhumane methods.</p>
<p>Most importantly, a host of unanswered safety questions remain. Unlike a live animal, animal cells do not have immune systems to protect from pathogens. Animal cell cultures are frequently infected with bacteria, fungi, and mycoplasma, which along with antibiotics and fungicides added to kill them could end up in the fake meat products. Growth hormones and other potent biochemicals in the bioreactor stew are also a concern, and novel ingredients that are genetically engineered could pose the risks of food allergies.  </p>
<p>"Antibiotics and anti-fungal drugs will be unavoidable if cell-cultured meat facilities scale up to any size, and this can only worsen the resistance epidemic that is rendering these life-saving medications useless for ever more people," <strong>said Bill Freese, science director at CFS.</strong> "The health effects of growth hormone residues and other cell-culture additives in fake meat is also a concern, particularly if they\'re genetically engineered," he added.   </p>
<p>USDA\'s FSIS is required to regulate the labeling of all meat and poultry products under its authority to ensure products are not misbranded. Consumers are already confused by various food label claims, such as "natural" or "sustainable," on slaughtered meat and poultry products. These labels and others like them are not independently verified and lack clear definitions, underscoring the need for an improved framework for labeling cell-cultured meats.</p>
<p>In the comments submitted today, CFS and allies maintain that synthetic products comprised of cultured animal cells should be clearly differentiated from meat products before they are marketed. The primary criterion for differentiation is whether the product came from a slaughtered animal or from cultured protein, fat, bone, and other cells taken from livestock and poultry.</p>
<p>Any labels used to market cell-cultured meat products should list all ingredients and materials used in the manufacturing process. Consumers should know both about the ingredients in the final product and the ingredients in the laboratory environment in which the cells are being "cultured." These disclosures enable the consumer to make informed moral, environmental, and health choices and should therefore be mandatory.</p>
<p>Lastly, CFS and allies urge USDA\'s FSIS to look beyond the existing Trump-era regulations for genetically engineered, or bioengineered, food labeling. The 2018 rules (that CFS is <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/6517/legal-challenge-to-usdas-deceptive-and-discriminatory-gmo-labeling-scheme-moves-forward">challenging</a> in court) include provisions which will leave most GMO-derived foods unlabeled; discriminate against tens of millions of Americans by permitting the use of QR codes; prohibit the use of the widely-known terms "GMO" and "GE"; and prohibit retailers from providing more information to consumers. Cell-cultured meat products should be labeled in a way that enables the consumer to determine whether the manufacturing of the product involved the use of synthetic biology or the use of genetically engineered cell-lines (both in the culturing and in any additives included in the final product).</p>
<p><a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/cfs-comments-on-labeling-of-synthetic-cell-cultured-meat-and-poultry-products_90637.pdf" target="_blank">READ THE COMMENTS >></a></p>',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_383' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'PDF File',
          'block_type' => 'File',
          'block_alias' => 'pdf',
          'post_id' => '66045',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_1168' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'CFS Link',
          'block_type' => 'Link',
          'block_alias' => 'link',
          'post_id' => '66046',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_1169' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Image Gallery',
          'block_type' => 'Image Gallery',
          'block_alias' => 'images',
          'post_id' => '66047',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              0 => 'cell-cultured-meat-usda-fsis-safety-lab-meat_91198.jpg',
              1 => '',
              2 => '',
              3 => '',
              4 => '',
              5 => '',
              6 => 'Food Safety Advocates Call for Regulation and Transparent Labeling of Cell-Cultured Lab \'Meats\'',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_2291' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Category',
          'block_type' => 'Grouping',
          'block_alias' => 'cat',
          'post_id' => '66048',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4805' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Tweets',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'tweets',
          'post_id' => '66049',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4806' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Quotes',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'quotes',
          'post_id' => '66050',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4807' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Join CFS',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'join',
          'post_id' => '66051',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5592' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Hide',
          'block_type' => 'Hide - In \'page\' table',
          'block_alias' => '',
          'post_id' => '66052',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5835' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Scheduler',
          'block_type' => 'Schedule',
          'block_alias' => 'scheduler',
          'post_id' => '66053',
          'content' => 
          array (
            'id' => '382',
            'PAGE_ID' => '6524',
            'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
            'set_time' => '1',
            'start_time_hour' => '',
            'start_time_minute' => '00',
            'start_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'end_time_hour' => '5',
            'end_time_minute' => '00',
            'end_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'start_month' => '12',
            'start_day' => '02',
            'start_year' => '2021',
            'end_month' => '12',
            'end_day' => '03',
            'end_year' => '2021',
            'occurs' => 'once',
            'repeat_every_int' => '1',
            'repeat_every_period' => 'year',
            'repeat_stop_after' => '1',
            'float_period' => 'first',
            'float_day_o_w' => 'sunday',
            'float_repeat_every_x_mo' => '1',
            'float_stop_after' => '1',
            'events' => 
            array (
              0 => 
              array (
                'id' => '3513',
                'SCHEDULE_ID' => '382',
                'PAGE_ID' => '6524',
                'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
                'date_start' => '2021-12-02 00:00:00',
                'date_end' => '2021-12-03 05:00:00',
                'has_start_time' => '0',
                'has_end_time' => '1',
                'occurs' => 'once',
                'start' => 'Thursday, December 2, 2021',
                'end' => 'Friday, December 3, 2021, 5:00am',
              ),
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5955' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Unique Url',
          'block_type' => 'Unique Root URL',
          'block_alias' => 'unique_url',
          'post_id' => '66054',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
          ),
        ),
      ),
      'alias' => 
      array (
        'page_link' => '/press-releases/6524/food-safety-advocates-call-for-regulation-and-transparent-labeling-of-cell-cultured-lab-meats',
        'bitly' => '6cf',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'lead_img' => 'cell-cultured-meat-usda-fsis-safety-lab-meat_91198.jpg',
        'rich_snippet' => '<p>WASHINGTON—Yesterday, Center for Food Safety (CFS) and Food and Water Watch <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/cfs-comments-on-labeling-of-synthetic-cell-cultured-meat-and-poultry-products_90637.pdf" target="_blank">submitted comments</a> to .',
        'page' => 
        array (
          'id' => '6524',
          'SECTION_ID' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '0',
          'BLOCK_ID' => '0',
          'order' => '1',
          'visible' => '1',
          'feature' => '0',
          'hide' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Food Safety Advocates Call for Regulation and Transparent Labeling of Cell-Cultured Lab \'Meats\'',
          'url' => 'food-safety-advocates-call-for-regulation-and-transparent-labeling-of-cell-cultured-lab-meats',
          'bitly' => '6cf',
          'lead_img' => 'cell-cultured-meat-usda-fsis-safety-lab-meat_91198.jpg',
          'meta_title' => 'Food Safety Advocates Call for Regulation and Transparent Labeling of Cell-Cultured Lab \'Meats\'',
          'meta_desc' => '"USDA must ensure that the labels used on these products distinguish the cell-derived imitations from real meat and poultry. USDA should use a label like \'s',
          'meta_img' => 'cell-cultured-meat-usda-fsis-safety-lab-meat_91185.jpg',
          'meta_json' => '',
          'update_meta_title' => '0',
          'update_meta_desc' => '0',
          'update_meta_img' => '1',
          'update_meta_json' => '0',
          'start_time' => '0',
          'end_time' => '0',
        ),
        'section' => 
        array (
          'id' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '486',
          'PAGE_ID' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Press Releases',
          'url' => 'press-releases',
          'hide' => '0',
          'order' => '1',
        ),
        'bid_3613' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue 3',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel3',
          'post_id' => '66043',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_2291' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Category',
          'block_type' => 'Grouping',
          'block_alias' => 'cat',
          'post_id' => '66048',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5592' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Hide',
          'block_type' => 'Hide - In \'page\' table',
          'block_alias' => '',
          'post_id' => '66052',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'alias' => 
        array (
          'title' => 'Food Safety Advocates Call for Regulation and Transparent Labeling of Cell-Cultured Lab \'Meats\'',
          'subtitle' => '',
          'hide_hero' => '0',
          'date' => '2021-12-03',
          'rel1' => 
          array (
            'custom_title' => '',
            'page_id' => '308',
            'name1' => 'Food Safety',
            'section_name1' => 'Issues',
            'page_link' => '/issues/308/food-safety',
            'lead_img' => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
            'rich_snippet' => '<p>According to federal data, each year, one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. These figures are likely to be far higher, as most food illnesses go unreported. The most five common pathogens causing foodborne i.',
          ),
          'rel2' => 
          array (
            'custom_title' => '',
            'page_id' => '6351',
            'name1' => 'Appeals Court Ruling Allows Novel Genetically Engineered Soy Leghemoglobin in Impossible Burgers',
            'section_name1' => 'Press Releases',
            'page_link' => '/press-releases/6351/appeals-court-ruling-allows-novel-genetically-engineered-soy-leghemoglobin-in-impossible-burgers',
            'lead_img' => 'impossible_burger_at_hells_kitchen_minneapolis_-_vegan_meat_41303643735_57009_71960.jpg',
            'rich_snippet' => ' SAN FRANCISCO—Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued a decision in Center for Food Safety&#039;s (CFS) lawsuit challenging the Food and Drug Administration&#039;s (FDA) approval of soy leghemoglobin (a.k.a. "heme"), the .',
          ),
          'desc' => '<p>WASHINGTON—Yesterday, Center for Food Safety (CFS) and Food and Water Watch <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/cfs-comments-on-labeling-of-synthetic-cell-cultured-meat-and-poultry-products_90637.pdf" target="_blank">submitted comments</a> to U.S Department of Agriculture\'s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), urging the agency to regulate and clearly label novel genetically engineered cell-cultured meat ("lab meat") products. On behalf of its citizen advocacy community, CFS also submitted over 6,000 public comments to the USDA <a href="http://www.regulations.gov/document/FSIS-2020-0036-0001">docket</a> that closed yesterday, highlighting consumer concerns around cell-cultured meats\' safety and labeling.</p>
<p>"Cell-cultured meats are imitation foods synthesized from animal cells, not meat or poultry that consumers know,"<strong> said Jaydee Hanson, policy director at CFS.</strong> "USDA must ensure that the labels used on these products distinguish the cell-derived imitations from real meat and poultry. USDA should use a label like \'synthetic protein product made from beef cells.\' We don\'t allow artificial vanilla to be called vanilla, but rather call it synthetic vanilla. A similar naming is called for here to avoid confusion."</p>
<p>Cell-cultured, or lab-grown, meat is produced via synthetic biological processes wherein animal cells are extracted and subsequently "fed" fetal bovine serum (the blood of calf fetuses, minus the blood cells) or chemical mixes as they grow in bioreactors. While this method sounds similar to other forms of fermentation, there are marked differences. Unlike conventional meat products, cell-cultured meat is often produced via genetically engineered cell lines that permit cells to grow exponentially. Further, the fetal bovine serum is extracted via inhumane methods.</p>
<p>Most importantly, a host of unanswered safety questions remain. Unlike a live animal, animal cells do not have immune systems to protect from pathogens. Animal cell cultures are frequently infected with bacteria, fungi, and mycoplasma, which along with antibiotics and fungicides added to kill them could end up in the fake meat products. Growth hormones and other potent biochemicals in the bioreactor stew are also a concern, and novel ingredients that are genetically engineered could pose the risks of food allergies.  </p>
<p>"Antibiotics and anti-fungal drugs will be unavoidable if cell-cultured meat facilities scale up to any size, and this can only worsen the resistance epidemic that is rendering these life-saving medications useless for ever more people," <strong>said Bill Freese, science director at CFS.</strong> "The health effects of growth hormone residues and other cell-culture additives in fake meat is also a concern, particularly if they\'re genetically engineered," he added.   </p>
<p>USDA\'s FSIS is required to regulate the labeling of all meat and poultry products under its authority to ensure products are not misbranded. Consumers are already confused by various food label claims, such as "natural" or "sustainable," on slaughtered meat and poultry products. These labels and others like them are not independently verified and lack clear definitions, underscoring the need for an improved framework for labeling cell-cultured meats.</p>
<p>In the comments submitted today, CFS and allies maintain that synthetic products comprised of cultured animal cells should be clearly differentiated from meat products before they are marketed. The primary criterion for differentiation is whether the product came from a slaughtered animal or from cultured protein, fat, bone, and other cells taken from livestock and poultry.</p>
<p>Any labels used to market cell-cultured meat products should list all ingredients and materials used in the manufacturing process. Consumers should know both about the ingredients in the final product and the ingredients in the laboratory environment in which the cells are being "cultured." These disclosures enable the consumer to make informed moral, environmental, and health choices and should therefore be mandatory.</p>
<p>Lastly, CFS and allies urge USDA\'s FSIS to look beyond the existing Trump-era regulations for genetically engineered, or bioengineered, food labeling. The 2018 rules (that CFS is <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/6517/legal-challenge-to-usdas-deceptive-and-discriminatory-gmo-labeling-scheme-moves-forward">challenging</a> in court) include provisions which will leave most GMO-derived foods unlabeled; discriminate against tens of millions of Americans by permitting the use of QR codes; prohibit the use of the widely-known terms "GMO" and "GE"; and prohibit retailers from providing more information to consumers. Cell-cultured meat products should be labeled in a way that enables the consumer to determine whether the manufacturing of the product involved the use of synthetic biology or the use of genetically engineered cell-lines (both in the culturing and in any additives included in the final product).</p>
<p><a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/cfs-comments-on-labeling-of-synthetic-cell-cultured-meat-and-poultry-products_90637.pdf" target="_blank">READ THE COMMENTS >></a></p>',
          'pdf' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
          'link' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
          'images' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              0 => 'cell-cultured-meat-usda-fsis-safety-lab-meat_91198.jpg',
              1 => '',
              2 => '',
              3 => '',
              4 => '',
              5 => '',
              6 => 'Food Safety Advocates Call for Regulation and Transparent Labeling of Cell-Cultured Lab \'Meats\'',
              7 => 1000,
              8 => 562,
            ),
          ),
          'tweets' => '0',
          'quotes' => '0',
          'join' => '0',
          'scheduler' => 
          array (
            'id' => '382',
            'PAGE_ID' => '6524',
            'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
            'set_time' => '1',
            'start_time_hour' => '',
            'start_time_minute' => '00',
            'start_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'end_time_hour' => '5',
            'end_time_minute' => '00',
            'end_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'start_month' => '12',
            'start_day' => '02',
            'start_year' => '2021',
            'end_month' => '12',
            'end_day' => '03',
            'end_year' => '2021',
            'occurs' => 'once',
            'repeat_every_int' => '1',
            'repeat_every_period' => 'year',
            'repeat_stop_after' => '1',
            'float_period' => 'first',
            'float_day_o_w' => 'sunday',
            'float_repeat_every_x_mo' => '1',
            'float_stop_after' => '1',
            'events' => 
            array (
              0 => 
              array (
                'id' => '3513',
                'SCHEDULE_ID' => '382',
                'PAGE_ID' => '6524',
                'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
                'date_start' => '2021-12-02 00:00:00',
                'date_end' => '2021-12-03 05:00:00',
                'has_start_time' => '0',
                'has_end_time' => '1',
                'occurs' => 'once',
                'start' => 'Thursday, December 2, 2021',
                'end' => 'Friday, December 3, 2021, 5:00am',
              ),
            ),
          ),
          'unique_url' => '',
        ),
      ),
    ),
  ),
  3 => 
  array (
    'id' => '6454',
    'SECTION_ID' => '129',
    'PARENT_ID' => '0',
    'BLOCK_ID' => '0',
    'order' => '22',
    'visible' => '1',
    'feature' => '0',
    'hide' => '0',
    'name1' => 'Statement on District Court Ruling in CFS\'s Lawsuit Challenging FDA\'s \'Generally Recognized as Safe\' Rule',
    'url' => 'statement-on-district-court-ruling-in-cfss-lawsuit-challenging-fdas-generally-recognized-as-safe-rule',
    'bitly' => 'https://bit.ly/2WuG1ke',
    'lead_img' => 'fda_18787.jpg',
    'meta_title' => 'Statement on District Court Ruling in CFS\'s Lawsuit Challenging FDA\'s \'Generally Recognized as Safe\' Rule',
    'meta_desc' => '<p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; overflow-wrap: break-word;...',
    'meta_img' => 'fda_18778.jpg',
    'meta_json' => '',
    'update_meta_title' => '0',
    'update_meta_desc' => '0',
    'update_meta_img' => '1',
    'update_meta_json' => '0',
    'start_time' => '0',
    'end_time' => '0',
    'content' => 
    array (
      'typ' => 
      array (
        'page_id' => '6454',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'text' => 
        array (
          0 => 'Statement on District Court Ruling in CFS\'s Lawsuit Challenging FDA\'s \'Generally Recognized as Safe\' Rule',
          1 => '',
          2 => '',
        ),
        'checkbox' => 
        array (
          0 => '0',
          1 => '0',
          2 => '0',
          3 => '0',
        ),
        'date' => 
        array (
          0 => '2021-10-01',
        ),
        'relation' => 
        array (
          0 => 
          array (
            'custom' => 
            array (
              0 => '',
            ),
            'page_id' => '308',
            'basic' => 
            array (
              'page_id' => '308',
              'root_url' => 'issues',
              'root' => 'Issues',
              'text' => 
              array (
                0 => 'Food Safety',
                1 => '',
                2 => 'Food Safety',
                3 => 'From:CFSTrueFood+#foodsafety',
              ),
              'rich' => 
              array (
                0 => '<p>According to federal data, each year, one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. These figures are likely to be far higher, as most food illnesses go unreported. The most five common pathogens causing foodborne illnesses resulting in hospitalizations are: salmonella, norovirus, Campylobacter, toxoplasma gondii, and E. coli 0157.</p>
<p>Almost every week brings more news of food contamination or foodborne illness outbreak. What’s going on? Our industrialized food system is the root cause of many of these outbreaks.</p>
<p>Industrialization of the food supply</p>
<p>One likely cause is overcrowded conditions on factory farms, where animals get sick and pass the disease on to other animals. Another factor is our wide distribution system, in which contaminated food is transported across the nation. Also, we are increasingly relying on imported foods with unknown safety standards. (For example, 60 percent of our seafood is imported.) Adding to this perfect storm is government deregulation and inadequate funding for inspections and oversight.</p>
<p>Another critical food safety problem is the thousands of chemical additives Americans consume every day. Thanks to industry influence over the approval process, the long-term safety risks for most of these substances are unknown.</p>
<p>For example, for years science has pointed to chemical food dyes as a significant contributor to child behavioral problems. And yet the federal government still denies this connection. In addition, we’ve seen a huge increase in food allergies in children in recent years, but without much explanation of the causes. Clearly, more research is needed into how the industrialized food supply may be impacting our health in ways that are less obvious than foodborne illness.</p>
<p>Political influence</p>
<p>Nothing about food safety takes place in a political vacuum. For decades, the food industry has lobbied to ensure the status quo. And when we finally do get a rare policy victory, such as the passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act (passed in 2010), the game switches to “starving the beast” – limiting the funds for government to adequately carry out the legislative intent.</p>
<p>Powerful trade groups such as the American Meat Institute lobby against common sense policy improvements, such as expanding required testing for deadly bacteria in ground beef. Another important political factor is international trade. Other nations get upset when theU.S.government demands higher scrutiny of imports. In addition, the Food and Drug Administration, despite having jurisdiction over most of the food supply, is constantly under-funded, limiting inspection and enforcement actions; again, thanks to powerful lobbyists who like it that way.</p>
<p>What can we do about it?</p>
<p>President Obama has pledged a complete overhaul of our food system. The Center for Food Safety believes this will require elevating food safety within government to be a cabinet level agency. The mission of this new food agency must be to evaluate how best to regulate food production to prevent the greatest food safety hazards caused by large industrial agriculture and processed foods and while also protecting and supporting smaller, family, and diversified farms. But such an overhaul can only be successful by removing politics from food safety.</p>
<p>Additional Food Safety Resources</p>
<p><a href="http://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/cdc-and-food-safety.html" target="_blank">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.fsis.usda.gov/" target="_blank">United States Department of Agriculture</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.fda.gov/food/foodsafety/default.htm" target="_blank">Food and Drug Administration</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.foodsafety.gov/" target="_blank">FoodSafety.gov</a></p>',
              ),
              'lead_img' => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
              'gallery' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
                  1 => 'NEW REPORT: TPP Serves Up an Unsavory Dinner',
                  2 => '<p>If you’ve been listening to or reading the news at any point over the past year, it’s likely that you’ve heard about the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP. While the term may be familiar, the connection between TPP and what you find on your dinner plate may not be.</p>',
                  3 => 'http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/reports/4573/tpp-serves-up-an-unsavory-dinner',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'oilandwater_thinkbeforeyoupink_hero2_14465.jpg',
                  1 => 'Tell Bee Sweet Citrus and Wonderful Company to Stop Watering Our Food with Oil Wastewater!',
                  2 => '<p>The use of oil wastewater for food irrigation is an urgent public health issue because of the potentially hazardous chemicals associated with all oil extraction processes – including toxic chemicals linked to cancer. Tell Wonderful Company and Bee Sweet Citrus to stop watering our food with toxic oil wastewater!</p>',
                  3 => 'http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/1881/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=19536',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'istock_000009992043small_78906.jpg',
                  1 => 'Court Victory: Consumers Have a Right to Know About Their Food',
                  2 => '<p>The Washington D.C. Court of Appeals upheld the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) rule which requires information about where meat is raised and slaughtered. USDA drafted COOL rules in 2009 and finalized them in 2013.</p>',
                  3 => 'http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/3404/court-victory-consumers-have-a-right-to-know-about-their-food',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
              ),
              'images' => 
              array (
                0 => 'foodsafety_48189.png',
                1 => '',
                2 => 'foodsafety_68552.png',
                3 => '',
              ),
              'group' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '94',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '48',
                  'sub_group' => '0',
                  'name1' => 'Food Safety',
                  'url' => 'food-safety',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'order' => '4',
                ),
              ),
              'color' => 
              array (
                0 => '#f79676',
                1 => 'Food Safety Mauve',
              ),
              'section' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '219',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Food Safety & Food Recalls',
                  'url' => 'food-safety-and-food-recalls',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '158',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '329',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Industrialization of the Food Supply',
                  'url' => 'industrialization-of-the-food-supply',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '159',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '330',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Political Influence',
                  'url' => 'political-influence',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '160',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
              ),
              'checkbox' => 
              array (
                0 => '1',
                1 => '0',
                2 => '1',
              ),
              'url' => '/issues/308/food-safety',
            ),
          ),
          1 => 
          array (
            'custom' => 
            array (
              0 => '',
            ),
            'page_id' => '4956',
            'basic' => 
            array (
              'page_id' => '4956',
              'root_url' => 'media',
              'root' => 'Media',
              'text' => 
              array (
                0 => 'Groups Sue FDA to Protect Food Safety',
                1 => '',
                2 => '',
              ),
              'checkbox' => 
              array (
                0 => '0',
                1 => '0',
                2 => '0',
                3 => '1',
              ),
              'date' => 
              array (
                0 => '2017-05-22',
              ),
              'relation' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'custom' => 
                  array (
                    0 => '',
                  ),
                  'page_id' => '308',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  'custom' => 
                  array (
                    0 => '',
                  ),
                  'page_id' => '4452',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  'custom' => 
                  array (
                    0 => '',
                  ),
                  'page_id' => '4955',
                ),
              ),
              'rich' => 
              array (
                0 => '<p><strong>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</strong></p>
<p><strong>May 22, 2017</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Groups Sue FDA to Protect Food Safety</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Seek to ensure food additives are found safe before being marketed to American consumers</em></p>
<p><strong>WASHINGTON —</strong> Today, consumer, health, and food safety groups <a href="http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/1-complaint-2017-5-22_69110.pdf" target="_blank">challenged a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rule</a> that undermines the integrity of our food safety system. Chemical and food manufacturers often seek to add chemicals to processed food, typically to enhance flavor, add nutrients, or prevent spoilage. Chemicals also often leach into foods from processing equipment and packaging. While Congress has required that FDA itself determine that chemical additives are safe before they can be used on food, the FDA rule allows manufacturers to decide for and by themselves—in secret—what can be added to processed foods. The groups assert this rule is unconstitutional and illegal.</p>
<p>The public expects, and the law demands, that FDA ensure the safety of Americans’ food. Center for Food Safety (CFS), Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, Center for Science in the Public Interest, Environmental Defense Fund and Environmental Working Group, represented by legal counsel from CFS and the environmental law firm Earthjustice, are suing the agency for illegally delegating that authority to self-interested food and chemical manufacturers. They also allege that while Congress mandates an open and public process, FDA allows manufacturers to make these decisions about food additives without any disclosure to either FDA or the public. The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.</p>
<p>Federal law requires FDA to ensure that substances used in food are safe, taking into account consumers’ entire diet and all exposure to the chemical and similar chemicals. But any substance designated as “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) by FDA or by a food or chemical company can bypass the rigorous pre-market review and approval process applied to food additives. The GRAS exemption was initially created to cover ingredients that are widely known to be safe, such as vegetable oil, but has been applied in recent practice to novel chemicals and is now a loophole that has swallowed the law.</p>
<p>Under pressure from industry, in 1997 and again in 2016, FDA adopted a practice that allows food and chemical manufacturers to decide for themselves, without notice to FDA or the public, that food chemicals are safe—even if the chemicals are new, not widely studied, and not widely accepted as safe. CFS filed suit in 2014 to challenge FDA’s use of an interim rule that initially put this practice into place. That successful challenge forced FDA to stop using the interim rule and instead finalize the GRAS rule. Today’s lawsuit challenges the <a href="https://www.fda.gov/Food/NewsEvents/ConstituentUpdates/ucm516332.htm" target="_blank">final rule</a> that formalizes this practice.</p>
<p>Independent watchdogs have criticized the GRAS system for being rife with industry conflicts of interest because the vast majority of GRAS determinations are made by either the manufacturers themselves or their hired consultants. Moreover, the current system that allows secret GRAS determinations makes it nearly impossible for FDA or manufacturers to assess the cumulative effect of all similar chemicals on consumers—as the law requires.</p>
<p>The GRAS exception is overwhelming the food safety system. An independent study by the Pew Charitable Trusts found that almost all new chemicals added to food over the last decade were deemed by manufacturers to be GRAS. Today an estimated 3,000 chemicals that have never been scrutinized by the FDA are in use.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>###</strong></em></p>
<p><strong>Quotes:</strong></p>
<p>“FDA has a duty to ensure the products we buy and feed our families are safe,” said <strong>Cristina Stella, staff attorney for the Center for Food Safety and co-counsel in the case.</strong> “The secretive GRAS system makes it impossible for FDA to carry out its core responsibility to the public.”</p>
<p>“Processed foods are a part of almost every family’s diet, and we deserve to know what chemical additives companies are putting in our food,” said <strong>Earthjustice attorney and co-counsel Eve Gartner</strong>. “Many take it for granted that FDA will make sure our food is safe, but under the current policy, the government is turning this authority over to the very industry it\'s meant to watch over. To say this is letting down American consumers is an understatement.”</p>
<p>“Independent polling by the International Food Information Council Foundation recently confirmed, unsurprisingly, that American consumers don’t want cancer-causing chemicals in or around their food,” said <strong>Janet Nudelman, Director of Program and Policy for Breast Cancer Prevention Partners</strong>. “Consumers assume the FDA is making sure their food and food packaging is safe and free of chemicals linked to cancer and other threats to human health. Unfortunately, under this secret GRAS system, consumers can’t rely on the FDA’s protection of food safety.”</p>
<p>“Most Americans would be shocked to learn that FDA allows novel chemicals onto the market without a safety review,” said <strong>Tom Neltner, chemicals policy director at Environmental Defense Fund</strong>. “Yet, FDA’s practice on GRAS additives flouts the law and leaves the agency unaware of what chemicals are being added to our food and with no way to ensure that these additives— and the food that contains them—are safe.”</p>
<p>“It is outrageous that FDA continues to try to duck its clear obligation to make sure our food is safe,” said<strong> Laura MacCleery, an attorney for the Center for Science in the Public Interest</strong>. “FDA knows it lacks the information necessary to protect the food supply or even know what’s in our food, but instead of doing what the law and Congress require, they have, shamefully, just given up.”</p>
<p>“Chemical and food processing industries should not be in charge of saying whether or not food is safe. Industry has their bottom line profits in mind, not consumer or environmental safety,” said <strong>Tina Sigurdson, Assistant General Counsel for the Environmental Working Group</strong>. “Leaving it up to industry to regulate itself is a classic case of the fox guarding the henhouse, at the expense of public health.”</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>###</strong></em></p>',
              ),
              'file' => 
              array (
                0 => '',
                1 => '',
              ),
              'link' => 
              array (
                0 => '',
                1 => '',
              ),
              'lead_img' => 'fda_67335.jpg',
              'gallery' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'fda_67335.jpg',
                  1 => '',
                  2 => '',
                  3 => '',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
              ),
              'group' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '110',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'sub_group' => '0',
                  'name1' => 'Press Releases Categories',
                  'url' => 'press-releases-categories',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'order' => '5',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '110',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'sub_group' => '0',
                  'name1' => 'Press Releases Categories',
                  'url' => 'press-releases-categories',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'order' => '5',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '113',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '110',
                  'sub_group' => '0',
                  'name1' => 'Legal Actions',
                  'url' => 'legal-actions',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'order' => '7',
                ),
                3 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '118',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '110',
                  'sub_group' => '0',
                  'name1' => 'Food Safety',
                  'url' => 'food-safety',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'order' => '11',
                ),
              ),
              'url' => '/press-releases/4956/groups-sue-fda-to-protect-food-safety',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'rich' => 
        array (
          0 => '<p><span data-contrast="none">NEW YORK—In a blow to food safety advocates and public health, today a federal judge in the Southern District of New York sided with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), ruling that the agency\'s controversial "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS) rule does not violate the law. The GRAS rule permits food manufacturers to add thousands of new chemical substances to food without disclosing those substances to FDA or the public. This includes substances that were never before approved by the FDA as safe.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="none">In 2017, Center for Food Safety (CFS) and Environmental Defense Fund <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/4956/groups-sue-fda-to-protect-food-safety" target="_blank">filed suit</a> </span><span data-contrast="none">challenging the final GRAS rule, co-represented by CFS and Earthjustice.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p>
<p><strong><span data-contrast="none">Statement from George Kimbrell, legal director for Center for Food Safety:</span></strong><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="none">"We are extremely disappointed by the court\'s ruling that will continue to allow FDA to flout its regulatory duties and outsource the job to self-interested food corporations driven by their bottom line rather than the public interest. We are carefully reviewing the decision and considering all legal options, including appeal."</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p>',
        ),
        'file' => 
        array (
          0 => '',
          1 => '',
        ),
        'link' => 
        array (
          0 => '',
          1 => '',
        ),
        'lead_img' => 'fda_18787.jpg',
        'gallery' => 
        array (
          0 => 
          array (
            0 => 'fda_18787.jpg',
            1 => '',
            2 => '',
            3 => '',
            4 => '',
            5 => '',
            6 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'url' => '/press-releases/6454/statement-on-district-court-ruling-in-cfss-lawsuit-challenging-fdas-generally-recognized-as-safe-rule',
      ),
      'bid' => 
      array (
        'page_link' => '/press-releases/6454/statement-on-district-court-ruling-in-cfss-lawsuit-challenging-fdas-generally-recognized-as-safe-rule',
        'bitly' => 'https://bit.ly/2WuG1ke',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'lead_img' => 'fda_18787.jpg',
        'rich_snippet' => '<p><span data-contrast="none">NEW YORK—In a blow to food safety advocates and public health, today a federal judge in the Southern District of New York sided with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), ruling that the agency\'s controversial "generally rec.',
        'page' => 
        array (
          'id' => '6454',
          'SECTION_ID' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '0',
          'BLOCK_ID' => '0',
          'order' => '1',
          'visible' => '1',
          'feature' => '0',
          'hide' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Statement on District Court Ruling in CFS\'s Lawsuit Challenging FDA\'s \'Generally Recognized as Safe\' Rule',
          'url' => 'statement-on-district-court-ruling-in-cfss-lawsuit-challenging-fdas-generally-recognized-as-safe-rule',
          'bitly' => 'https://bit.ly/2WuG1ke',
          'lead_img' => 'fda_18787.jpg',
          'meta_title' => 'Statement on District Court Ruling in CFS\'s Lawsuit Challenging FDA\'s \'Generally Recognized as Safe\' Rule',
          'meta_desc' => '<p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; overflow-wrap: break-word;...',
          'meta_img' => 'fda_18778.jpg',
          'meta_json' => '',
          'update_meta_title' => '0',
          'update_meta_desc' => '0',
          'update_meta_img' => '1',
          'update_meta_json' => '0',
          'start_time' => '0',
          'end_time' => '0',
        ),
        'section' => 
        array (
          'id' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '486',
          'PAGE_ID' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Press Releases',
          'url' => 'press-releases',
          'hide' => '0',
          'order' => '1',
        ),
        'bid_380' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Title',
          'block_type' => 'Plain Text',
          'block_alias' => 'title',
          'post_id' => '65138',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 'Statement on District Court Ruling in CFS\'s Lawsuit Challenging FDA\'s \'Generally Recognized as Safe\' Rule',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5959' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Subtitle',
          'block_type' => 'Plain Text',
          'block_alias' => 'subtitle',
          'post_id' => '65139',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5957' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Show Hero Image',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'hide_hero',
          'post_id' => '65140',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_381' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Date',
          'block_type' => 'Date',
          'block_alias' => 'date',
          'post_id' => '65141',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '2021-10-01',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_2294' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel1',
          'post_id' => '65142',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'custom_title' => '',
              'page_id' => '308',
              'name1' => 'Food Safety',
              'section_name1' => 'Issues',
              'page_link' => '/issues/308/food-safety',
              'lead_img' => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
              'rich_snippet' => '<p>According to federal data, each year, one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. These figures are likely to be far higher, as most food illnesses go unreported. The most five common pathogens causing foodborne i.',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_3612' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue 2',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel2',
          'post_id' => '65143',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'custom_title' => '',
              'page_id' => '4956',
              'name1' => 'Groups Sue FDA to Protect Food Safety',
              'section_name1' => 'Press Releases',
              'page_link' => '/press-releases/4956/groups-sue-fda-to-protect-food-safety',
              'lead_img' => 'fda_67335.jpg',
              'rich_snippet' => '<p><strong>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</strong></p>
<p><strong>May 22, 2017</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Groups Sue FDA to Protect Food Safety</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Seek to ensure food additives are found safe before bei.',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_3613' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue 3',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel3',
          'post_id' => '65144',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_382' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Description',
          'block_type' => 'Rich Text',
          'block_alias' => 'desc',
          'post_id' => '65145',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '<p><span data-contrast="none">NEW YORK—In a blow to food safety advocates and public health, today a federal judge in the Southern District of New York sided with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), ruling that the agency\'s controversial "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS) rule does not violate the law. The GRAS rule permits food manufacturers to add thousands of new chemical substances to food without disclosing those substances to FDA or the public. This includes substances that were never before approved by the FDA as safe.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="none">In 2017, Center for Food Safety (CFS) and Environmental Defense Fund <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/4956/groups-sue-fda-to-protect-food-safety" target="_blank">filed suit</a> </span><span data-contrast="none">challenging the final GRAS rule, co-represented by CFS and Earthjustice.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p>
<p><strong><span data-contrast="none">Statement from George Kimbrell, legal director for Center for Food Safety:</span></strong><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="none">"We are extremely disappointed by the court\'s ruling that will continue to allow FDA to flout its regulatory duties and outsource the job to self-interested food corporations driven by their bottom line rather than the public interest. We are carefully reviewing the decision and considering all legal options, including appeal."</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p>',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_383' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'PDF File',
          'block_type' => 'File',
          'block_alias' => 'pdf',
          'post_id' => '65146',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_1168' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'CFS Link',
          'block_type' => 'Link',
          'block_alias' => 'link',
          'post_id' => '65147',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_1169' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Image Gallery',
          'block_type' => 'Image Gallery',
          'block_alias' => 'images',
          'post_id' => '65156',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              0 => 'fda_18787.jpg',
              1 => '',
              2 => '',
              3 => '',
              4 => '',
              5 => '',
              6 => 'Statement on District Court Ruling in CFS\'s Lawsuit Challenging FDA\'s \'Generally Recognized as Safe\' Rule',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_2291' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Category',
          'block_type' => 'Grouping',
          'block_alias' => 'cat',
          'post_id' => '65149',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4805' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Tweets',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'tweets',
          'post_id' => '65150',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4806' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Quotes',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'quotes',
          'post_id' => '65151',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4807' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Join CFS',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'join',
          'post_id' => '65152',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5592' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Hide',
          'block_type' => 'Hide - In \'page\' table',
          'block_alias' => '',
          'post_id' => '65153',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5835' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Scheduler',
          'block_type' => 'Schedule',
          'block_alias' => 'scheduler',
          'post_id' => '65154',
          'content' => 
          array (
            'id' => '354',
            'PAGE_ID' => '6454',
            'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
            'set_time' => '0',
            'start_time_hour' => 'NA',
            'start_time_minute' => '00',
            'start_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'end_time_hour' => 'NA',
            'end_time_minute' => '00',
            'end_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'start_month' => '10',
            'start_day' => '01',
            'start_year' => '2021',
            'end_month' => '10',
            'end_day' => '01',
            'end_year' => '2021',
            'occurs' => 'once',
            'repeat_every_int' => '1',
            'repeat_every_period' => 'year',
            'repeat_stop_after' => '1',
            'float_period' => 'first',
            'float_day_o_w' => 'sunday',
            'float_repeat_every_x_mo' => '1',
            'float_stop_after' => '1',
            'events' => 
            array (
              0 => 
              array (
                'id' => '3049',
                'SCHEDULE_ID' => '354',
                'PAGE_ID' => '6454',
                'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
                'date_start' => '2021-10-01 00:00:00',
                'date_end' => '2021-10-01 00:00:00',
                'has_start_time' => '0',
                'has_end_time' => '0',
                'occurs' => 'once',
                'start' => 'Friday, October 1, 2021',
                'end' => '',
              ),
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5955' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Unique Url',
          'block_type' => 'Unique Root URL',
          'block_alias' => 'unique_url',
          'post_id' => '65155',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
          ),
        ),
      ),
      'alias' => 
      array (
        'page_link' => '/press-releases/6454/statement-on-district-court-ruling-in-cfss-lawsuit-challenging-fdas-generally-recognized-as-safe-rule',
        'bitly' => 'https://bit.ly/2WuG1ke',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'lead_img' => 'fda_18787.jpg',
        'rich_snippet' => '<p><span data-contrast="none">NEW YORK—In a blow to food safety advocates and public health, today a federal judge in the Southern District of New York sided with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), ruling that the agency\'s controversial "generally rec.',
        'page' => 
        array (
          'id' => '6454',
          'SECTION_ID' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '0',
          'BLOCK_ID' => '0',
          'order' => '1',
          'visible' => '1',
          'feature' => '0',
          'hide' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Statement on District Court Ruling in CFS\'s Lawsuit Challenging FDA\'s \'Generally Recognized as Safe\' Rule',
          'url' => 'statement-on-district-court-ruling-in-cfss-lawsuit-challenging-fdas-generally-recognized-as-safe-rule',
          'bitly' => 'https://bit.ly/2WuG1ke',
          'lead_img' => 'fda_18787.jpg',
          'meta_title' => 'Statement on District Court Ruling in CFS\'s Lawsuit Challenging FDA\'s \'Generally Recognized as Safe\' Rule',
          'meta_desc' => '<p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; overflow-wrap: break-word;...',
          'meta_img' => 'fda_18778.jpg',
          'meta_json' => '',
          'update_meta_title' => '0',
          'update_meta_desc' => '0',
          'update_meta_img' => '1',
          'update_meta_json' => '0',
          'start_time' => '0',
          'end_time' => '0',
        ),
        'section' => 
        array (
          'id' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '486',
          'PAGE_ID' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Press Releases',
          'url' => 'press-releases',
          'hide' => '0',
          'order' => '1',
        ),
        'bid_3613' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue 3',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel3',
          'post_id' => '65144',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_2291' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Category',
          'block_type' => 'Grouping',
          'block_alias' => 'cat',
          'post_id' => '65149',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5592' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Hide',
          'block_type' => 'Hide - In \'page\' table',
          'block_alias' => '',
          'post_id' => '65153',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'alias' => 
        array (
          'title' => 'Statement on District Court Ruling in CFS\'s Lawsuit Challenging FDA\'s \'Generally Recognized as Safe\' Rule',
          'subtitle' => '',
          'hide_hero' => '0',
          'date' => '2021-10-01',
          'rel1' => 
          array (
            'custom_title' => '',
            'page_id' => '308',
            'name1' => 'Food Safety',
            'section_name1' => 'Issues',
            'page_link' => '/issues/308/food-safety',
            'lead_img' => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
            'rich_snippet' => '<p>According to federal data, each year, one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. These figures are likely to be far higher, as most food illnesses go unreported. The most five common pathogens causing foodborne i.',
          ),
          'rel2' => 
          array (
            'custom_title' => '',
            'page_id' => '4956',
            'name1' => 'Groups Sue FDA to Protect Food Safety',
            'section_name1' => 'Press Releases',
            'page_link' => '/press-releases/4956/groups-sue-fda-to-protect-food-safety',
            'lead_img' => 'fda_67335.jpg',
            'rich_snippet' => '<p><strong>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</strong></p>
<p><strong>May 22, 2017</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Groups Sue FDA to Protect Food Safety</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Seek to ensure food additives are found safe before bei.',
          ),
          'desc' => '<p><span data-contrast="none">NEW YORK—In a blow to food safety advocates and public health, today a federal judge in the Southern District of New York sided with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), ruling that the agency\'s controversial "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS) rule does not violate the law. The GRAS rule permits food manufacturers to add thousands of new chemical substances to food without disclosing those substances to FDA or the public. This includes substances that were never before approved by the FDA as safe.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="none">In 2017, Center for Food Safety (CFS) and Environmental Defense Fund <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/4956/groups-sue-fda-to-protect-food-safety" target="_blank">filed suit</a> </span><span data-contrast="none">challenging the final GRAS rule, co-represented by CFS and Earthjustice.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p>
<p><strong><span data-contrast="none">Statement from George Kimbrell, legal director for Center for Food Safety:</span></strong><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="none">"We are extremely disappointed by the court\'s ruling that will continue to allow FDA to flout its regulatory duties and outsource the job to self-interested food corporations driven by their bottom line rather than the public interest. We are carefully reviewing the decision and considering all legal options, including appeal."</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p>',
          'pdf' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
          'link' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
          'images' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              0 => 'fda_18787.jpg',
              1 => '',
              2 => '',
              3 => '',
              4 => '',
              5 => '',
              6 => 'Statement on District Court Ruling in CFS\'s Lawsuit Challenging FDA\'s \'Generally Recognized as Safe\' Rule',
              7 => 1000,
              8 => 562,
            ),
          ),
          'tweets' => '0',
          'quotes' => '0',
          'join' => '0',
          'scheduler' => 
          array (
            'id' => '354',
            'PAGE_ID' => '6454',
            'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
            'set_time' => '0',
            'start_time_hour' => 'NA',
            'start_time_minute' => '00',
            'start_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'end_time_hour' => 'NA',
            'end_time_minute' => '00',
            'end_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'start_month' => '10',
            'start_day' => '01',
            'start_year' => '2021',
            'end_month' => '10',
            'end_day' => '01',
            'end_year' => '2021',
            'occurs' => 'once',
            'repeat_every_int' => '1',
            'repeat_every_period' => 'year',
            'repeat_stop_after' => '1',
            'float_period' => 'first',
            'float_day_o_w' => 'sunday',
            'float_repeat_every_x_mo' => '1',
            'float_stop_after' => '1',
            'events' => 
            array (
              0 => 
              array (
                'id' => '3049',
                'SCHEDULE_ID' => '354',
                'PAGE_ID' => '6454',
                'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
                'date_start' => '2021-10-01 00:00:00',
                'date_end' => '2021-10-01 00:00:00',
                'has_start_time' => '0',
                'has_end_time' => '0',
                'occurs' => 'once',
                'start' => 'Friday, October 1, 2021',
                'end' => '',
              ),
            ),
          ),
          'unique_url' => '',
        ),
      ),
    ),
  ),
  4 => 
  array (
    'id' => '6415',
    'SECTION_ID' => '129',
    'PARENT_ID' => '0',
    'BLOCK_ID' => '0',
    'order' => '34',
    'visible' => '1',
    'feature' => '0',
    'hide' => '0',
    'name1' => 'Toxic Chemicals Found in Some Beverage Packaging',
    'url' => 'toxic-chemicals-found-in-some-beverage-packaging',
    'bitly' => '69b',
    'lead_img' => 'cms-hero_93874.jpg',
    'meta_title' => 'Center for Food Safety | Press Releases |  | Toxic Chemicals Found in Some Beverage Packaging',
    'meta_desc' => 'Chemicals known to harm pregnant women and children were found in the plastic liners of the metal caps used on many glass bottles',
    'meta_img' => 'cms-hero_93866.jpg',
    'meta_json' => '',
    'update_meta_title' => '0',
    'update_meta_desc' => '0',
    'update_meta_img' => '1',
    'update_meta_json' => '0',
    'start_time' => '0',
    'end_time' => '0',
    'content' => 
    array (
      'typ' => 
      array (
        'page_id' => '6415',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'text' => 
        array (
          0 => 'Toxic Chemicals Found in Some Beverage Packaging',
          1 => 'Chemicals known to harm pregnant women and children were found in the plastic liners of the metal caps used on many glass bottles',
          2 => '',
        ),
        'checkbox' => 
        array (
          0 => '0',
          1 => '0',
          2 => '0',
          3 => '0',
        ),
        'date' => 
        array (
          0 => '2021-07-14',
        ),
        'relation' => 
        array (
          0 => 
          array (
            'custom' => 
            array (
              0 => '',
            ),
            'page_id' => '6414',
            'basic' => 
            array (
              'page_id' => '6414',
              'root_url' => 'resources',
              'root' => 'Resources',
              'text' => 
              array (
                0 => 'Capped with Toxcis: Toxic Chemicals Found in the Plastic Liners of Bottle Caps from Glass-Bottled Beverages',
              ),
              'rich' => 
              array (
                0 => '<p><em><strong>Testing of the plastic liners from beneath nearly 300 bottle caps has revealed that many glass-bottled beverages may be capped with toxic chemicals that could expose consumers to harm and contribute to environmental injustice.</strong></em></p>
<p>For beverage packaging, we investigated the use of polyvinyl chloride (PVC or vinyl) plastic and chemical plasticizers added to make vinyl soft and pliable. Several plasticizers are used in flexible vinyl plastic, including ortho-phthalates, a class of chemicals of high concern.</p>
<p>Flexible vinyl makes up some plastic liners (known as cap gaskets) that seal the underside of metal bottle caps to glass bottles. Plasticizers typically account for one-third to one-half of flexible vinyl plastic by weight. These additives are not chemically bound to the plastic and are continually shed into the surrounding environment during use and disposal.</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/capped-with-toxics-report2021_93074.pdf" target="_blank">GET THE FULL REPORT >></a></strong></p>
<div style="position: relative; padding-top: max(60%,326px); height: 0; width: 100%;"><iframe style="position: absolute; border: none; width: 100%; height: 100%; left: 0; right: 0; top: 0; bottom: 0;" src="https://e.issuu.com/embed.html?d=capped-with-toxics-report2021&u=centerforfoodsafety" width="100%" height="1000" sandbox="allow-top-navigation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation allow-downloads allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-modals allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div>',
              ),
              'images' => 
              array (
                0 => 'cms-hero_93303.jpg',
                1 => '',
              ),
              'lead_img' => 'cms-hero_93303.jpg',
              'file' => 
              array (
                0 => 'capped-with-toxics-report2021_93074.pdf',
                1 => '',
                2 => '',
                3 => '',
              ),
              'date' => 
              array (
                0 => '2021-07-14',
              ),
              'children' => 
              array (
              ),
              'relation' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'custom' => 
                  array (
                    0 => '',
                  ),
                  'page_id' => '308',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  'custom' => 
                  array (
                    0 => '',
                  ),
                  'page_id' => '6379',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  'custom' => 
                  array (
                    0 => '',
                  ),
                  'page_id' => '5017',
                ),
              ),
              'checkbox' => 
              array (
                0 => '0',
                1 => '0',
                2 => '0',
              ),
              'url' => '/reports/6414/capped-with-toxcis-toxic-chemicals-found-in-the-plastic-liners-of-bottle-caps-from-glass-bottled-beverages',
            ),
          ),
          1 => 
          array (
            'custom' => 
            array (
              0 => '',
            ),
            'page_id' => '308',
            'basic' => 
            array (
              'page_id' => '308',
              'root_url' => 'issues',
              'root' => 'Issues',
              'text' => 
              array (
                0 => 'Food Safety',
                1 => '',
                2 => 'Food Safety',
                3 => 'From:CFSTrueFood+#foodsafety',
              ),
              'rich' => 
              array (
                0 => '<p>According to federal data, each year, one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. These figures are likely to be far higher, as most food illnesses go unreported. The most five common pathogens causing foodborne illnesses resulting in hospitalizations are: salmonella, norovirus, Campylobacter, toxoplasma gondii, and E. coli 0157.</p>
<p>Almost every week brings more news of food contamination or foodborne illness outbreak. What’s going on? Our industrialized food system is the root cause of many of these outbreaks.</p>
<p>Industrialization of the food supply</p>
<p>One likely cause is overcrowded conditions on factory farms, where animals get sick and pass the disease on to other animals. Another factor is our wide distribution system, in which contaminated food is transported across the nation. Also, we are increasingly relying on imported foods with unknown safety standards. (For example, 60 percent of our seafood is imported.) Adding to this perfect storm is government deregulation and inadequate funding for inspections and oversight.</p>
<p>Another critical food safety problem is the thousands of chemical additives Americans consume every day. Thanks to industry influence over the approval process, the long-term safety risks for most of these substances are unknown.</p>
<p>For example, for years science has pointed to chemical food dyes as a significant contributor to child behavioral problems. And yet the federal government still denies this connection. In addition, we’ve seen a huge increase in food allergies in children in recent years, but without much explanation of the causes. Clearly, more research is needed into how the industrialized food supply may be impacting our health in ways that are less obvious than foodborne illness.</p>
<p>Political influence</p>
<p>Nothing about food safety takes place in a political vacuum. For decades, the food industry has lobbied to ensure the status quo. And when we finally do get a rare policy victory, such as the passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act (passed in 2010), the game switches to “starving the beast” – limiting the funds for government to adequately carry out the legislative intent.</p>
<p>Powerful trade groups such as the American Meat Institute lobby against common sense policy improvements, such as expanding required testing for deadly bacteria in ground beef. Another important political factor is international trade. Other nations get upset when theU.S.government demands higher scrutiny of imports. In addition, the Food and Drug Administration, despite having jurisdiction over most of the food supply, is constantly under-funded, limiting inspection and enforcement actions; again, thanks to powerful lobbyists who like it that way.</p>
<p>What can we do about it?</p>
<p>President Obama has pledged a complete overhaul of our food system. The Center for Food Safety believes this will require elevating food safety within government to be a cabinet level agency. The mission of this new food agency must be to evaluate how best to regulate food production to prevent the greatest food safety hazards caused by large industrial agriculture and processed foods and while also protecting and supporting smaller, family, and diversified farms. But such an overhaul can only be successful by removing politics from food safety.</p>
<p>Additional Food Safety Resources</p>
<p><a href="http://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/cdc-and-food-safety.html" target="_blank">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.fsis.usda.gov/" target="_blank">United States Department of Agriculture</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.fda.gov/food/foodsafety/default.htm" target="_blank">Food and Drug Administration</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.foodsafety.gov/" target="_blank">FoodSafety.gov</a></p>',
              ),
              'lead_img' => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
              'gallery' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
                  1 => 'NEW REPORT: TPP Serves Up an Unsavory Dinner',
                  2 => '<p>If you’ve been listening to or reading the news at any point over the past year, it’s likely that you’ve heard about the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP. While the term may be familiar, the connection between TPP and what you find on your dinner plate may not be.</p>',
                  3 => 'http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/reports/4573/tpp-serves-up-an-unsavory-dinner',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'oilandwater_thinkbeforeyoupink_hero2_14465.jpg',
                  1 => 'Tell Bee Sweet Citrus and Wonderful Company to Stop Watering Our Food with Oil Wastewater!',
                  2 => '<p>The use of oil wastewater for food irrigation is an urgent public health issue because of the potentially hazardous chemicals associated with all oil extraction processes – including toxic chemicals linked to cancer. Tell Wonderful Company and Bee Sweet Citrus to stop watering our food with toxic oil wastewater!</p>',
                  3 => 'http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/1881/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=19536',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'istock_000009992043small_78906.jpg',
                  1 => 'Court Victory: Consumers Have a Right to Know About Their Food',
                  2 => '<p>The Washington D.C. Court of Appeals upheld the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) rule which requires information about where meat is raised and slaughtered. USDA drafted COOL rules in 2009 and finalized them in 2013.</p>',
                  3 => 'http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/3404/court-victory-consumers-have-a-right-to-know-about-their-food',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
              ),
              'images' => 
              array (
                0 => 'foodsafety_48189.png',
                1 => '',
                2 => 'foodsafety_68552.png',
                3 => '',
              ),
              'group' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '94',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '48',
                  'sub_group' => '0',
                  'name1' => 'Food Safety',
                  'url' => 'food-safety',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'order' => '4',
                ),
              ),
              'color' => 
              array (
                0 => '#f79676',
                1 => 'Food Safety Mauve',
              ),
              'section' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '219',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Food Safety & Food Recalls',
                  'url' => 'food-safety-and-food-recalls',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '158',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '329',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Industrialization of the Food Supply',
                  'url' => 'industrialization-of-the-food-supply',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '159',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '330',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Political Influence',
                  'url' => 'political-influence',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '160',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
              ),
              'checkbox' => 
              array (
                0 => '1',
                1 => '0',
                2 => '1',
              ),
              'url' => '/issues/308/food-safety',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'rich' => 
        array (
          0 => '<p dir="ltr">Portland, ME—A new report by the Toxic Free Food Campaign titled "<a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/capped-with-toxics-report2021_93074.pdf">Capped With Toxics</a>" found toxic chemicals called ortho-phthalates in more than one-third of the 141 beverage brands tested. Prior research has linked ongoing exposure to phthalates during pregnancy and early childhood to reduced fertility and harm to brain development. Additionally, women, children and people of color face higher exposure and greater susceptibility to phthalates.</p>
<p>"No bottled beverage should be capped with toxic plastic chemicals," <strong>said Brandon Moore, National Campaign Director at <a href="https://defendourhealth.org/">Defend Our Health</a>.</strong> "Beverage packaging is a matter of both environmental justice and environmental health. We applaud market leaders like Brew Dr Kombucha for switching to phthalate-free bottle caps with safer plastic liners, which are widely available. Now it\'s time for market laggards like Martinelli\'s to end its use of toxic bottle caps on its sparkling beverages."</p>
<p>Studies have shown that phthalates can migrate from the plastic cap liners into food and beverages that are packed in glass. The chemicals may also leave a residue on the rim of the bottle, which can be consumed. And when discarded, the bottle caps can also pollute the environment.</p>
<p><strong>Dr. Leo Trasande, pediatrics professor and research scientist at New York University Langone Health stated:</strong> "It\'s unfortunate to see a nongovernmental organization do what most consumers see as the FDA\'s job. The health implications of phthalate exposures run across the life course, including obesity, diabetes and heart disease, with economic costs that drain our productivity. There are safer alternatives to these chemicals, and this report should spur efforts to mitigate this among other sources of environmental health disparities."</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.toxicfreefood.org/">Toxic-Free Food Campaign</a>, a national public health coalition of nonprofit organizations, has shared the bottle cap test results with 141 brands whose beverages were sampled. Several major brands have since switched to phthalate-free bottle caps including Brew Dr Kombucha, Whole Foods Market (sparkling mineral water), Keurig Dr Pepper (IBC and Stewart\'s root beer, Snapple tea, Nantucket Nectar juice), and Maine Root (craft soda). Phthalate-free and vinyl-free caps are widely available.</p>
<p>However, other beverage brands remain market laggards. For example, testing of the crown caps from four varieties of Martinelli\'s sparkling apple and grape juice revealed the presence of phthalates in the plastic liners. The company has not responded to repeated offers of technical assistance and dialogue.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"Martinelli\'s is a trusted brand, but finding harmful chemicals in their bottle caps is concerning and needs to be addressed," <strong>said José Bravo, National Campaign Coordinator for the Campaign for Healthier Solutions (CHS)</strong>, a group of over 200 health, science-based and environmental justice organizations focused on getting toxic chemicals out of products sold at dollar stores. "This should be an easy fix because there are many suppliers of non-toxic bottle caps."</p>
<p>The Toxic-Free Food Campaign collected 273 bottle caps from 141 brands sold in glass bottles at retail locations in twelve U.S. states, Washington DC, and Toronto, Canada. </p>
<p>"Our lab testing identified the type of plastic in each cap gasket and the presence of chemical additives such as phthalates,"<strong> said Gillian Z. Miller, PhD, Senior Scientist with the Ecology Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan.</strong> "We corroborated the results with third-party laboratory testing using certified methods."</p>
<p>Of the beverages tested, the types that most frequently contained phthalates in the bottle cap liners were soda (52% of brands tested), kombucha (40%) and ready-to-drink coffee (38%). For certified organic beverages, 41% of brands had toxic bottle caps. In good news, the "Capped With Toxics" report found that more than one-third of the brands tested had bottle cap liners that were phthalate-free, and were not made of PVC (vinyl), often called the \'poison plastic\' due to toxic hazards created across its lifecycle.</p>
<p>"Phthalates should not be allowed in any foods, much less organic foods," <strong>said Jaydee Hanson, Policy Director at Center for Food Safety.</strong> "We are disappointed that some organic products had bottle caps with orthophthalates. We wish all companies would follow the example of General Mills which eliminated phthalates from one of its organic producers—Annie\'s—and plans to eliminate these chemicals from all its food products. The National Organic Program of the USDA has dragged its feet on requiring organics to be phthalate-free."</p>
<p><em><strong>Resources Available:</strong></em></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://defendourhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Suppliers-PVC-Free-Cap-Gaskets.pdf">Link to list of suppliers of PVC-Free (Non-Vinyl) Cap Gaskets</a></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="http://www.toxicfreedrink.org">"Capped with Toxics" website</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/capped-with-toxics-report2021_93074.pdf">Download the full report</a></p>',
        ),
        'file' => 
        array (
          0 => '',
          1 => '',
        ),
        'link' => 
        array (
          0 => '',
          1 => '',
        ),
        'lead_img' => 'cms-hero_93874.jpg',
        'gallery' => 
        array (
          0 => 
          array (
            0 => 'cms-hero_93874.jpg',
            1 => '',
            2 => '',
            3 => '',
            4 => '',
            5 => '',
            6 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'group' => 
        array (
          0 => 
          array (
            'id' => '110',
            'PARENT_ID' => '0',
            'sub_group' => '0',
            'name1' => 'Press Releases Categories',
            'url' => 'press-releases-categories',
            'visible' => '1',
            'order' => '5',
          ),
          1 => 
          array (
            'id' => '118',
            'PARENT_ID' => '110',
            'sub_group' => '0',
            'name1' => 'Food Safety',
            'url' => 'food-safety',
            'visible' => '1',
            'order' => '11',
          ),
        ),
        'url' => '/press-releases/6415/toxic-chemicals-found-in-some-beverage-packaging',
      ),
      'bid' => 
      array (
        'page_link' => '/press-releases/6415/toxic-chemicals-found-in-some-beverage-packaging',
        'bitly' => '69b',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'lead_img' => 'cms-hero_93874.jpg',
        'rich_snippet' => '<p dir="ltr">Portland, ME—A new report by the Toxic Free Food Campaign titled "<a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/capped-with-toxics-report2021_93074.pdf">Capped With Toxics</a>" found toxic chemicals called ortho-phthalates in more than one-thi.',
        'page' => 
        array (
          'id' => '6415',
          'SECTION_ID' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '0',
          'BLOCK_ID' => '0',
          'order' => '1',
          'visible' => '1',
          'feature' => '0',
          'hide' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Toxic Chemicals Found in Some Beverage Packaging',
          'url' => 'toxic-chemicals-found-in-some-beverage-packaging',
          'bitly' => '69b',
          'lead_img' => 'cms-hero_93874.jpg',
          'meta_title' => 'Center for Food Safety | Press Releases |  | Toxic Chemicals Found in Some Beverage Packaging',
          'meta_desc' => 'Chemicals known to harm pregnant women and children were found in the plastic liners of the metal caps used on many glass bottles',
          'meta_img' => 'cms-hero_93866.jpg',
          'meta_json' => '',
          'update_meta_title' => '0',
          'update_meta_desc' => '0',
          'update_meta_img' => '1',
          'update_meta_json' => '0',
          'start_time' => '0',
          'end_time' => '0',
        ),
        'section' => 
        array (
          'id' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '486',
          'PAGE_ID' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Press Releases',
          'url' => 'press-releases',
          'hide' => '0',
          'order' => '1',
        ),
        'bid_380' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Title',
          'block_type' => 'Plain Text',
          'block_alias' => 'title',
          'post_id' => '64532',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 'Toxic Chemicals Found in Some Beverage Packaging',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5959' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Subtitle',
          'block_type' => 'Plain Text',
          'block_alias' => 'subtitle',
          'post_id' => '64533',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 'Chemicals known to harm pregnant women and children were found in the plastic liners of the metal caps used on many glass bottles',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5957' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Show Hero Image',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'hide_hero',
          'post_id' => '64534',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_381' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Date',
          'block_type' => 'Date',
          'block_alias' => 'date',
          'post_id' => '64535',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '2021-07-14',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_2294' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel1',
          'post_id' => '64536',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'custom_title' => '',
              'page_id' => '6414',
              'name1' => 'Capped with Toxcis: Toxic Chemicals Found in the Plastic Liners of Bottle Caps from Glass-Bottled Beverages',
              'section_name1' => 'Reports',
              'page_link' => '/reports/6414/capped-with-toxcis-toxic-chemicals-found-in-the-plastic-liners-of-bottle-caps-from-glass-bottled-beverages',
              'lead_img' => 'cms-hero_93303.jpg',
              'rich_snippet' => '<p><em><strong>Testing of the plastic liners from beneath nearly 300 bottle caps has revealed that many glass-bottled beverages may be capped with toxic chemicals that could expose consumers to harm and contribute to environmental injustice.</strong></em></p>
<p>.',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_3612' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue 2',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel2',
          'post_id' => '64537',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'custom_title' => '',
              'page_id' => '308',
              'name1' => 'Food Safety',
              'section_name1' => 'Issues',
              'page_link' => '/issues/308/food-safety',
              'lead_img' => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
              'rich_snippet' => '<p>According to federal data, each year, one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. These figures are likely to be far higher, as most food illnesses go unreported. The most five common pathogens causing foodborne i.',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_3613' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue 3',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel3',
          'post_id' => '64538',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_382' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Description',
          'block_type' => 'Rich Text',
          'block_alias' => 'desc',
          'post_id' => '64539',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '<p dir="ltr">Portland, ME—A new report by the Toxic Free Food Campaign titled "<a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/capped-with-toxics-report2021_93074.pdf">Capped With Toxics</a>" found toxic chemicals called ortho-phthalates in more than one-third of the 141 beverage brands tested. Prior research has linked ongoing exposure to phthalates during pregnancy and early childhood to reduced fertility and harm to brain development. Additionally, women, children and people of color face higher exposure and greater susceptibility to phthalates.</p>
<p>"No bottled beverage should be capped with toxic plastic chemicals," <strong>said Brandon Moore, National Campaign Director at <a href="https://defendourhealth.org/">Defend Our Health</a>.</strong> "Beverage packaging is a matter of both environmental justice and environmental health. We applaud market leaders like Brew Dr Kombucha for switching to phthalate-free bottle caps with safer plastic liners, which are widely available. Now it\'s time for market laggards like Martinelli\'s to end its use of toxic bottle caps on its sparkling beverages."</p>
<p>Studies have shown that phthalates can migrate from the plastic cap liners into food and beverages that are packed in glass. The chemicals may also leave a residue on the rim of the bottle, which can be consumed. And when discarded, the bottle caps can also pollute the environment.</p>
<p><strong>Dr. Leo Trasande, pediatrics professor and research scientist at New York University Langone Health stated:</strong> "It\'s unfortunate to see a nongovernmental organization do what most consumers see as the FDA\'s job. The health implications of phthalate exposures run across the life course, including obesity, diabetes and heart disease, with economic costs that drain our productivity. There are safer alternatives to these chemicals, and this report should spur efforts to mitigate this among other sources of environmental health disparities."</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.toxicfreefood.org/">Toxic-Free Food Campaign</a>, a national public health coalition of nonprofit organizations, has shared the bottle cap test results with 141 brands whose beverages were sampled. Several major brands have since switched to phthalate-free bottle caps including Brew Dr Kombucha, Whole Foods Market (sparkling mineral water), Keurig Dr Pepper (IBC and Stewart\'s root beer, Snapple tea, Nantucket Nectar juice), and Maine Root (craft soda). Phthalate-free and vinyl-free caps are widely available.</p>
<p>However, other beverage brands remain market laggards. For example, testing of the crown caps from four varieties of Martinelli\'s sparkling apple and grape juice revealed the presence of phthalates in the plastic liners. The company has not responded to repeated offers of technical assistance and dialogue.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"Martinelli\'s is a trusted brand, but finding harmful chemicals in their bottle caps is concerning and needs to be addressed," <strong>said José Bravo, National Campaign Coordinator for the Campaign for Healthier Solutions (CHS)</strong>, a group of over 200 health, science-based and environmental justice organizations focused on getting toxic chemicals out of products sold at dollar stores. "This should be an easy fix because there are many suppliers of non-toxic bottle caps."</p>
<p>The Toxic-Free Food Campaign collected 273 bottle caps from 141 brands sold in glass bottles at retail locations in twelve U.S. states, Washington DC, and Toronto, Canada. </p>
<p>"Our lab testing identified the type of plastic in each cap gasket and the presence of chemical additives such as phthalates,"<strong> said Gillian Z. Miller, PhD, Senior Scientist with the Ecology Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan.</strong> "We corroborated the results with third-party laboratory testing using certified methods."</p>
<p>Of the beverages tested, the types that most frequently contained phthalates in the bottle cap liners were soda (52% of brands tested), kombucha (40%) and ready-to-drink coffee (38%). For certified organic beverages, 41% of brands had toxic bottle caps. In good news, the "Capped With Toxics" report found that more than one-third of the brands tested had bottle cap liners that were phthalate-free, and were not made of PVC (vinyl), often called the \'poison plastic\' due to toxic hazards created across its lifecycle.</p>
<p>"Phthalates should not be allowed in any foods, much less organic foods," <strong>said Jaydee Hanson, Policy Director at Center for Food Safety.</strong> "We are disappointed that some organic products had bottle caps with orthophthalates. We wish all companies would follow the example of General Mills which eliminated phthalates from one of its organic producers—Annie\'s—and plans to eliminate these chemicals from all its food products. The National Organic Program of the USDA has dragged its feet on requiring organics to be phthalate-free."</p>
<p><em><strong>Resources Available:</strong></em></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://defendourhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Suppliers-PVC-Free-Cap-Gaskets.pdf">Link to list of suppliers of PVC-Free (Non-Vinyl) Cap Gaskets</a></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="http://www.toxicfreedrink.org">"Capped with Toxics" website</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/capped-with-toxics-report2021_93074.pdf">Download the full report</a></p>',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_383' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'PDF File',
          'block_type' => 'File',
          'block_alias' => 'pdf',
          'post_id' => '64540',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_1168' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'CFS Link',
          'block_type' => 'Link',
          'block_alias' => 'link',
          'post_id' => '64541',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_1169' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Image Gallery',
          'block_type' => 'Image Gallery',
          'block_alias' => 'images',
          'post_id' => '64550',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              0 => 'cms-hero_93874.jpg',
              1 => '',
              2 => '',
              3 => '',
              4 => '',
              5 => '',
              6 => 'Toxic Chemicals Found in Some Beverage Packaging',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_2291' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Category',
          'block_type' => 'Grouping',
          'block_alias' => 'cat',
          'post_id' => '64543',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'id' => '118',
              'PARENT_ID' => '110',
              'sub_group' => '0',
              'name1' => 'Food Safety',
              'url' => 'food-safety',
              'visible' => '1',
              'order' => '11',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4805' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Tweets',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'tweets',
          'post_id' => '64544',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4806' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Quotes',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'quotes',
          'post_id' => '64545',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4807' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Join CFS',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'join',
          'post_id' => '64546',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5592' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Hide',
          'block_type' => 'Hide - In \'page\' table',
          'block_alias' => '',
          'post_id' => '64547',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5835' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Scheduler',
          'block_type' => 'Schedule',
          'block_alias' => 'scheduler',
          'post_id' => '64548',
          'content' => 
          array (
            'id' => '327',
            'PAGE_ID' => '6415',
            'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
            'set_time' => '0',
            'start_time_hour' => 'NA',
            'start_time_minute' => '00',
            'start_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'end_time_hour' => 'NA',
            'end_time_minute' => '00',
            'end_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'start_month' => '07',
            'start_day' => '14',
            'start_year' => '2021',
            'end_month' => '07',
            'end_day' => '14',
            'end_year' => '2021',
            'occurs' => 'once',
            'repeat_every_int' => '1',
            'repeat_every_period' => 'year',
            'repeat_stop_after' => '1',
            'float_period' => 'first',
            'float_day_o_w' => 'sunday',
            'float_repeat_every_x_mo' => '1',
            'float_stop_after' => '1',
            'events' => 
            array (
              0 => 
              array (
                'id' => '2749',
                'SCHEDULE_ID' => '327',
                'PAGE_ID' => '6415',
                'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
                'date_start' => '2021-07-14 00:00:00',
                'date_end' => '2021-07-14 00:00:00',
                'has_start_time' => '0',
                'has_end_time' => '0',
                'occurs' => 'once',
                'start' => 'Wednesday, July 14, 2021',
                'end' => '',
              ),
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5955' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Unique Url',
          'block_type' => 'Unique Root URL',
          'block_alias' => 'unique_url',
          'post_id' => '64549',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
          ),
        ),
      ),
      'alias' => 
      array (
        'page_link' => '/press-releases/6415/toxic-chemicals-found-in-some-beverage-packaging',
        'bitly' => '69b',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'lead_img' => 'cms-hero_93874.jpg',
        'rich_snippet' => '<p dir="ltr">Portland, ME—A new report by the Toxic Free Food Campaign titled "<a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/capped-with-toxics-report2021_93074.pdf">Capped With Toxics</a>" found toxic chemicals called ortho-phthalates in more than one-thi.',
        'page' => 
        array (
          'id' => '6415',
          'SECTION_ID' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '0',
          'BLOCK_ID' => '0',
          'order' => '1',
          'visible' => '1',
          'feature' => '0',
          'hide' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Toxic Chemicals Found in Some Beverage Packaging',
          'url' => 'toxic-chemicals-found-in-some-beverage-packaging',
          'bitly' => '69b',
          'lead_img' => 'cms-hero_93874.jpg',
          'meta_title' => 'Center for Food Safety | Press Releases |  | Toxic Chemicals Found in Some Beverage Packaging',
          'meta_desc' => 'Chemicals known to harm pregnant women and children were found in the plastic liners of the metal caps used on many glass bottles',
          'meta_img' => 'cms-hero_93866.jpg',
          'meta_json' => '',
          'update_meta_title' => '0',
          'update_meta_desc' => '0',
          'update_meta_img' => '1',
          'update_meta_json' => '0',
          'start_time' => '0',
          'end_time' => '0',
        ),
        'section' => 
        array (
          'id' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '486',
          'PAGE_ID' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Press Releases',
          'url' => 'press-releases',
          'hide' => '0',
          'order' => '1',
        ),
        'bid_3613' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue 3',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel3',
          'post_id' => '64538',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5592' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Hide',
          'block_type' => 'Hide - In \'page\' table',
          'block_alias' => '',
          'post_id' => '64547',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'alias' => 
        array (
          'title' => 'Toxic Chemicals Found in Some Beverage Packaging',
          'subtitle' => 'Chemicals known to harm pregnant women and children were found in the plastic liners of the metal caps used on many glass bottles',
          'hide_hero' => '0',
          'date' => '2021-07-14',
          'rel1' => 
          array (
            'custom_title' => '',
            'page_id' => '6414',
            'name1' => 'Capped with Toxcis: Toxic Chemicals Found in the Plastic Liners of Bottle Caps from Glass-Bottled Beverages',
            'section_name1' => 'Reports',
            'page_link' => '/reports/6414/capped-with-toxcis-toxic-chemicals-found-in-the-plastic-liners-of-bottle-caps-from-glass-bottled-beverages',
            'lead_img' => 'cms-hero_93303.jpg',
            'rich_snippet' => '<p><em><strong>Testing of the plastic liners from beneath nearly 300 bottle caps has revealed that many glass-bottled beverages may be capped with toxic chemicals that could expose consumers to harm and contribute to environmental injustice.</strong></em></p>
<p>.',
          ),
          'rel2' => 
          array (
            'custom_title' => '',
            'page_id' => '308',
            'name1' => 'Food Safety',
            'section_name1' => 'Issues',
            'page_link' => '/issues/308/food-safety',
            'lead_img' => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
            'rich_snippet' => '<p>According to federal data, each year, one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. These figures are likely to be far higher, as most food illnesses go unreported. The most five common pathogens causing foodborne i.',
          ),
          'desc' => '<p dir="ltr">Portland, ME—A new report by the Toxic Free Food Campaign titled "<a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/capped-with-toxics-report2021_93074.pdf">Capped With Toxics</a>" found toxic chemicals called ortho-phthalates in more than one-third of the 141 beverage brands tested. Prior research has linked ongoing exposure to phthalates during pregnancy and early childhood to reduced fertility and harm to brain development. Additionally, women, children and people of color face higher exposure and greater susceptibility to phthalates.</p>
<p>"No bottled beverage should be capped with toxic plastic chemicals," <strong>said Brandon Moore, National Campaign Director at <a href="https://defendourhealth.org/">Defend Our Health</a>.</strong> "Beverage packaging is a matter of both environmental justice and environmental health. We applaud market leaders like Brew Dr Kombucha for switching to phthalate-free bottle caps with safer plastic liners, which are widely available. Now it\'s time for market laggards like Martinelli\'s to end its use of toxic bottle caps on its sparkling beverages."</p>
<p>Studies have shown that phthalates can migrate from the plastic cap liners into food and beverages that are packed in glass. The chemicals may also leave a residue on the rim of the bottle, which can be consumed. And when discarded, the bottle caps can also pollute the environment.</p>
<p><strong>Dr. Leo Trasande, pediatrics professor and research scientist at New York University Langone Health stated:</strong> "It\'s unfortunate to see a nongovernmental organization do what most consumers see as the FDA\'s job. The health implications of phthalate exposures run across the life course, including obesity, diabetes and heart disease, with economic costs that drain our productivity. There are safer alternatives to these chemicals, and this report should spur efforts to mitigate this among other sources of environmental health disparities."</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.toxicfreefood.org/">Toxic-Free Food Campaign</a>, a national public health coalition of nonprofit organizations, has shared the bottle cap test results with 141 brands whose beverages were sampled. Several major brands have since switched to phthalate-free bottle caps including Brew Dr Kombucha, Whole Foods Market (sparkling mineral water), Keurig Dr Pepper (IBC and Stewart\'s root beer, Snapple tea, Nantucket Nectar juice), and Maine Root (craft soda). Phthalate-free and vinyl-free caps are widely available.</p>
<p>However, other beverage brands remain market laggards. For example, testing of the crown caps from four varieties of Martinelli\'s sparkling apple and grape juice revealed the presence of phthalates in the plastic liners. The company has not responded to repeated offers of technical assistance and dialogue.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"Martinelli\'s is a trusted brand, but finding harmful chemicals in their bottle caps is concerning and needs to be addressed," <strong>said José Bravo, National Campaign Coordinator for the Campaign for Healthier Solutions (CHS)</strong>, a group of over 200 health, science-based and environmental justice organizations focused on getting toxic chemicals out of products sold at dollar stores. "This should be an easy fix because there are many suppliers of non-toxic bottle caps."</p>
<p>The Toxic-Free Food Campaign collected 273 bottle caps from 141 brands sold in glass bottles at retail locations in twelve U.S. states, Washington DC, and Toronto, Canada. </p>
<p>"Our lab testing identified the type of plastic in each cap gasket and the presence of chemical additives such as phthalates,"<strong> said Gillian Z. Miller, PhD, Senior Scientist with the Ecology Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan.</strong> "We corroborated the results with third-party laboratory testing using certified methods."</p>
<p>Of the beverages tested, the types that most frequently contained phthalates in the bottle cap liners were soda (52% of brands tested), kombucha (40%) and ready-to-drink coffee (38%). For certified organic beverages, 41% of brands had toxic bottle caps. In good news, the "Capped With Toxics" report found that more than one-third of the brands tested had bottle cap liners that were phthalate-free, and were not made of PVC (vinyl), often called the \'poison plastic\' due to toxic hazards created across its lifecycle.</p>
<p>"Phthalates should not be allowed in any foods, much less organic foods," <strong>said Jaydee Hanson, Policy Director at Center for Food Safety.</strong> "We are disappointed that some organic products had bottle caps with orthophthalates. We wish all companies would follow the example of General Mills which eliminated phthalates from one of its organic producers—Annie\'s—and plans to eliminate these chemicals from all its food products. The National Organic Program of the USDA has dragged its feet on requiring organics to be phthalate-free."</p>
<p><em><strong>Resources Available:</strong></em></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://defendourhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Suppliers-PVC-Free-Cap-Gaskets.pdf">Link to list of suppliers of PVC-Free (Non-Vinyl) Cap Gaskets</a></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="http://www.toxicfreedrink.org">"Capped with Toxics" website</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/capped-with-toxics-report2021_93074.pdf">Download the full report</a></p>',
          'pdf' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
          'link' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
          'images' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              0 => 'cms-hero_93874.jpg',
              1 => '',
              2 => '',
              3 => '',
              4 => '',
              5 => '',
              6 => 'Toxic Chemicals Found in Some Beverage Packaging',
              7 => 1000,
              8 => 562,
            ),
          ),
          'cat' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'id' => '118',
              'PARENT_ID' => '110',
              'sub_group' => '0',
              'name1' => 'Food Safety',
              'url' => 'food-safety',
              'visible' => '1',
              'order' => '11',
            ),
          ),
          'tweets' => '0',
          'quotes' => '0',
          'join' => '0',
          'scheduler' => 
          array (
            'id' => '327',
            'PAGE_ID' => '6415',
            'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
            'set_time' => '0',
            'start_time_hour' => 'NA',
            'start_time_minute' => '00',
            'start_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'end_time_hour' => 'NA',
            'end_time_minute' => '00',
            'end_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'start_month' => '07',
            'start_day' => '14',
            'start_year' => '2021',
            'end_month' => '07',
            'end_day' => '14',
            'end_year' => '2021',
            'occurs' => 'once',
            'repeat_every_int' => '1',
            'repeat_every_period' => 'year',
            'repeat_stop_after' => '1',
            'float_period' => 'first',
            'float_day_o_w' => 'sunday',
            'float_repeat_every_x_mo' => '1',
            'float_stop_after' => '1',
            'events' => 
            array (
              0 => 
              array (
                'id' => '2749',
                'SCHEDULE_ID' => '327',
                'PAGE_ID' => '6415',
                'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
                'date_start' => '2021-07-14 00:00:00',
                'date_end' => '2021-07-14 00:00:00',
                'has_start_time' => '0',
                'has_end_time' => '0',
                'occurs' => 'once',
                'start' => 'Wednesday, July 14, 2021',
                'end' => '',
              ),
            ),
          ),
          'unique_url' => '',
        ),
      ),
    ),
  ),
  5 => 
  array (
    'id' => '6386',
    'SECTION_ID' => '129',
    'PARENT_ID' => '0',
    'BLOCK_ID' => '0',
    'order' => '39',
    'visible' => '1',
    'feature' => '0',
    'hide' => '0',
    'name1' => 'Center for Food Safety Endorses New Bill That Would Close FDA\'s Food Safety Loophole',
    'url' => 'center-for-food-safety-endorses-new-bill-that-would-close-fdas-food-safety-loophole',
    'bitly' => '68h',
    'lead_img' => 'food-safety-gras-loophole-delauro-rosa-toxic-free-food-act-center-for-food-safety_71361.jpg',
    'meta_title' => 'Center for Food Safety Endorses New Bill That Would Close FDA\'s Food Safety Loophole',
    'meta_desc' => 'Today an estimated 3,000 chemicals that have never been scrutinized by the FDA are in use.',
    'meta_img' => 'food-safety-gras-loophole-delauro-rosa-toxic-free-food-act-center-for-food-safety_71348.jpg',
    'meta_json' => '',
    'update_meta_title' => '0',
    'update_meta_desc' => '0',
    'update_meta_img' => '1',
    'update_meta_json' => '0',
    'start_time' => '0',
    'end_time' => '0',
    'content' => 
    array (
      'typ' => 
      array (
        'page_id' => '6386',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'text' => 
        array (
          0 => 'Center for Food Safety Endorses New Bill That Would Close FDA\'s Food Safety Loophole',
          1 => '',
          2 => '',
        ),
        'checkbox' => 
        array (
          0 => '0',
          1 => '0',
          2 => '0',
          3 => '0',
        ),
        'date' => 
        array (
          0 => '2021-06-08',
        ),
        'relation' => 
        array (
          0 => 
          array (
            'custom' => 
            array (
              0 => '',
            ),
            'page_id' => '308',
            'basic' => 
            array (
              'page_id' => '308',
              'root_url' => 'issues',
              'root' => 'Issues',
              'text' => 
              array (
                0 => 'Food Safety',
                1 => '',
                2 => 'Food Safety',
                3 => 'From:CFSTrueFood+#foodsafety',
              ),
              'rich' => 
              array (
                0 => '<p>According to federal data, each year, one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. These figures are likely to be far higher, as most food illnesses go unreported. The most five common pathogens causing foodborne illnesses resulting in hospitalizations are: salmonella, norovirus, Campylobacter, toxoplasma gondii, and E. coli 0157.</p>
<p>Almost every week brings more news of food contamination or foodborne illness outbreak. What’s going on? Our industrialized food system is the root cause of many of these outbreaks.</p>
<p>Industrialization of the food supply</p>
<p>One likely cause is overcrowded conditions on factory farms, where animals get sick and pass the disease on to other animals. Another factor is our wide distribution system, in which contaminated food is transported across the nation. Also, we are increasingly relying on imported foods with unknown safety standards. (For example, 60 percent of our seafood is imported.) Adding to this perfect storm is government deregulation and inadequate funding for inspections and oversight.</p>
<p>Another critical food safety problem is the thousands of chemical additives Americans consume every day. Thanks to industry influence over the approval process, the long-term safety risks for most of these substances are unknown.</p>
<p>For example, for years science has pointed to chemical food dyes as a significant contributor to child behavioral problems. And yet the federal government still denies this connection. In addition, we’ve seen a huge increase in food allergies in children in recent years, but without much explanation of the causes. Clearly, more research is needed into how the industrialized food supply may be impacting our health in ways that are less obvious than foodborne illness.</p>
<p>Political influence</p>
<p>Nothing about food safety takes place in a political vacuum. For decades, the food industry has lobbied to ensure the status quo. And when we finally do get a rare policy victory, such as the passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act (passed in 2010), the game switches to “starving the beast” – limiting the funds for government to adequately carry out the legislative intent.</p>
<p>Powerful trade groups such as the American Meat Institute lobby against common sense policy improvements, such as expanding required testing for deadly bacteria in ground beef. Another important political factor is international trade. Other nations get upset when theU.S.government demands higher scrutiny of imports. In addition, the Food and Drug Administration, despite having jurisdiction over most of the food supply, is constantly under-funded, limiting inspection and enforcement actions; again, thanks to powerful lobbyists who like it that way.</p>
<p>What can we do about it?</p>
<p>President Obama has pledged a complete overhaul of our food system. The Center for Food Safety believes this will require elevating food safety within government to be a cabinet level agency. The mission of this new food agency must be to evaluate how best to regulate food production to prevent the greatest food safety hazards caused by large industrial agriculture and processed foods and while also protecting and supporting smaller, family, and diversified farms. But such an overhaul can only be successful by removing politics from food safety.</p>
<p>Additional Food Safety Resources</p>
<p><a href="http://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/cdc-and-food-safety.html" target="_blank">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.fsis.usda.gov/" target="_blank">United States Department of Agriculture</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.fda.gov/food/foodsafety/default.htm" target="_blank">Food and Drug Administration</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.foodsafety.gov/" target="_blank">FoodSafety.gov</a></p>',
              ),
              'lead_img' => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
              'gallery' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
                  1 => 'NEW REPORT: TPP Serves Up an Unsavory Dinner',
                  2 => '<p>If you’ve been listening to or reading the news at any point over the past year, it’s likely that you’ve heard about the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP. While the term may be familiar, the connection between TPP and what you find on your dinner plate may not be.</p>',
                  3 => 'http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/reports/4573/tpp-serves-up-an-unsavory-dinner',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'oilandwater_thinkbeforeyoupink_hero2_14465.jpg',
                  1 => 'Tell Bee Sweet Citrus and Wonderful Company to Stop Watering Our Food with Oil Wastewater!',
                  2 => '<p>The use of oil wastewater for food irrigation is an urgent public health issue because of the potentially hazardous chemicals associated with all oil extraction processes – including toxic chemicals linked to cancer. Tell Wonderful Company and Bee Sweet Citrus to stop watering our food with toxic oil wastewater!</p>',
                  3 => 'http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/1881/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=19536',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'istock_000009992043small_78906.jpg',
                  1 => 'Court Victory: Consumers Have a Right to Know About Their Food',
                  2 => '<p>The Washington D.C. Court of Appeals upheld the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) rule which requires information about where meat is raised and slaughtered. USDA drafted COOL rules in 2009 and finalized them in 2013.</p>',
                  3 => 'http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/3404/court-victory-consumers-have-a-right-to-know-about-their-food',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
              ),
              'images' => 
              array (
                0 => 'foodsafety_48189.png',
                1 => '',
                2 => 'foodsafety_68552.png',
                3 => '',
              ),
              'group' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '94',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '48',
                  'sub_group' => '0',
                  'name1' => 'Food Safety',
                  'url' => 'food-safety',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'order' => '4',
                ),
              ),
              'color' => 
              array (
                0 => '#f79676',
                1 => 'Food Safety Mauve',
              ),
              'section' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '219',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Food Safety & Food Recalls',
                  'url' => 'food-safety-and-food-recalls',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '158',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '329',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Industrialization of the Food Supply',
                  'url' => 'industrialization-of-the-food-supply',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '159',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '330',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Political Influence',
                  'url' => 'political-influence',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '160',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
              ),
              'checkbox' => 
              array (
                0 => '1',
                1 => '0',
                2 => '1',
              ),
              'url' => '/issues/308/food-safety',
            ),
          ),
          1 => 
          array (
            'custom' => 
            array (
              0 => '',
            ),
            'page_id' => '3550',
            'basic' => 
            array (
              'page_id' => '3550',
              'root_url' => 'media',
              'root' => 'Media',
              'text' => 
              array (
                0 => 'Victory! CFS Wins First Step in Major Legal Battle to Protect Food Safety',
              ),
              'date' => 
              array (
                0 => '2014-10-20',
              ),
              'relation' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'custom' => 
                  array (
                    0 => '',
                  ),
                  'page_id' => '308',
                ),
              ),
              'rich' => 
              array (
                0 => '<p><em>FDA agrees to bring “Generally Recognized as Safe” into compliance with federal law in settlement with CFS</em></p>
<p><strong>Washington D.C. (October 20, 2014) –</strong> Center for Food Safety today announced a settlement agreement with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that requires the agency to bring its food additive approval process, known as “Generally Recognized as Safe” (GRAS), into compliance with federal law. For more than 17 years, FDA has operated under a proposed rule that provides food manufacturers with a fast-track to get their food additives on the market.&nbsp; Under the proposed rule, FDA’s review of substances falls far short of what is required to protect consumers from potentially unsafe food additives. Center for Food Safety <a href="http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/2924/center-for-food-safety-sues-fda-over-food-additives">sued the agency</a> for failing to follow federal rulemaking requirements before putting this fast-track process into place.</p>
<p>“This is a major victory for consumers and the public. For more than 17 years, FDA has imposed a lax regulatory system on consumers without affording them their right to participate in the rulemaking process. This is a violation of federal law that will come to an end as a result of this settlement agreement,” said Donna Solen, senior attorney at Center for Food Safety.</p>
<p>The settlement agreement, pending approval by the Court, will require FDA to finalize the GRAS rule by August 2016.&nbsp; If FDA does not meet this deadline, CFS can ask the court to order the agency to fulfill its commitment and issue the rule. After the rule is finalized, FDA will be fully accountable for instituting a GRAS system that adequately protects the public from harmful food additives.</p>
<p>“FDA has finally agreed to live up to its obligation to finalize its proposed regulation and provide the public with its right to participate in the regulatory process,” added Solen. “Having a final rule in place will open the entire GRAS system to the scrutiny it deserves.”</p>
<p>In 1958, Congress passed a law requiring FDA to conduct rigorous premarket reviews of food additives, and approve or reject them based on scientific evidence. Common food ingredients like sugar and gelatin were deemed “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS), and thereby exempted from FDA review on the basis of a history of safe use. Manufacturers could also formally petition FDA to approve a food additive as GRAS based on published studies. FDA would then assess the evidence, decide whether or not the additive was safe, and approve or reject it. FDA proposed the new rule in 1997, and it has completely supplanted the petition process. Under this never-finalized rule, manufacturers simply notify FDA that a substance is GRAS by submitting a “GRAS exemption claim.” Because FDA review is cursory, the Agency refuses to confirm whether or not the additive is generally recognized as safe. Instead, it relies on manufacturers’ assertions about the safety of their products.</p>
<p>Despite the fact that the agency never fulfilled its legal obligation to finalize the 1997 rule, FDA operated under this faulty rule.</p>
<p>“The settlement vindicates the public’s right to participate in the rulemaking process, and a final rule gives the public the right to challenge FDA on its GRAS system. The safety of our food supply will benefit as a result,” concluded Solen.</p>',
              ),
              'file' => 
              array (
                0 => '',
                1 => '',
              ),
              'link' => 
              array (
                0 => '',
                1 => '',
              ),
              'lead_img' => 'foodborne-illness_91793_24462.jpg',
              'gallery' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'foodborne-illness_91793_24462.jpg',
                  1 => '',
                  2 => '',
                  3 => '',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
              ),
              'url' => '/press-releases/3550/victory-cfs-wins-first-step-in-major-legal-battle-to-protect-food-safety',
            ),
          ),
          2 => 
          array (
            'custom' => 
            array (
              0 => '',
            ),
            'page_id' => '4956',
            'basic' => 
            array (
              'page_id' => '4956',
              'root_url' => 'media',
              'root' => 'Media',
              'text' => 
              array (
                0 => 'Groups Sue FDA to Protect Food Safety',
                1 => '',
                2 => '',
              ),
              'checkbox' => 
              array (
                0 => '0',
                1 => '0',
                2 => '0',
                3 => '1',
              ),
              'date' => 
              array (
                0 => '2017-05-22',
              ),
              'relation' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'custom' => 
                  array (
                    0 => '',
                  ),
                  'page_id' => '308',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  'custom' => 
                  array (
                    0 => '',
                  ),
                  'page_id' => '4452',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  'custom' => 
                  array (
                    0 => '',
                  ),
                  'page_id' => '4955',
                ),
              ),
              'rich' => 
              array (
                0 => '<p><strong>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</strong></p>
<p><strong>May 22, 2017</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Groups Sue FDA to Protect Food Safety</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Seek to ensure food additives are found safe before being marketed to American consumers</em></p>
<p><strong>WASHINGTON —</strong> Today, consumer, health, and food safety groups <a href="http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/1-complaint-2017-5-22_69110.pdf" target="_blank">challenged a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rule</a> that undermines the integrity of our food safety system. Chemical and food manufacturers often seek to add chemicals to processed food, typically to enhance flavor, add nutrients, or prevent spoilage. Chemicals also often leach into foods from processing equipment and packaging. While Congress has required that FDA itself determine that chemical additives are safe before they can be used on food, the FDA rule allows manufacturers to decide for and by themselves—in secret—what can be added to processed foods. The groups assert this rule is unconstitutional and illegal.</p>
<p>The public expects, and the law demands, that FDA ensure the safety of Americans’ food. Center for Food Safety (CFS), Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, Center for Science in the Public Interest, Environmental Defense Fund and Environmental Working Group, represented by legal counsel from CFS and the environmental law firm Earthjustice, are suing the agency for illegally delegating that authority to self-interested food and chemical manufacturers. They also allege that while Congress mandates an open and public process, FDA allows manufacturers to make these decisions about food additives without any disclosure to either FDA or the public. The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.</p>
<p>Federal law requires FDA to ensure that substances used in food are safe, taking into account consumers’ entire diet and all exposure to the chemical and similar chemicals. But any substance designated as “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) by FDA or by a food or chemical company can bypass the rigorous pre-market review and approval process applied to food additives. The GRAS exemption was initially created to cover ingredients that are widely known to be safe, such as vegetable oil, but has been applied in recent practice to novel chemicals and is now a loophole that has swallowed the law.</p>
<p>Under pressure from industry, in 1997 and again in 2016, FDA adopted a practice that allows food and chemical manufacturers to decide for themselves, without notice to FDA or the public, that food chemicals are safe—even if the chemicals are new, not widely studied, and not widely accepted as safe. CFS filed suit in 2014 to challenge FDA’s use of an interim rule that initially put this practice into place. That successful challenge forced FDA to stop using the interim rule and instead finalize the GRAS rule. Today’s lawsuit challenges the <a href="https://www.fda.gov/Food/NewsEvents/ConstituentUpdates/ucm516332.htm" target="_blank">final rule</a> that formalizes this practice.</p>
<p>Independent watchdogs have criticized the GRAS system for being rife with industry conflicts of interest because the vast majority of GRAS determinations are made by either the manufacturers themselves or their hired consultants. Moreover, the current system that allows secret GRAS determinations makes it nearly impossible for FDA or manufacturers to assess the cumulative effect of all similar chemicals on consumers—as the law requires.</p>
<p>The GRAS exception is overwhelming the food safety system. An independent study by the Pew Charitable Trusts found that almost all new chemicals added to food over the last decade were deemed by manufacturers to be GRAS. Today an estimated 3,000 chemicals that have never been scrutinized by the FDA are in use.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>###</strong></em></p>
<p><strong>Quotes:</strong></p>
<p>“FDA has a duty to ensure the products we buy and feed our families are safe,” said <strong>Cristina Stella, staff attorney for the Center for Food Safety and co-counsel in the case.</strong> “The secretive GRAS system makes it impossible for FDA to carry out its core responsibility to the public.”</p>
<p>“Processed foods are a part of almost every family’s diet, and we deserve to know what chemical additives companies are putting in our food,” said <strong>Earthjustice attorney and co-counsel Eve Gartner</strong>. “Many take it for granted that FDA will make sure our food is safe, but under the current policy, the government is turning this authority over to the very industry it\'s meant to watch over. To say this is letting down American consumers is an understatement.”</p>
<p>“Independent polling by the International Food Information Council Foundation recently confirmed, unsurprisingly, that American consumers don’t want cancer-causing chemicals in or around their food,” said <strong>Janet Nudelman, Director of Program and Policy for Breast Cancer Prevention Partners</strong>. “Consumers assume the FDA is making sure their food and food packaging is safe and free of chemicals linked to cancer and other threats to human health. Unfortunately, under this secret GRAS system, consumers can’t rely on the FDA’s protection of food safety.”</p>
<p>“Most Americans would be shocked to learn that FDA allows novel chemicals onto the market without a safety review,” said <strong>Tom Neltner, chemicals policy director at Environmental Defense Fund</strong>. “Yet, FDA’s practice on GRAS additives flouts the law and leaves the agency unaware of what chemicals are being added to our food and with no way to ensure that these additives— and the food that contains them—are safe.”</p>
<p>“It is outrageous that FDA continues to try to duck its clear obligation to make sure our food is safe,” said<strong> Laura MacCleery, an attorney for the Center for Science in the Public Interest</strong>. “FDA knows it lacks the information necessary to protect the food supply or even know what’s in our food, but instead of doing what the law and Congress require, they have, shamefully, just given up.”</p>
<p>“Chemical and food processing industries should not be in charge of saying whether or not food is safe. Industry has their bottom line profits in mind, not consumer or environmental safety,” said <strong>Tina Sigurdson, Assistant General Counsel for the Environmental Working Group</strong>. “Leaving it up to industry to regulate itself is a classic case of the fox guarding the henhouse, at the expense of public health.”</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>###</strong></em></p>',
              ),
              'file' => 
              array (
                0 => '',
                1 => '',
              ),
              'link' => 
              array (
                0 => '',
                1 => '',
              ),
              'lead_img' => 'fda_67335.jpg',
              'gallery' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'fda_67335.jpg',
                  1 => '',
                  2 => '',
                  3 => '',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
              ),
              'group' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '110',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'sub_group' => '0',
                  'name1' => 'Press Releases Categories',
                  'url' => 'press-releases-categories',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'order' => '5',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '110',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'sub_group' => '0',
                  'name1' => 'Press Releases Categories',
                  'url' => 'press-releases-categories',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'order' => '5',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '113',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '110',
                  'sub_group' => '0',
                  'name1' => 'Legal Actions',
                  'url' => 'legal-actions',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'order' => '7',
                ),
                3 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '118',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '110',
                  'sub_group' => '0',
                  'name1' => 'Food Safety',
                  'url' => 'food-safety',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'order' => '11',
                ),
              ),
              'url' => '/press-releases/4956/groups-sue-fda-to-protect-food-safety',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'rich' => 
        array (
          0 => '<p lang="EN-US">WASHINGTON—Last Friday, Center for Food Safety (CFS) <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__delauro.house.gov_media-2Dcenter_press-2Dreleases_delauro-2Dintroduces-2Dlegislation-2Dkeep-2Ddangerous-2Dchemicals-2Dout-2Dfood-2Dsupply&d=DwMFaQ&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=zOqm1df3aheLkzYcO6_4F5kxFZGf07kYZywzSz_h8eg&m=tOkE5JYsxbPG09PYzm4wjqD8jgrvMjuxJX_IG4A5elY&s=dXSyBDWDJetTRhdHdO54vBj9VjDnyLLnWqbeeaDtLks&e=" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">endorsed</a> the <em>Toxic Free Food Act</em>, <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__delauro.house.gov_sites_delauro.house.gov_files_documents_Toxic-2520Free-2520Food-2520Act.pdf&d=DwMFaQ&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=zOqm1df3aheLkzYcO6_4F5kxFZGf07kYZywzSz_h8eg&m=tOkE5JYsxbPG09PYzm4wjqD8jgrvMjuxJX_IG4A5elY&s=H7B6KwWzQYiOKdqPYpKqSjazguOY-INDFCi27ePe5xQ&e=" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">new legislation</a> introduced by Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) that would overhaul the Food and Drug Administration\'s (FDA) process for determining the safety of chemicals used in the food supply. For years, FDA has allowed food manufacturers to designate various chemicals as \'generally recognized as safe\' (GRAS), without FDA review or public notice. The<em> Toxic Free Food Act</em> would require FDA to close the so-called GRAS loophole and make the industry\'s chemical food additives subject to FDA approval. </p>
<p lang="EN-US">"For years, FDA has allowed food and chemical companies to decide whether long-lasting toxic chemicals, such as PFAS or orthophthalates, are safe to eat. The <em>Toxic Free Food Act</em> will make FDA take charge of food safety instead of the industry,"<strong> said Jaydee Hanson, policy director at CFS.</strong> </p>
<p lang="EN-US">Under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), FDA is required to review and confirm the safety of any food additives before they enter the food supply. Under FDA\'s GRAS rule, however, the agency allowed food manufacturers to bypass these reviews and instead make safety determinations in secret. Congress initially created the GRAS exemption to cover ingredients that are widely known to be safe, such as vegetable oil, but the rule has been applied in recent years to cover novel chemicals and is now a <em>de facto</em> loophole that has swallowed the law. </p>
<p lang="EN-US">CFS filed suit in 2014 to challenge an interim rule that initially established the GRAS loophole. That <a title="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/3550/victory-cfs-wins-first-step-in-major-legal-battle-to-protect-food-safety" href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/3550/victory-cfs-wins-first-step-in-major-legal-battle-to-protect-food-safety" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">successful challenge</a> forced FDA to finally stop regulating under a proposed rule and finalize the GRAS rule. The finalized rule, however, codified the secret GRAS system, depriving the public from knowing what chemicals are in their food. In 2017, CFS and Environmental Defense Fund <a title="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/4956/groups-sue-fda-to-protect-food-safety" href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/4956/groups-sue-fda-to-protect-food-safety" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">filed </a><a title="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/4956/groups-sue-fda-to-protect-food-safety" href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/4956/groups-sue-fda-to-protect-food-safety" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">suit</a> challenging the final rule, co-represented by CFS and Earthjustice. The case is currently under review in federal court. The <em>Toxic Free Food Act</em> would mandate FDA to thoroughly review chemical additives in food and prevent companies from using the extremely weak GRAS process to self-approve these toxic additives. Had the proposed act become law years ago, many of the problems CFS\'s lawsuit is seeking to solve could have been avoided. </p>
<p lang="EN-US">Independent watchdogs have criticized the GRAS system for being rife with industry conflicts of interest because the vast majority of GRAS determinations are made by either the manufacturers themselves or their hired consultants. Moreover, the current system that allows secret GRAS determinations makes it nearly impossible for FDA or manufacturers to assess the cumulative effect of all similar chemicals on consumers—as required by law. As a result, the GRAS exception is overwhelming the food safety system. An independent <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.pewtrusts.org_en_research-2Dand-2Danalysis_reports_2013_11_07_fixing-2Dthe-2Doversight-2Dof-2Dchemicals-2Dadded-2Dto-2Dour-2Dfood&d=DwMFaQ&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=zOqm1df3aheLkzYcO6_4F5kxFZGf07kYZywzSz_h8eg&m=tOkE5JYsxbPG09PYzm4wjqD8jgrvMjuxJX_IG4A5elY&s=3p4EmSO_wFH_zGwczKWAwX9c6VE9lUPHNCulC9YUZ7A&e=" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a> by the Pew Charitable Trusts found that from 2003-2013, almost all new chemicals added to were deemed by manufacturers to be GRAS. Today an estimated 3,000 chemicals that have never been scrutinized by the FDA are in use. </p>',
        ),
        'file' => 
        array (
          0 => '',
          1 => '',
        ),
        'link' => 
        array (
          0 => '',
          1 => '',
        ),
        'lead_img' => 'food-safety-gras-loophole-delauro-rosa-toxic-free-food-act-center-for-food-safety_71361.jpg',
        'gallery' => 
        array (
          0 => 
          array (
            0 => 'food-safety-gras-loophole-delauro-rosa-toxic-free-food-act-center-for-food-safety_71361.jpg',
            1 => '',
            2 => '',
            3 => '',
            4 => '',
            5 => '',
            6 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'url' => '/press-releases/6386/center-for-food-safety-endorses-new-bill-that-would-close-fdas-food-safety-loophole',
      ),
      'bid' => 
      array (
        'page_link' => '/press-releases/6386/center-for-food-safety-endorses-new-bill-that-would-close-fdas-food-safety-loophole',
        'bitly' => '68h',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'lead_img' => 'food-safety-gras-loophole-delauro-rosa-toxic-free-food-act-center-for-food-safety_71361.jpg',
        'rich_snippet' => ' WASHINGTON—Last Friday, Center for Food Safety (CFS)  endorsed  the  Toxic Free Food Act ,  new legislation  introduced by Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) that would overhaul the Food and Drug Administration&#039;s (FDA) process for determining the safety of chem.',
        'page' => 
        array (
          'id' => '6386',
          'SECTION_ID' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '0',
          'BLOCK_ID' => '0',
          'order' => '1',
          'visible' => '1',
          'feature' => '0',
          'hide' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Center for Food Safety Endorses New Bill That Would Close FDA\'s Food Safety Loophole',
          'url' => 'center-for-food-safety-endorses-new-bill-that-would-close-fdas-food-safety-loophole',
          'bitly' => '68h',
          'lead_img' => 'food-safety-gras-loophole-delauro-rosa-toxic-free-food-act-center-for-food-safety_71361.jpg',
          'meta_title' => 'Center for Food Safety Endorses New Bill That Would Close FDA\'s Food Safety Loophole',
          'meta_desc' => 'Today an estimated 3,000 chemicals that have never been scrutinized by the FDA are in use.',
          'meta_img' => 'food-safety-gras-loophole-delauro-rosa-toxic-free-food-act-center-for-food-safety_71348.jpg',
          'meta_json' => '',
          'update_meta_title' => '0',
          'update_meta_desc' => '0',
          'update_meta_img' => '1',
          'update_meta_json' => '0',
          'start_time' => '0',
          'end_time' => '0',
        ),
        'section' => 
        array (
          'id' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '486',
          'PAGE_ID' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Press Releases',
          'url' => 'press-releases',
          'hide' => '0',
          'order' => '1',
        ),
        'bid_380' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Title',
          'block_type' => 'Plain Text',
          'block_alias' => 'title',
          'post_id' => '64125',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 'Center for Food Safety Endorses New Bill That Would Close FDA\'s Food Safety Loophole',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5959' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Subtitle',
          'block_type' => 'Plain Text',
          'block_alias' => 'subtitle',
          'post_id' => '64126',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5957' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Show Hero Image',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'hide_hero',
          'post_id' => '64127',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_381' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Date',
          'block_type' => 'Date',
          'block_alias' => 'date',
          'post_id' => '64128',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '2021-06-08',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_2294' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel1',
          'post_id' => '64129',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'custom_title' => '',
              'page_id' => '308',
              'name1' => 'Food Safety',
              'section_name1' => 'Issues',
              'page_link' => '/issues/308/food-safety',
              'lead_img' => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
              'rich_snippet' => '<p>According to federal data, each year, one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. These figures are likely to be far higher, as most food illnesses go unreported. The most five common pathogens causing foodborne i.',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_3612' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue 2',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel2',
          'post_id' => '64130',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'custom_title' => '',
              'page_id' => '3550',
              'name1' => 'Victory! CFS Wins First Step in Major Legal Battle to Protect Food Safety',
              'section_name1' => 'Press Releases',
              'page_link' => '/press-releases/3550/victory-cfs-wins-first-step-in-major-legal-battle-to-protect-food-safety',
              'lead_img' => 'foodborne-illness_91793_24462.jpg',
              'rich_snippet' => '  FDA agrees to bring “Generally Recognized as Safe” into compliance with federal law in settlement with CFS  
  Washington D.C. (October 20, 2014) –  Center for Food Safety today announced a settlement agreement with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) .',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_3613' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue 3',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel3',
          'post_id' => '64131',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'custom_title' => '',
              'page_id' => '4956',
              'name1' => 'Groups Sue FDA to Protect Food Safety',
              'section_name1' => 'Press Releases',
              'page_link' => '/press-releases/4956/groups-sue-fda-to-protect-food-safety',
              'lead_img' => 'fda_67335.jpg',
              'rich_snippet' => '<p><strong>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</strong></p>
<p><strong>May 22, 2017</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Groups Sue FDA to Protect Food Safety</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Seek to ensure food additives are found safe before bei.',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_382' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Description',
          'block_type' => 'Rich Text',
          'block_alias' => 'desc',
          'post_id' => '64132',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '<p lang="EN-US">WASHINGTON—Last Friday, Center for Food Safety (CFS) <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__delauro.house.gov_media-2Dcenter_press-2Dreleases_delauro-2Dintroduces-2Dlegislation-2Dkeep-2Ddangerous-2Dchemicals-2Dout-2Dfood-2Dsupply&d=DwMFaQ&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=zOqm1df3aheLkzYcO6_4F5kxFZGf07kYZywzSz_h8eg&m=tOkE5JYsxbPG09PYzm4wjqD8jgrvMjuxJX_IG4A5elY&s=dXSyBDWDJetTRhdHdO54vBj9VjDnyLLnWqbeeaDtLks&e=" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">endorsed</a> the <em>Toxic Free Food Act</em>, <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__delauro.house.gov_sites_delauro.house.gov_files_documents_Toxic-2520Free-2520Food-2520Act.pdf&d=DwMFaQ&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=zOqm1df3aheLkzYcO6_4F5kxFZGf07kYZywzSz_h8eg&m=tOkE5JYsxbPG09PYzm4wjqD8jgrvMjuxJX_IG4A5elY&s=H7B6KwWzQYiOKdqPYpKqSjazguOY-INDFCi27ePe5xQ&e=" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">new legislation</a> introduced by Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) that would overhaul the Food and Drug Administration\'s (FDA) process for determining the safety of chemicals used in the food supply. For years, FDA has allowed food manufacturers to designate various chemicals as \'generally recognized as safe\' (GRAS), without FDA review or public notice. The<em> Toxic Free Food Act</em> would require FDA to close the so-called GRAS loophole and make the industry\'s chemical food additives subject to FDA approval. </p>
<p lang="EN-US">"For years, FDA has allowed food and chemical companies to decide whether long-lasting toxic chemicals, such as PFAS or orthophthalates, are safe to eat. The <em>Toxic Free Food Act</em> will make FDA take charge of food safety instead of the industry,"<strong> said Jaydee Hanson, policy director at CFS.</strong> </p>
<p lang="EN-US">Under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), FDA is required to review and confirm the safety of any food additives before they enter the food supply. Under FDA\'s GRAS rule, however, the agency allowed food manufacturers to bypass these reviews and instead make safety determinations in secret. Congress initially created the GRAS exemption to cover ingredients that are widely known to be safe, such as vegetable oil, but the rule has been applied in recent years to cover novel chemicals and is now a <em>de facto</em> loophole that has swallowed the law. </p>
<p lang="EN-US">CFS filed suit in 2014 to challenge an interim rule that initially established the GRAS loophole. That <a title="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/3550/victory-cfs-wins-first-step-in-major-legal-battle-to-protect-food-safety" href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/3550/victory-cfs-wins-first-step-in-major-legal-battle-to-protect-food-safety" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">successful challenge</a> forced FDA to finally stop regulating under a proposed rule and finalize the GRAS rule. The finalized rule, however, codified the secret GRAS system, depriving the public from knowing what chemicals are in their food. In 2017, CFS and Environmental Defense Fund <a title="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/4956/groups-sue-fda-to-protect-food-safety" href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/4956/groups-sue-fda-to-protect-food-safety" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">filed </a><a title="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/4956/groups-sue-fda-to-protect-food-safety" href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/4956/groups-sue-fda-to-protect-food-safety" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">suit</a> challenging the final rule, co-represented by CFS and Earthjustice. The case is currently under review in federal court. The <em>Toxic Free Food Act</em> would mandate FDA to thoroughly review chemical additives in food and prevent companies from using the extremely weak GRAS process to self-approve these toxic additives. Had the proposed act become law years ago, many of the problems CFS\'s lawsuit is seeking to solve could have been avoided. </p>
<p lang="EN-US">Independent watchdogs have criticized the GRAS system for being rife with industry conflicts of interest because the vast majority of GRAS determinations are made by either the manufacturers themselves or their hired consultants. Moreover, the current system that allows secret GRAS determinations makes it nearly impossible for FDA or manufacturers to assess the cumulative effect of all similar chemicals on consumers—as required by law. As a result, the GRAS exception is overwhelming the food safety system. An independent <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.pewtrusts.org_en_research-2Dand-2Danalysis_reports_2013_11_07_fixing-2Dthe-2Doversight-2Dof-2Dchemicals-2Dadded-2Dto-2Dour-2Dfood&d=DwMFaQ&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=zOqm1df3aheLkzYcO6_4F5kxFZGf07kYZywzSz_h8eg&m=tOkE5JYsxbPG09PYzm4wjqD8jgrvMjuxJX_IG4A5elY&s=3p4EmSO_wFH_zGwczKWAwX9c6VE9lUPHNCulC9YUZ7A&e=" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a> by the Pew Charitable Trusts found that from 2003-2013, almost all new chemicals added to were deemed by manufacturers to be GRAS. Today an estimated 3,000 chemicals that have never been scrutinized by the FDA are in use. </p>',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_383' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'PDF File',
          'block_type' => 'File',
          'block_alias' => 'pdf',
          'post_id' => '64133',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_1168' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'CFS Link',
          'block_type' => 'Link',
          'block_alias' => 'link',
          'post_id' => '64134',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_1169' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Image Gallery',
          'block_type' => 'Image Gallery',
          'block_alias' => 'images',
          'post_id' => '64143',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              0 => 'food-safety-gras-loophole-delauro-rosa-toxic-free-food-act-center-for-food-safety_71361.jpg',
              1 => '',
              2 => '',
              3 => '',
              4 => '',
              5 => '',
              6 => 'Center for Food Safety Endorses New Bill That Would Close FDA\'s Food Safety Loophole',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_2291' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Category',
          'block_type' => 'Grouping',
          'block_alias' => 'cat',
          'post_id' => '64136',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4805' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Tweets',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'tweets',
          'post_id' => '64137',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4806' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Quotes',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'quotes',
          'post_id' => '64138',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4807' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Join CFS',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'join',
          'post_id' => '64139',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5592' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Hide',
          'block_type' => 'Hide - In \'page\' table',
          'block_alias' => '',
          'post_id' => '64140',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5835' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Scheduler',
          'block_type' => 'Schedule',
          'block_alias' => 'scheduler',
          'post_id' => '64141',
          'content' => 
          array (
            'id' => '312',
            'PAGE_ID' => '6386',
            'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
            'set_time' => '0',
            'start_time_hour' => 'NA',
            'start_time_minute' => '00',
            'start_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'end_time_hour' => 'NA',
            'end_time_minute' => '00',
            'end_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'start_month' => '06',
            'start_day' => '08',
            'start_year' => '2021',
            'end_month' => '06',
            'end_day' => '08',
            'end_year' => '2021',
            'occurs' => 'once',
            'repeat_every_int' => '1',
            'repeat_every_period' => 'year',
            'repeat_stop_after' => '1',
            'float_period' => 'first',
            'float_day_o_w' => 'sunday',
            'float_repeat_every_x_mo' => '1',
            'float_stop_after' => '1',
            'events' => 
            array (
              0 => 
              array (
                'id' => '2525',
                'SCHEDULE_ID' => '312',
                'PAGE_ID' => '6386',
                'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
                'date_start' => '2021-06-08 00:00:00',
                'date_end' => '2021-06-08 00:00:00',
                'has_start_time' => '0',
                'has_end_time' => '0',
                'occurs' => 'once',
                'start' => 'Tuesday, June 8, 2021',
                'end' => '',
              ),
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5955' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Unique Url',
          'block_type' => 'Unique Root URL',
          'block_alias' => 'unique_url',
          'post_id' => '64142',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
          ),
        ),
      ),
      'alias' => 
      array (
        'page_link' => '/press-releases/6386/center-for-food-safety-endorses-new-bill-that-would-close-fdas-food-safety-loophole',
        'bitly' => '68h',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'lead_img' => 'food-safety-gras-loophole-delauro-rosa-toxic-free-food-act-center-for-food-safety_71361.jpg',
        'rich_snippet' => ' WASHINGTON—Last Friday, Center for Food Safety (CFS)  endorsed  the  Toxic Free Food Act ,  new legislation  introduced by Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) that would overhaul the Food and Drug Administration&#039;s (FDA) process for determining the safety of chem.',
        'page' => 
        array (
          'id' => '6386',
          'SECTION_ID' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '0',
          'BLOCK_ID' => '0',
          'order' => '1',
          'visible' => '1',
          'feature' => '0',
          'hide' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Center for Food Safety Endorses New Bill That Would Close FDA\'s Food Safety Loophole',
          'url' => 'center-for-food-safety-endorses-new-bill-that-would-close-fdas-food-safety-loophole',
          'bitly' => '68h',
          'lead_img' => 'food-safety-gras-loophole-delauro-rosa-toxic-free-food-act-center-for-food-safety_71361.jpg',
          'meta_title' => 'Center for Food Safety Endorses New Bill That Would Close FDA\'s Food Safety Loophole',
          'meta_desc' => 'Today an estimated 3,000 chemicals that have never been scrutinized by the FDA are in use.',
          'meta_img' => 'food-safety-gras-loophole-delauro-rosa-toxic-free-food-act-center-for-food-safety_71348.jpg',
          'meta_json' => '',
          'update_meta_title' => '0',
          'update_meta_desc' => '0',
          'update_meta_img' => '1',
          'update_meta_json' => '0',
          'start_time' => '0',
          'end_time' => '0',
        ),
        'section' => 
        array (
          'id' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '486',
          'PAGE_ID' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Press Releases',
          'url' => 'press-releases',
          'hide' => '0',
          'order' => '1',
        ),
        'bid_2291' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Category',
          'block_type' => 'Grouping',
          'block_alias' => 'cat',
          'post_id' => '64136',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5592' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Hide',
          'block_type' => 'Hide - In \'page\' table',
          'block_alias' => '',
          'post_id' => '64140',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'alias' => 
        array (
          'title' => 'Center for Food Safety Endorses New Bill That Would Close FDA\'s Food Safety Loophole',
          'subtitle' => '',
          'hide_hero' => '0',
          'date' => '2021-06-08',
          'rel1' => 
          array (
            'custom_title' => '',
            'page_id' => '308',
            'name1' => 'Food Safety',
            'section_name1' => 'Issues',
            'page_link' => '/issues/308/food-safety',
            'lead_img' => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
            'rich_snippet' => ' According to federal data, each year, one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. These figures are likely to be far higher, as most food illnesses go unreported. The most five common pathogens causing foodborne ill.',
          ),
          'rel2' => 
          array (
            'custom_title' => '',
            'page_id' => '3550',
            'name1' => 'Victory! CFS Wins First Step in Major Legal Battle to Protect Food Safety',
            'section_name1' => 'Press Releases',
            'page_link' => '/press-releases/3550/victory-cfs-wins-first-step-in-major-legal-battle-to-protect-food-safety',
            'lead_img' => 'foodborne-illness_91793_24462.jpg',
            'rich_snippet' => '  FDA agrees to bring “Generally Recognized as Safe” into compliance with federal law in settlement with CFS  
  Washington D.C. (October 20, 2014) –  Center for Food Safety today announced a settlement agreement with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) .',
          ),
          'rel3' => 
          array (
            'custom_title' => '',
            'page_id' => '4956',
            'name1' => 'Groups Sue FDA to Protect Food Safety',
            'section_name1' => 'Press Releases',
            'page_link' => '/press-releases/4956/groups-sue-fda-to-protect-food-safety',
            'lead_img' => 'fda_67335.jpg',
            'rich_snippet' => '  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  
  May 22, 2017  
  Groups Sue FDA to Protect Food Safety  
  Seek to ensure food additives are found safe before being marketed to American consumers  
  WASHINGTON —  Today, consumer, health, and food safety groups  challenged a Food .',
          ),
          'desc' => '<p lang="EN-US">WASHINGTON—Last Friday, Center for Food Safety (CFS) <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__delauro.house.gov_media-2Dcenter_press-2Dreleases_delauro-2Dintroduces-2Dlegislation-2Dkeep-2Ddangerous-2Dchemicals-2Dout-2Dfood-2Dsupply&d=DwMFaQ&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=zOqm1df3aheLkzYcO6_4F5kxFZGf07kYZywzSz_h8eg&m=tOkE5JYsxbPG09PYzm4wjqD8jgrvMjuxJX_IG4A5elY&s=dXSyBDWDJetTRhdHdO54vBj9VjDnyLLnWqbeeaDtLks&e=" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">endorsed</a> the <em>Toxic Free Food Act</em>, <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__delauro.house.gov_sites_delauro.house.gov_files_documents_Toxic-2520Free-2520Food-2520Act.pdf&d=DwMFaQ&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=zOqm1df3aheLkzYcO6_4F5kxFZGf07kYZywzSz_h8eg&m=tOkE5JYsxbPG09PYzm4wjqD8jgrvMjuxJX_IG4A5elY&s=H7B6KwWzQYiOKdqPYpKqSjazguOY-INDFCi27ePe5xQ&e=" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">new legislation</a> introduced by Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) that would overhaul the Food and Drug Administration\'s (FDA) process for determining the safety of chemicals used in the food supply. For years, FDA has allowed food manufacturers to designate various chemicals as \'generally recognized as safe\' (GRAS), without FDA review or public notice. The<em> Toxic Free Food Act</em> would require FDA to close the so-called GRAS loophole and make the industry\'s chemical food additives subject to FDA approval. </p>
<p lang="EN-US">"For years, FDA has allowed food and chemical companies to decide whether long-lasting toxic chemicals, such as PFAS or orthophthalates, are safe to eat. The <em>Toxic Free Food Act</em> will make FDA take charge of food safety instead of the industry,"<strong> said Jaydee Hanson, policy director at CFS.</strong> </p>
<p lang="EN-US">Under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), FDA is required to review and confirm the safety of any food additives before they enter the food supply. Under FDA\'s GRAS rule, however, the agency allowed food manufacturers to bypass these reviews and instead make safety determinations in secret. Congress initially created the GRAS exemption to cover ingredients that are widely known to be safe, such as vegetable oil, but the rule has been applied in recent years to cover novel chemicals and is now a <em>de facto</em> loophole that has swallowed the law. </p>
<p lang="EN-US">CFS filed suit in 2014 to challenge an interim rule that initially established the GRAS loophole. That <a title="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/3550/victory-cfs-wins-first-step-in-major-legal-battle-to-protect-food-safety" href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/3550/victory-cfs-wins-first-step-in-major-legal-battle-to-protect-food-safety" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">successful challenge</a> forced FDA to finally stop regulating under a proposed rule and finalize the GRAS rule. The finalized rule, however, codified the secret GRAS system, depriving the public from knowing what chemicals are in their food. In 2017, CFS and Environmental Defense Fund <a title="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/4956/groups-sue-fda-to-protect-food-safety" href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/4956/groups-sue-fda-to-protect-food-safety" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">filed </a><a title="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/4956/groups-sue-fda-to-protect-food-safety" href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/4956/groups-sue-fda-to-protect-food-safety" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">suit</a> challenging the final rule, co-represented by CFS and Earthjustice. The case is currently under review in federal court. The <em>Toxic Free Food Act</em> would mandate FDA to thoroughly review chemical additives in food and prevent companies from using the extremely weak GRAS process to self-approve these toxic additives. Had the proposed act become law years ago, many of the problems CFS\'s lawsuit is seeking to solve could have been avoided. </p>
<p lang="EN-US">Independent watchdogs have criticized the GRAS system for being rife with industry conflicts of interest because the vast majority of GRAS determinations are made by either the manufacturers themselves or their hired consultants. Moreover, the current system that allows secret GRAS determinations makes it nearly impossible for FDA or manufacturers to assess the cumulative effect of all similar chemicals on consumers—as required by law. As a result, the GRAS exception is overwhelming the food safety system. An independent <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.pewtrusts.org_en_research-2Dand-2Danalysis_reports_2013_11_07_fixing-2Dthe-2Doversight-2Dof-2Dchemicals-2Dadded-2Dto-2Dour-2Dfood&d=DwMFaQ&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=zOqm1df3aheLkzYcO6_4F5kxFZGf07kYZywzSz_h8eg&m=tOkE5JYsxbPG09PYzm4wjqD8jgrvMjuxJX_IG4A5elY&s=3p4EmSO_wFH_zGwczKWAwX9c6VE9lUPHNCulC9YUZ7A&e=" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a> by the Pew Charitable Trusts found that from 2003-2013, almost all new chemicals added to were deemed by manufacturers to be GRAS. Today an estimated 3,000 chemicals that have never been scrutinized by the FDA are in use. </p>',
          'pdf' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
          'link' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
          'images' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              0 => 'food-safety-gras-loophole-delauro-rosa-toxic-free-food-act-center-for-food-safety_71361.jpg',
              1 => '',
              2 => '',
              3 => '',
              4 => '',
              5 => '',
              6 => 'Center for Food Safety Endorses New Bill That Would Close FDA\'s Food Safety Loophole',
              7 => 1000,
              8 => 562,
            ),
          ),
          'tweets' => '0',
          'quotes' => '0',
          'join' => '0',
          'scheduler' => 
          array (
            'id' => '312',
            'PAGE_ID' => '6386',
            'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
            'set_time' => '0',
            'start_time_hour' => 'NA',
            'start_time_minute' => '00',
            'start_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'end_time_hour' => 'NA',
            'end_time_minute' => '00',
            'end_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'start_month' => '06',
            'start_day' => '08',
            'start_year' => '2021',
            'end_month' => '06',
            'end_day' => '08',
            'end_year' => '2021',
            'occurs' => 'once',
            'repeat_every_int' => '1',
            'repeat_every_period' => 'year',
            'repeat_stop_after' => '1',
            'float_period' => 'first',
            'float_day_o_w' => 'sunday',
            'float_repeat_every_x_mo' => '1',
            'float_stop_after' => '1',
            'events' => 
            array (
              0 => 
              array (
                'id' => '2525',
                'SCHEDULE_ID' => '312',
                'PAGE_ID' => '6386',
                'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
                'date_start' => '2021-06-08 00:00:00',
                'date_end' => '2021-06-08 00:00:00',
                'has_start_time' => '0',
                'has_end_time' => '0',
                'occurs' => 'once',
                'start' => 'Tuesday, June 8, 2021',
                'end' => '',
              ),
            ),
          ),
          'unique_url' => '',
        ),
      ),
    ),
  ),
  6 => 
  array (
    'id' => '6379',
    'SECTION_ID' => '129',
    'PARENT_ID' => '0',
    'BLOCK_ID' => '0',
    'order' => '40',
    'visible' => '1',
    'feature' => '0',
    'hide' => '0',
    'name1' => 'Petition: FDA Must Stop Allowing Harmful PFAS in our Food',
    'url' => 'petition-fda-must-stop-allowing-harmful-pfas-in-our-food',
    'bitly' => '68a',
    'lead_img' => 'pfas-chemicals-petition-center-for-food-safety_44002.jpg',
    'meta_title' => 'Petition: FDA Must Stop Allowing Harmful PFAS in our Food',
    'meta_desc' => 'FDA has failed to take adequate action on dangerous chemicals despite acknowledging harm',
    'meta_img' => 'pfas-chemicals-petition-center-for-food-safety_43952.jpg',
    'meta_json' => '',
    'update_meta_title' => '0',
    'update_meta_desc' => '0',
    'update_meta_img' => '1',
    'update_meta_json' => '0',
    'start_time' => '0',
    'end_time' => '0',
    'content' => 
    array (
      'typ' => 
      array (
        'page_id' => '6379',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'text' => 
        array (
          0 => 'Petition: FDA Must Stop Allowing Harmful PFAS in our Food',
          1 => 'FDA has failed to take adequate action on dangerous chemicals despite acknowledging harm',
          2 => '',
        ),
        'checkbox' => 
        array (
          0 => '0',
          1 => '0',
          2 => '0',
          3 => '0',
        ),
        'date' => 
        array (
          0 => '2021-06-03',
        ),
        'relation' => 
        array (
          0 => 
          array (
            'custom' => 
            array (
              0 => '',
            ),
            'page_id' => '308',
            'basic' => 
            array (
              'page_id' => '308',
              'root_url' => 'issues',
              'root' => 'Issues',
              'text' => 
              array (
                0 => 'Food Safety',
                1 => '',
                2 => 'Food Safety',
                3 => 'From:CFSTrueFood+#foodsafety',
              ),
              'rich' => 
              array (
                0 => '<p>According to federal data, each year, one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. These figures are likely to be far higher, as most food illnesses go unreported. The most five common pathogens causing foodborne illnesses resulting in hospitalizations are: salmonella, norovirus, Campylobacter, toxoplasma gondii, and E. coli 0157.</p>
<p>Almost every week brings more news of food contamination or foodborne illness outbreak. What’s going on? Our industrialized food system is the root cause of many of these outbreaks.</p>
<p>Industrialization of the food supply</p>
<p>One likely cause is overcrowded conditions on factory farms, where animals get sick and pass the disease on to other animals. Another factor is our wide distribution system, in which contaminated food is transported across the nation. Also, we are increasingly relying on imported foods with unknown safety standards. (For example, 60 percent of our seafood is imported.) Adding to this perfect storm is government deregulation and inadequate funding for inspections and oversight.</p>
<p>Another critical food safety problem is the thousands of chemical additives Americans consume every day. Thanks to industry influence over the approval process, the long-term safety risks for most of these substances are unknown.</p>
<p>For example, for years science has pointed to chemical food dyes as a significant contributor to child behavioral problems. And yet the federal government still denies this connection. In addition, we’ve seen a huge increase in food allergies in children in recent years, but without much explanation of the causes. Clearly, more research is needed into how the industrialized food supply may be impacting our health in ways that are less obvious than foodborne illness.</p>
<p>Political influence</p>
<p>Nothing about food safety takes place in a political vacuum. For decades, the food industry has lobbied to ensure the status quo. And when we finally do get a rare policy victory, such as the passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act (passed in 2010), the game switches to “starving the beast” – limiting the funds for government to adequately carry out the legislative intent.</p>
<p>Powerful trade groups such as the American Meat Institute lobby against common sense policy improvements, such as expanding required testing for deadly bacteria in ground beef. Another important political factor is international trade. Other nations get upset when theU.S.government demands higher scrutiny of imports. In addition, the Food and Drug Administration, despite having jurisdiction over most of the food supply, is constantly under-funded, limiting inspection and enforcement actions; again, thanks to powerful lobbyists who like it that way.</p>
<p>What can we do about it?</p>
<p>President Obama has pledged a complete overhaul of our food system. The Center for Food Safety believes this will require elevating food safety within government to be a cabinet level agency. The mission of this new food agency must be to evaluate how best to regulate food production to prevent the greatest food safety hazards caused by large industrial agriculture and processed foods and while also protecting and supporting smaller, family, and diversified farms. But such an overhaul can only be successful by removing politics from food safety.</p>
<p>Additional Food Safety Resources</p>
<p><a href="http://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/cdc-and-food-safety.html" target="_blank">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.fsis.usda.gov/" target="_blank">United States Department of Agriculture</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.fda.gov/food/foodsafety/default.htm" target="_blank">Food and Drug Administration</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.foodsafety.gov/" target="_blank">FoodSafety.gov</a></p>',
              ),
              'lead_img' => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
              'gallery' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
                  1 => 'NEW REPORT: TPP Serves Up an Unsavory Dinner',
                  2 => '<p>If you’ve been listening to or reading the news at any point over the past year, it’s likely that you’ve heard about the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP. While the term may be familiar, the connection between TPP and what you find on your dinner plate may not be.</p>',
                  3 => 'http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/reports/4573/tpp-serves-up-an-unsavory-dinner',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'oilandwater_thinkbeforeyoupink_hero2_14465.jpg',
                  1 => 'Tell Bee Sweet Citrus and Wonderful Company to Stop Watering Our Food with Oil Wastewater!',
                  2 => '<p>The use of oil wastewater for food irrigation is an urgent public health issue because of the potentially hazardous chemicals associated with all oil extraction processes – including toxic chemicals linked to cancer. Tell Wonderful Company and Bee Sweet Citrus to stop watering our food with toxic oil wastewater!</p>',
                  3 => 'http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/1881/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=19536',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'istock_000009992043small_78906.jpg',
                  1 => 'Court Victory: Consumers Have a Right to Know About Their Food',
                  2 => '<p>The Washington D.C. Court of Appeals upheld the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) rule which requires information about where meat is raised and slaughtered. USDA drafted COOL rules in 2009 and finalized them in 2013.</p>',
                  3 => 'http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/3404/court-victory-consumers-have-a-right-to-know-about-their-food',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
              ),
              'images' => 
              array (
                0 => 'foodsafety_48189.png',
                1 => '',
                2 => 'foodsafety_68552.png',
                3 => '',
              ),
              'group' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '94',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '48',
                  'sub_group' => '0',
                  'name1' => 'Food Safety',
                  'url' => 'food-safety',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'order' => '4',
                ),
              ),
              'color' => 
              array (
                0 => '#f79676',
                1 => 'Food Safety Mauve',
              ),
              'section' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '219',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Food Safety & Food Recalls',
                  'url' => 'food-safety-and-food-recalls',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '158',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '329',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Industrialization of the Food Supply',
                  'url' => 'industrialization-of-the-food-supply',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '159',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '330',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Political Influence',
                  'url' => 'political-influence',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '160',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
              ),
              'checkbox' => 
              array (
                0 => '1',
                1 => '0',
                2 => '1',
              ),
              'url' => '/issues/308/food-safety',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'rich' => 
        array (
          0 => '<p>Today, a group of health, environmental, and consumer organizations <a href="http://blogs.edf.org/health/files/2021/06/PFAS-Petition-to-FDA-FINAL-6-1-21.pdf">sent a formal petition</a> to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ban all PFAS (per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances) that accumulate in the body. </p>
<p>A Freedom of Information Act request response recently revealed that FDA described serious health concerns with the use of certain "short chain" PFAS in correspondence with PFAS manufacturers, and said that the companies needed to provide evidence that the chemicals were safe to continue using them. The agency then rejected an offer from one company to conduct additional studies within two years because that would take too much time in light of the chemicals\' risks. Despite this, the FDA soon after accepted a separate industry proposal for all manufacturers to have five years to voluntarily phase out the unsafe PFAS.</p>
<p>There is extensive PFAS contamination across the US due to widespread use of the chemicals in many industries, in firefighting foam, in household products, food packaging and more. Scientific evidence demonstrating harm to health, particularly children\'s health, from the chemicals is overwhelming. This has resulted in an outcry for action on the chemicals often spearheaded by communities that are dealing with contamination – and significant progress at the state-level.  </p>
<p>FDA-approved PFAS are a major contributor to this problem. The chemicals are used in many food applications, including to provide water and grease resistance to paper and paperboard that comes into contact with food. They are commonly found in takeout containers, plastic bottles, disposable bowls and plates in addition to popcorn bags, pet food bags and more. </p>
<p>The petition was filed by Environmental Defense Fund, Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, Center for Environmental Health, Center for Food Safety, Consumer Federation of America, Consumer Reports, Defend Our Health, Environmental Working Group, Green Science Policy Institute, Healthy Babies Bright Futures, and League of Conservation Voters.</p>
<p>FDA has not done enough when it comes to protecting the public from PFAS, and the few actions it has taken have been inadequate and, often, after years of delay. The agency has acted in a piecemeal way, phasing out some varieties of PFAS but still approving new ones for food, all while the evidence accumulates showing the chemicals build up in our bodies and are linked to cancer, immunological, reproductive, and developmental harm. Advocates are now asking the agency to take decisive steps on this class of chemicals. </p>
<p>The petition requests that the FDA revoke all approvals for use of the chemicals in food and food packaging and issue a regulation banning them unless there is evidence that the use is safe. This is necessary not only due to the known danger of many varieties of PFAS, but also the FDA\'s inadequate actions thus far on the chemicals. The agency should stop assuming these chemicals are safe and conduct thorough assessments of health and environmental impacts.  </p>
<p>"FDA is not doing its job. It phased out some varieties of PFAS, but approved new ones for food," <strong>said Jaydee Hanson, policy director at Center for Food Safety.</strong> "The agency ignored evidence showing these chemicals build up in our bodies and are linked to cancer, immunological, reproductive, and developmental harm. Instead of just agreeing with the chemical companies, FDA needs to protect the public and act on these dangerous chemicals immediately."</p>
<p>"FDA needs to shut the door, permanently, on PFAS in food and food packaging," said <strong>Dr. Maricel Maffini, scientist and coauthor of the petition</strong>. "The agency has a poor track record when it comes to evaluating the safety of these chemicals and taking action. We think it\'s past time for the FDA to follow the science and put the public\'s health first."</p>
<p>"Given the evidence linking PFAS to numerous health harms, including breast cancer, it is imperative for the FDA to step up and start protecting our health", said <strong>Lisette van Vliet, Senior Policy Coordinator at Breast Cancer Prevention Partners</strong>. "Allowing the continued use of these chemicals in food packaging is unacceptable."</p>
<p>"There is no excuse for the FDA to continue allowing millions of Americans to be exposed to toxic PFAS in food packaging and foodware, especially when safer alternatives are available," said <strong>Sue Chiang, Pollution Prevention Director, Center for Environmental Health</strong>. "The FDA needs to turn off the tap to toxic PFAS. We all deserve access to toxic free food that doesn\'t harm people across the product lifecycle from workers, to consumers, to fenceline communities disproportionately impacted by irresponsible disposal practices."</p>
<p>"Americans are routinely exposed to PFAS \'forever chemicals,\' which are pervasive in food packaging and may be toxic at very low levels," said <strong>Dr. Michael Hansen, PhD, senior scientist at Consumer Reports</strong>. "We need action by the FDA to ensure the public is protected and not unwittingly consuming these dangerous substances in the food they eat." </p>
<p>"While states like Maine, Washington, Vermont, and New York have already taken action to eliminate PFAS from food packaging, the FDA has done little to address the clear hazards PFAS poses," said <strong>Patrick MacRoy, Deputy Director of Defend Our Health</strong>. "We hope this petition will provide the impetus for the new administration at FDA to finally provide the Federal leadership desperately called for."</p>
<p>"The FDA has understood the risks of PFAS since the 1960s but failed to act," said <strong>Scott Faber, Senior Vice President for Government Affairs for the Environmental Working Group</strong>. "The evidence linking PFAS to cancer and harm to the reproductive and immune systems has only grown stronger, but the FDA has still refused to protect us. There is no better example of FDA\'s broken food chemical review system than the presence of toxic forever chemicals in food packaging. If the FDA once again puts the chemical companies ahead of our health, Congress should simply ban PFAS from food packaging."</p>
<p>"Persistent chemicals linked to health harm have no place in our food packaging," said <strong>Tom Bruton, PhD, Senior Scientist at Green Science Policy Institute</strong>. "FDA should swiftly and transparently revoke approvals for the short-chain PFAS that its own scientists have found are unsafe."</p>
<p>"There should be no place in the U.S. food supply for toxic chemicals like PFAS that persist in the bodies of pregnant women and children," said <strong>Jane Houlihan, Research Director of Health Babies Bright Futures</strong>. "All babies deserve a clean, healthy start in life, free of toxic chemicals that put their healthy development at risk. FDA should help make that a reality."</p>
<p>"It\'s long past time for the federal government to protect our families from dangerous PFAS chemicals once and for all," said <strong>Madeleine Foote, Deputy Legislative Director, LCV</strong>. "PFAS contamination is an equity issue – the FDA has a responsibility to protect the health of our communities, particularly communities of color and low-income communities who may be exposed to higher levels of these toxic \'forever chemicals.\'"</p>
<p>This is a formal petition the agency is required by law to answer within 180 days. The petition makes the case that the FDA is leaving people\'s health in jeopardy by allowing dangerous PFAS to come into contact with food.  </p>',
        ),
        'file' => 
        array (
          0 => '',
          1 => '',
        ),
        'link' => 
        array (
          0 => '',
          1 => '',
        ),
        'lead_img' => 'pfas-chemicals-petition-center-for-food-safety_44002.jpg',
        'gallery' => 
        array (
          0 => 
          array (
            0 => 'pfas-chemicals-petition-center-for-food-safety_44002.jpg',
            1 => '',
            2 => '',
            3 => '',
            4 => '',
            5 => '',
            6 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'url' => '/press-releases/6379/petition-fda-must-stop-allowing-harmful-pfas-in-our-food',
      ),
      'bid' => 
      array (
        'page_link' => '/press-releases/6379/petition-fda-must-stop-allowing-harmful-pfas-in-our-food',
        'bitly' => '68a',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'lead_img' => 'pfas-chemicals-petition-center-for-food-safety_44002.jpg',
        'rich_snippet' => ' Today, a group of health, environmental, and consumer organizations  sent a formal petition  to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ban all PFAS (per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances) that accumulate in the body.  
 A Freedom of Information Act requ.',
        'page' => 
        array (
          'id' => '6379',
          'SECTION_ID' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '0',
          'BLOCK_ID' => '0',
          'order' => '1',
          'visible' => '1',
          'feature' => '0',
          'hide' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Petition: FDA Must Stop Allowing Harmful PFAS in our Food',
          'url' => 'petition-fda-must-stop-allowing-harmful-pfas-in-our-food',
          'bitly' => '68a',
          'lead_img' => 'pfas-chemicals-petition-center-for-food-safety_44002.jpg',
          'meta_title' => 'Petition: FDA Must Stop Allowing Harmful PFAS in our Food',
          'meta_desc' => 'FDA has failed to take adequate action on dangerous chemicals despite acknowledging harm',
          'meta_img' => 'pfas-chemicals-petition-center-for-food-safety_43952.jpg',
          'meta_json' => '',
          'update_meta_title' => '0',
          'update_meta_desc' => '0',
          'update_meta_img' => '1',
          'update_meta_json' => '0',
          'start_time' => '0',
          'end_time' => '0',
        ),
        'section' => 
        array (
          'id' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '486',
          'PAGE_ID' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Press Releases',
          'url' => 'press-releases',
          'hide' => '0',
          'order' => '1',
        ),
        'bid_380' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Title',
          'block_type' => 'Plain Text',
          'block_alias' => 'title',
          'post_id' => '63982',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 'Petition: FDA Must Stop Allowing Harmful PFAS in our Food',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5959' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Subtitle',
          'block_type' => 'Plain Text',
          'block_alias' => 'subtitle',
          'post_id' => '63983',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 'FDA has failed to take adequate action on dangerous chemicals despite acknowledging harm',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5957' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Show Hero Image',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'hide_hero',
          'post_id' => '63984',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_381' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Date',
          'block_type' => 'Date',
          'block_alias' => 'date',
          'post_id' => '63985',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '2021-06-03',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_2294' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel1',
          'post_id' => '63986',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'custom_title' => '',
              'page_id' => '308',
              'name1' => 'Food Safety',
              'section_name1' => 'Issues',
              'page_link' => '/issues/308/food-safety',
              'lead_img' => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
              'rich_snippet' => '<p>According to federal data, each year, one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. These figures are likely to be far higher, as most food illnesses go unreported. The most five common pathogens causing foodborne i.',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_3612' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue 2',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel2',
          'post_id' => '63987',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_3613' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue 3',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel3',
          'post_id' => '63988',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_382' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Description',
          'block_type' => 'Rich Text',
          'block_alias' => 'desc',
          'post_id' => '63989',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '<p>Today, a group of health, environmental, and consumer organizations <a href="http://blogs.edf.org/health/files/2021/06/PFAS-Petition-to-FDA-FINAL-6-1-21.pdf">sent a formal petition</a> to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ban all PFAS (per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances) that accumulate in the body. </p>
<p>A Freedom of Information Act request response recently revealed that FDA described serious health concerns with the use of certain "short chain" PFAS in correspondence with PFAS manufacturers, and said that the companies needed to provide evidence that the chemicals were safe to continue using them. The agency then rejected an offer from one company to conduct additional studies within two years because that would take too much time in light of the chemicals\' risks. Despite this, the FDA soon after accepted a separate industry proposal for all manufacturers to have five years to voluntarily phase out the unsafe PFAS.</p>
<p>There is extensive PFAS contamination across the US due to widespread use of the chemicals in many industries, in firefighting foam, in household products, food packaging and more. Scientific evidence demonstrating harm to health, particularly children\'s health, from the chemicals is overwhelming. This has resulted in an outcry for action on the chemicals often spearheaded by communities that are dealing with contamination – and significant progress at the state-level.  </p>
<p>FDA-approved PFAS are a major contributor to this problem. The chemicals are used in many food applications, including to provide water and grease resistance to paper and paperboard that comes into contact with food. They are commonly found in takeout containers, plastic bottles, disposable bowls and plates in addition to popcorn bags, pet food bags and more. </p>
<p>The petition was filed by Environmental Defense Fund, Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, Center for Environmental Health, Center for Food Safety, Consumer Federation of America, Consumer Reports, Defend Our Health, Environmental Working Group, Green Science Policy Institute, Healthy Babies Bright Futures, and League of Conservation Voters.</p>
<p>FDA has not done enough when it comes to protecting the public from PFAS, and the few actions it has taken have been inadequate and, often, after years of delay. The agency has acted in a piecemeal way, phasing out some varieties of PFAS but still approving new ones for food, all while the evidence accumulates showing the chemicals build up in our bodies and are linked to cancer, immunological, reproductive, and developmental harm. Advocates are now asking the agency to take decisive steps on this class of chemicals. </p>
<p>The petition requests that the FDA revoke all approvals for use of the chemicals in food and food packaging and issue a regulation banning them unless there is evidence that the use is safe. This is necessary not only due to the known danger of many varieties of PFAS, but also the FDA\'s inadequate actions thus far on the chemicals. The agency should stop assuming these chemicals are safe and conduct thorough assessments of health and environmental impacts.  </p>
<p>"FDA is not doing its job. It phased out some varieties of PFAS, but approved new ones for food," <strong>said Jaydee Hanson, policy director at Center for Food Safety.</strong> "The agency ignored evidence showing these chemicals build up in our bodies and are linked to cancer, immunological, reproductive, and developmental harm. Instead of just agreeing with the chemical companies, FDA needs to protect the public and act on these dangerous chemicals immediately."</p>
<p>"FDA needs to shut the door, permanently, on PFAS in food and food packaging," said <strong>Dr. Maricel Maffini, scientist and coauthor of the petition</strong>. "The agency has a poor track record when it comes to evaluating the safety of these chemicals and taking action. We think it\'s past time for the FDA to follow the science and put the public\'s health first."</p>
<p>"Given the evidence linking PFAS to numerous health harms, including breast cancer, it is imperative for the FDA to step up and start protecting our health", said <strong>Lisette van Vliet, Senior Policy Coordinator at Breast Cancer Prevention Partners</strong>. "Allowing the continued use of these chemicals in food packaging is unacceptable."</p>
<p>"There is no excuse for the FDA to continue allowing millions of Americans to be exposed to toxic PFAS in food packaging and foodware, especially when safer alternatives are available," said <strong>Sue Chiang, Pollution Prevention Director, Center for Environmental Health</strong>. "The FDA needs to turn off the tap to toxic PFAS. We all deserve access to toxic free food that doesn\'t harm people across the product lifecycle from workers, to consumers, to fenceline communities disproportionately impacted by irresponsible disposal practices."</p>
<p>"Americans are routinely exposed to PFAS \'forever chemicals,\' which are pervasive in food packaging and may be toxic at very low levels," said <strong>Dr. Michael Hansen, PhD, senior scientist at Consumer Reports</strong>. "We need action by the FDA to ensure the public is protected and not unwittingly consuming these dangerous substances in the food they eat." </p>
<p>"While states like Maine, Washington, Vermont, and New York have already taken action to eliminate PFAS from food packaging, the FDA has done little to address the clear hazards PFAS poses," said <strong>Patrick MacRoy, Deputy Director of Defend Our Health</strong>. "We hope this petition will provide the impetus for the new administration at FDA to finally provide the Federal leadership desperately called for."</p>
<p>"The FDA has understood the risks of PFAS since the 1960s but failed to act," said <strong>Scott Faber, Senior Vice President for Government Affairs for the Environmental Working Group</strong>. "The evidence linking PFAS to cancer and harm to the reproductive and immune systems has only grown stronger, but the FDA has still refused to protect us. There is no better example of FDA\'s broken food chemical review system than the presence of toxic forever chemicals in food packaging. If the FDA once again puts the chemical companies ahead of our health, Congress should simply ban PFAS from food packaging."</p>
<p>"Persistent chemicals linked to health harm have no place in our food packaging," said <strong>Tom Bruton, PhD, Senior Scientist at Green Science Policy Institute</strong>. "FDA should swiftly and transparently revoke approvals for the short-chain PFAS that its own scientists have found are unsafe."</p>
<p>"There should be no place in the U.S. food supply for toxic chemicals like PFAS that persist in the bodies of pregnant women and children," said <strong>Jane Houlihan, Research Director of Health Babies Bright Futures</strong>. "All babies deserve a clean, healthy start in life, free of toxic chemicals that put their healthy development at risk. FDA should help make that a reality."</p>
<p>"It\'s long past time for the federal government to protect our families from dangerous PFAS chemicals once and for all," said <strong>Madeleine Foote, Deputy Legislative Director, LCV</strong>. "PFAS contamination is an equity issue – the FDA has a responsibility to protect the health of our communities, particularly communities of color and low-income communities who may be exposed to higher levels of these toxic \'forever chemicals.\'"</p>
<p>This is a formal petition the agency is required by law to answer within 180 days. The petition makes the case that the FDA is leaving people\'s health in jeopardy by allowing dangerous PFAS to come into contact with food.  </p>',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_383' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'PDF File',
          'block_type' => 'File',
          'block_alias' => 'pdf',
          'post_id' => '63990',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_1168' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'CFS Link',
          'block_type' => 'Link',
          'block_alias' => 'link',
          'post_id' => '63991',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_1169' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Image Gallery',
          'block_type' => 'Image Gallery',
          'block_alias' => 'images',
          'post_id' => '63992',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              0 => 'pfas-chemicals-petition-center-for-food-safety_44002.jpg',
              1 => '',
              2 => '',
              3 => '',
              4 => '',
              5 => '',
              6 => 'Petition: FDA Must Stop Allowing Harmful PFAS in our Food',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_2291' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Category',
          'block_type' => 'Grouping',
          'block_alias' => 'cat',
          'post_id' => '63993',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4805' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Tweets',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'tweets',
          'post_id' => '63994',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4806' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Quotes',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'quotes',
          'post_id' => '63995',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4807' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Join CFS',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'join',
          'post_id' => '63996',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5592' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Hide',
          'block_type' => 'Hide - In \'page\' table',
          'block_alias' => '',
          'post_id' => '63997',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5835' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Scheduler',
          'block_type' => 'Schedule',
          'block_alias' => 'scheduler',
          'post_id' => '63998',
          'content' => 
          array (
            'id' => '304',
            'PAGE_ID' => '6379',
            'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
            'set_time' => '0',
            'start_time_hour' => 'NA',
            'start_time_minute' => '00',
            'start_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'end_time_hour' => 'NA',
            'end_time_minute' => '00',
            'end_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'start_month' => '06',
            'start_day' => '03',
            'start_year' => '2021',
            'end_month' => '06',
            'end_day' => '03',
            'end_year' => '2021',
            'occurs' => 'once',
            'repeat_every_int' => '1',
            'repeat_every_period' => 'year',
            'repeat_stop_after' => '1',
            'float_period' => 'first',
            'float_day_o_w' => 'sunday',
            'float_repeat_every_x_mo' => '1',
            'float_stop_after' => '1',
            'events' => 
            array (
              0 => 
              array (
                'id' => '2444',
                'SCHEDULE_ID' => '304',
                'PAGE_ID' => '6379',
                'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
                'date_start' => '2021-06-03 00:00:00',
                'date_end' => '2021-06-03 00:00:00',
                'has_start_time' => '0',
                'has_end_time' => '0',
                'occurs' => 'once',
                'start' => 'Thursday, June 3, 2021',
                'end' => '',
              ),
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5955' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Unique Url',
          'block_type' => 'Unique Root URL',
          'block_alias' => 'unique_url',
          'post_id' => '63999',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
          ),
        ),
      ),
      'alias' => 
      array (
        'page_link' => '/press-releases/6379/petition-fda-must-stop-allowing-harmful-pfas-in-our-food',
        'bitly' => '68a',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'lead_img' => 'pfas-chemicals-petition-center-for-food-safety_44002.jpg',
        'rich_snippet' => ' Today, a group of health, environmental, and consumer organizations  sent a formal petition  to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ban all PFAS (per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances) that accumulate in the body.  
 A Freedom of Information Act requ.',
        'page' => 
        array (
          'id' => '6379',
          'SECTION_ID' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '0',
          'BLOCK_ID' => '0',
          'order' => '1',
          'visible' => '1',
          'feature' => '0',
          'hide' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Petition: FDA Must Stop Allowing Harmful PFAS in our Food',
          'url' => 'petition-fda-must-stop-allowing-harmful-pfas-in-our-food',
          'bitly' => '68a',
          'lead_img' => 'pfas-chemicals-petition-center-for-food-safety_44002.jpg',
          'meta_title' => 'Petition: FDA Must Stop Allowing Harmful PFAS in our Food',
          'meta_desc' => 'FDA has failed to take adequate action on dangerous chemicals despite acknowledging harm',
          'meta_img' => 'pfas-chemicals-petition-center-for-food-safety_43952.jpg',
          'meta_json' => '',
          'update_meta_title' => '0',
          'update_meta_desc' => '0',
          'update_meta_img' => '1',
          'update_meta_json' => '0',
          'start_time' => '0',
          'end_time' => '0',
        ),
        'section' => 
        array (
          'id' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '486',
          'PAGE_ID' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Press Releases',
          'url' => 'press-releases',
          'hide' => '0',
          'order' => '1',
        ),
        'bid_3612' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue 2',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel2',
          'post_id' => '63987',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_3613' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue 3',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel3',
          'post_id' => '63988',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_2291' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Category',
          'block_type' => 'Grouping',
          'block_alias' => 'cat',
          'post_id' => '63993',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5592' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Hide',
          'block_type' => 'Hide - In \'page\' table',
          'block_alias' => '',
          'post_id' => '63997',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'alias' => 
        array (
          'title' => 'Petition: FDA Must Stop Allowing Harmful PFAS in our Food',
          'subtitle' => 'FDA has failed to take adequate action on dangerous chemicals despite acknowledging harm',
          'hide_hero' => '0',
          'date' => '2021-06-03',
          'rel1' => 
          array (
            'custom_title' => '',
            'page_id' => '308',
            'name1' => 'Food Safety',
            'section_name1' => 'Issues',
            'page_link' => '/issues/308/food-safety',
            'lead_img' => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
            'rich_snippet' => ' According to federal data, each year, one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. These figures are likely to be far higher, as most food illnesses go unreported. The most five common pathogens causing foodborne ill.',
          ),
          'desc' => '<p>Today, a group of health, environmental, and consumer organizations <a href="http://blogs.edf.org/health/files/2021/06/PFAS-Petition-to-FDA-FINAL-6-1-21.pdf">sent a formal petition</a> to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ban all PFAS (per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances) that accumulate in the body. </p>
<p>A Freedom of Information Act request response recently revealed that FDA described serious health concerns with the use of certain "short chain" PFAS in correspondence with PFAS manufacturers, and said that the companies needed to provide evidence that the chemicals were safe to continue using them. The agency then rejected an offer from one company to conduct additional studies within two years because that would take too much time in light of the chemicals\' risks. Despite this, the FDA soon after accepted a separate industry proposal for all manufacturers to have five years to voluntarily phase out the unsafe PFAS.</p>
<p>There is extensive PFAS contamination across the US due to widespread use of the chemicals in many industries, in firefighting foam, in household products, food packaging and more. Scientific evidence demonstrating harm to health, particularly children\'s health, from the chemicals is overwhelming. This has resulted in an outcry for action on the chemicals often spearheaded by communities that are dealing with contamination – and significant progress at the state-level.  </p>
<p>FDA-approved PFAS are a major contributor to this problem. The chemicals are used in many food applications, including to provide water and grease resistance to paper and paperboard that comes into contact with food. They are commonly found in takeout containers, plastic bottles, disposable bowls and plates in addition to popcorn bags, pet food bags and more. </p>
<p>The petition was filed by Environmental Defense Fund, Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, Center for Environmental Health, Center for Food Safety, Consumer Federation of America, Consumer Reports, Defend Our Health, Environmental Working Group, Green Science Policy Institute, Healthy Babies Bright Futures, and League of Conservation Voters.</p>
<p>FDA has not done enough when it comes to protecting the public from PFAS, and the few actions it has taken have been inadequate and, often, after years of delay. The agency has acted in a piecemeal way, phasing out some varieties of PFAS but still approving new ones for food, all while the evidence accumulates showing the chemicals build up in our bodies and are linked to cancer, immunological, reproductive, and developmental harm. Advocates are now asking the agency to take decisive steps on this class of chemicals. </p>
<p>The petition requests that the FDA revoke all approvals for use of the chemicals in food and food packaging and issue a regulation banning them unless there is evidence that the use is safe. This is necessary not only due to the known danger of many varieties of PFAS, but also the FDA\'s inadequate actions thus far on the chemicals. The agency should stop assuming these chemicals are safe and conduct thorough assessments of health and environmental impacts.  </p>
<p>"FDA is not doing its job. It phased out some varieties of PFAS, but approved new ones for food," <strong>said Jaydee Hanson, policy director at Center for Food Safety.</strong> "The agency ignored evidence showing these chemicals build up in our bodies and are linked to cancer, immunological, reproductive, and developmental harm. Instead of just agreeing with the chemical companies, FDA needs to protect the public and act on these dangerous chemicals immediately."</p>
<p>"FDA needs to shut the door, permanently, on PFAS in food and food packaging," said <strong>Dr. Maricel Maffini, scientist and coauthor of the petition</strong>. "The agency has a poor track record when it comes to evaluating the safety of these chemicals and taking action. We think it\'s past time for the FDA to follow the science and put the public\'s health first."</p>
<p>"Given the evidence linking PFAS to numerous health harms, including breast cancer, it is imperative for the FDA to step up and start protecting our health", said <strong>Lisette van Vliet, Senior Policy Coordinator at Breast Cancer Prevention Partners</strong>. "Allowing the continued use of these chemicals in food packaging is unacceptable."</p>
<p>"There is no excuse for the FDA to continue allowing millions of Americans to be exposed to toxic PFAS in food packaging and foodware, especially when safer alternatives are available," said <strong>Sue Chiang, Pollution Prevention Director, Center for Environmental Health</strong>. "The FDA needs to turn off the tap to toxic PFAS. We all deserve access to toxic free food that doesn\'t harm people across the product lifecycle from workers, to consumers, to fenceline communities disproportionately impacted by irresponsible disposal practices."</p>
<p>"Americans are routinely exposed to PFAS \'forever chemicals,\' which are pervasive in food packaging and may be toxic at very low levels," said <strong>Dr. Michael Hansen, PhD, senior scientist at Consumer Reports</strong>. "We need action by the FDA to ensure the public is protected and not unwittingly consuming these dangerous substances in the food they eat." </p>
<p>"While states like Maine, Washington, Vermont, and New York have already taken action to eliminate PFAS from food packaging, the FDA has done little to address the clear hazards PFAS poses," said <strong>Patrick MacRoy, Deputy Director of Defend Our Health</strong>. "We hope this petition will provide the impetus for the new administration at FDA to finally provide the Federal leadership desperately called for."</p>
<p>"The FDA has understood the risks of PFAS since the 1960s but failed to act," said <strong>Scott Faber, Senior Vice President for Government Affairs for the Environmental Working Group</strong>. "The evidence linking PFAS to cancer and harm to the reproductive and immune systems has only grown stronger, but the FDA has still refused to protect us. There is no better example of FDA\'s broken food chemical review system than the presence of toxic forever chemicals in food packaging. If the FDA once again puts the chemical companies ahead of our health, Congress should simply ban PFAS from food packaging."</p>
<p>"Persistent chemicals linked to health harm have no place in our food packaging," said <strong>Tom Bruton, PhD, Senior Scientist at Green Science Policy Institute</strong>. "FDA should swiftly and transparently revoke approvals for the short-chain PFAS that its own scientists have found are unsafe."</p>
<p>"There should be no place in the U.S. food supply for toxic chemicals like PFAS that persist in the bodies of pregnant women and children," said <strong>Jane Houlihan, Research Director of Health Babies Bright Futures</strong>. "All babies deserve a clean, healthy start in life, free of toxic chemicals that put their healthy development at risk. FDA should help make that a reality."</p>
<p>"It\'s long past time for the federal government to protect our families from dangerous PFAS chemicals once and for all," said <strong>Madeleine Foote, Deputy Legislative Director, LCV</strong>. "PFAS contamination is an equity issue – the FDA has a responsibility to protect the health of our communities, particularly communities of color and low-income communities who may be exposed to higher levels of these toxic \'forever chemicals.\'"</p>
<p>This is a formal petition the agency is required by law to answer within 180 days. The petition makes the case that the FDA is leaving people\'s health in jeopardy by allowing dangerous PFAS to come into contact with food.  </p>',
          'pdf' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
          'link' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
          'images' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              0 => 'pfas-chemicals-petition-center-for-food-safety_44002.jpg',
              1 => '',
              2 => '',
              3 => '',
              4 => '',
              5 => '',
              6 => 'Petition: FDA Must Stop Allowing Harmful PFAS in our Food',
              7 => 1000,
              8 => 562,
            ),
          ),
          'tweets' => '0',
          'quotes' => '0',
          'join' => '0',
          'scheduler' => 
          array (
            'id' => '304',
            'PAGE_ID' => '6379',
            'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
            'set_time' => '0',
            'start_time_hour' => 'NA',
            'start_time_minute' => '00',
            'start_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'end_time_hour' => 'NA',
            'end_time_minute' => '00',
            'end_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'start_month' => '06',
            'start_day' => '03',
            'start_year' => '2021',
            'end_month' => '06',
            'end_day' => '03',
            'end_year' => '2021',
            'occurs' => 'once',
            'repeat_every_int' => '1',
            'repeat_every_period' => 'year',
            'repeat_stop_after' => '1',
            'float_period' => 'first',
            'float_day_o_w' => 'sunday',
            'float_repeat_every_x_mo' => '1',
            'float_stop_after' => '1',
            'events' => 
            array (
              0 => 
              array (
                'id' => '2444',
                'SCHEDULE_ID' => '304',
                'PAGE_ID' => '6379',
                'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
                'date_start' => '2021-06-03 00:00:00',
                'date_end' => '2021-06-03 00:00:00',
                'has_start_time' => '0',
                'has_end_time' => '0',
                'occurs' => 'once',
                'start' => 'Thursday, June 3, 2021',
                'end' => '',
              ),
            ),
          ),
          'unique_url' => '',
        ),
      ),
    ),
  ),
  7 => 
  array (
    'id' => '6351',
    'SECTION_ID' => '129',
    'PARENT_ID' => '0',
    'BLOCK_ID' => '0',
    'order' => '49',
    'visible' => '1',
    'feature' => '0',
    'hide' => '0',
    'name1' => 'Appeals Court Ruling Allows Novel Genetically Engineered Soy Leghemoglobin in Impossible Burgers',
    'url' => 'appeals-court-ruling-allows-novel-genetically-engineered-soy-leghemoglobin-in-impossible-burgers',
    'bitly' => '67h',
    'lead_img' => 'impossible_burger_at_hells_kitchen_minneapolis_-_vegan_meat_41303643735_57009_71960.jpg',
    'meta_title' => 'Appeals Court Ruling Allows Novel Genetically Engineered Soy Leghemoglobin in Impossible Burgers',
    'meta_desc' => 'Statement from Center for Food Safety',
    'meta_img' => 'impossible_burger_at_hells_kitchen_minneapolis_-_vegan_meat_41303643735_57009_71938.jpg',
    'meta_json' => '',
    'update_meta_title' => '0',
    'update_meta_desc' => '0',
    'update_meta_img' => '1',
    'update_meta_json' => '0',
    'start_time' => '0',
    'end_time' => '0',
    'content' => 
    array (
      'typ' => 
      array (
        'page_id' => '6351',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'text' => 
        array (
          0 => 'Appeals Court Ruling Allows Novel Genetically Engineered Soy Leghemoglobin in Impossible Burgers',
          1 => '',
          2 => '',
        ),
        'checkbox' => 
        array (
          0 => '1',
          1 => '0',
          2 => '0',
          3 => '0',
        ),
        'date' => 
        array (
          0 => '2021-05-03',
        ),
        'relation' => 
        array (
          0 => 
          array (
            'custom' => 
            array (
              0 => '',
            ),
            'page_id' => '311',
            'basic' => 
            array (
              'page_id' => '311',
              'root_url' => 'issues',
              'root' => 'Issues',
              'text' => 
              array (
                0 => 'GE Foods',
                1 => '',
                2 => 'Genetically Engineered Crops',
                3 => 'From:CFSTrueFood+#GMO',
              ),
              'rich' => 
              array (
                0 => '<p>The genetic engineering of plants and animals is looming as one of the greatest and most intractable environmental challenges of the 21st Century. Already, this novel technology has invaded our grocery stores and our kitchen pantries by fundamentally altering some of our most important staple food crops.</p>
<p>By being able to take the genetic material from one organism and insert it into the permanent genetic code of another, biotechnologists have engineered numerous novel creations, such as potatoes with bacteria genes, “super” pigs with human growth genes, fish with cattle growth genes, tomatoes with flounder genes, and thousands of other plants, animals and insects. At an alarming rate, these creations are now being patented and released into the environment.</p>
<p>Currently, up to 85 percent of U.S. corn is genetically engineered as are 91 percent of soybeans and 88 percent of cotton (cottonseed oil is often used in food products). According to industry, up to 95% of sugar beets are now GE. It has been estimated that upwards of 70 percent of processed foods on supermarket shelves–from soda to soup, crackers to condiments–contain genetically engineered ingredients.</p>
<p>A number of studies over the past decade have revealed that genetically engineered foods can pose serious risks to humans, domesticated animals, wildlife and the environment. Human health effects can include higher risks of toxicity, allergenicity, antibiotic resistance, immune-suppression and cancer. As for environmental impacts, the use of genetic engineering in agriculture will lead to uncontrolled biological pollution, threatening numerous microbial, plant and animal species with extinction, and the potential contamination of all non-genetically engineered life forms with novel and possibly hazardous genetic material.</p>
<p>Despite these long-term and wide-ranging risks, Congress has yet to pass a single law intended to manage them responsibly. This despite the fact that our regulatory agencies have failed to adequately address the human health or environmental impacts of genetic engineering. On the federal level, eight agencies attempt to regulate biotechnology using 12 different statutes or laws that were written long before genetically engineered food, animals and insects became a reality. The result has been a regulatory tangle, where any regulation even exists, as existing laws are grossly manipulated to manage threats they were never intended to regulate. Among many bizarre examples of these regulatory anomalies is the current attempt by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to regulate genetically engineered fish as “new animal drugs.” Yet, at the same time, the FDA claims it has no jurisdiction over genetically engineered pet fish like the Glofish.</p>
<p>The haphazard and negligent agency regulation of biotechnology has been a disaster for consumers and the environment. Unsuspecting consumers by the tens of millions are being allowed to purchase and consume unlabeled genetically engineered foods, despite a finding by FDA scientists that these foods could pose serious risks. And new genetically engineered crops are being approved by federal agencies despite admissions that they will contaminate native and conventional plants and pose other significant new environmental threats. In short, there has been a complete abdication of any responsible legislative or regulatory oversight of genetically engineered foods. Clearly, now is a critical time to challenge the government’s negligence in managing the human health and environmental threats from biotechnology.</p>
<p>CFS seeks to&nbsp;halt the approval, commercialization or release of any new genetically engineered crops until they have been thoroughly tested and found safe for human health and the environment. CFS maintains that any foods that already contain genetically engineered ingredients must be clearly labeled. Additionally, CFS advocates the containment and reduction of existing genetically engineered crops.</p>',
              ),
              'lead_img' => 'airplane-465619_1920_33778_51645.jpg',
              'gallery' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'airplane-465619_1920_33778_51645.jpg',
                  1 => 'After Cursory Review, EPA Proposes Dramatic Expansion of Toxic Pesticide Blend Enlist Duo',
                  2 => '<p>The Environmental Protection Agency has reapproved and proposed a dramatic expansion of the use of the toxic pesticide Enlist Duo after only a cursory review of troubling data showing the two chemicals in the pesticide combine to have “synergistic” effects that are potentially harmful to endangered species and the environment. If approved the pesticide cocktail could be used on corn, soy and cotton in 35 states — up from 16 states where the product was previously approved for just corn and soy.</p>',
                  3 => 'http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/4559/after-cursory-review-epa-proposes-dramatic-expansionof-toxic-pesticide-blend-enlist-duo',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'jacksonvictory_59877.jpg',
                  1 => 'Victory! Judge Upholds Jackson Countyâ€™s Ban on Genetically Engineered Crops',
                  2 => '<p>Family farmers and other supporters of Jackson County’s precedent-setting ban on genetically engineered (GE) crop cultivation are celebrating a federal court ruling upholding the legality of Jackson County’s ordinance. The ruling released this afternoon by Federal District Court Magistrate Judge Mark Clarke was a resounding victory for Our Family Farms Coalition (OFFC) and Center for Food Safety (CFS), which intervened in the case to defend the ban along with two local family farmers. &nbsp;Lawyers with Center for Food Safety and the Earthrise Law Center based at Lewis and Clark Law School jointly represented the intervening parties.</p>',
                  3 => 'http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/3953/judge-upholds-jackson-countys-ban-on-genetically-engineered-crops',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'gefujiapple_twandfblink2_notextfw_91639.png',
                  1 => 'Tell Burger King to Reject GE Apples',
                  2 => '<p>McDonald\'s, Wendy\'s, and Gerber have already indicated that they don\'t plan to use these GE apples. Burger King could be next.</p>
<p>Sign the petition: Tell Burger King to commit to keeping GE apples out of its meals.</p>',
                  3 => 'http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/1881/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=19365',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
                3 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'shoppersguide_mobile2_53822.jpg',
                  1 => 'Get your free CFS Shoppers Guide to Avoiding GE Foods!',
                  2 => '<p>Which supermarket foods are genetically engineered? This is probably the most urgent question the public has about these novel foods. But despite overwhelming demand, almost no foods on U.S. grocery shelves reveal their secret, genetically engineered ingredients. The first of it\'s kind--available both in print and as a mibile app for iPhone and Android--the CFS True Food Shoppers Guide was designed to help reclaim your right to know about the foods you are buying, and help you find and avoid GMO foods and ingredients.</p>',
                  3 => 'http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/fact-sheets/1974/true-food-shoppers-guide-to-avoiding-gmos',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
              ),
              'images' => 
              array (
                0 => 'gefoods_48010.png',
                1 => '',
                2 => 'gefoods2_68013_17461.png',
                3 => '',
              ),
              'group' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '49',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '48',
                  'sub_group' => '0',
                  'name1' => 'Genetic Engineering',
                  'url' => 'genetic-engineering',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'order' => '3',
                ),
              ),
              'color' => 
              array (
                0 => '#69923e',
                1 => 'Green',
              ),
              'section' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '325',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '311',
                  'name1' => 'Shoppers Guide to Avoiding GE Food',
                  'url' => 'shoppers-guide-to-avoiding-ge-food',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '101',
                  'multiple' => '1',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '1',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '194',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '311',
                  'name1' => 'About GE Foods',
                  'url' => 'about-ge-foods',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '106',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '202',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '311',
                  'name1' => 'GE Food & the Environment',
                  'url' => 'ge-food-and-the-environment',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '109',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                3 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '204',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '311',
                  'name1' => 'GE Food & Farmers',
                  'url' => 'ge-food-and-farmers',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '113',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                4 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '205',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '311',
                  'name1' => 'GE Food & Your Health',
                  'url' => 'ge-food-and-your-health',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '116',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                5 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '206',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '311',
                  'name1' => 'Myths & Realities of GE Crops',
                  'url' => 'myths-and-realities-of-ge-crops',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '118',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                6 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '207',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '311',
                  'name1' => 'Regulations',
                  'url' => 'regulations',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '120',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                7 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '524',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '311',
                  'name1' => '2018 Proposed GE Labeling Rule: Talking points',
                  'url' => '2018-proposed-ge-labeling-rule-talking-points-524',
                  'visible' => '0',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '123',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                8 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '210',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '311',
                  'name1' => 'Crops in the Pipeline',
                  'url' => 'crops-in-the-pipeline',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '124',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                9 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '211',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '311',
                  'name1' => 'Pharmaceutical Crops',
                  'url' => 'pharmaceutical-crops',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '126',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                10 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '357',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '311',
                  'name1' => 'Californians for GE-Free Agriculture',
                  'url' => 'californians-for-ge-free-agriculture',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '127',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
              ),
              'checkbox' => 
              array (
                0 => '1',
                1 => '0',
                2 => '1',
              ),
              'url' => '/issues/311/ge-foods',
            ),
          ),
          1 => 
          array (
            'custom' => 
            array (
              0 => '',
            ),
            'page_id' => '976',
            'basic' => 
            array (
              'page_id' => '976',
              'root_url' => 'issues',
              'root' => 'Issues',
              'text' => 
              array (
                0 => 'GE Food Labeling',
                1 => '',
                2 => 'GE Food Labeling',
                3 => 'From:CFSTrueFood+#labeling',
              ),
              'rich' => 
              array (
                0 => '<p>If you want to know if your food contains gluten, aspartame, high fructose corn syrup, trans-fats or MSG, you simply read the label.&nbsp; But if you want to know if it contains genetically engineered (GE) ingredients, you’re not going to find any information on the package.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Why? Because unlike <a href="http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/ge-map/">most other developed countries</a>—such as the 15 nations in the European Union, Japan, Australia, Brazil, Russia and China—the U.S. has no laws requiring labeling of GE foods. &nbsp;Yet polls have repeatedly shown that the overwhelming majority of Americans—over 90% in most polls—believe GE foods should be labeled.</p>
<p>Unsuspecting consumers by the tens of millions are being allowed to purchase and consume unlabeled GE foods, despite the fact that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does no independent testing of their safety.&nbsp; In fact, documents uncovered in prior litigation show that scientists within FDA indicated that the foods could pose serious risks. &nbsp;Nonetheless, FDA only holds a voluntary (and confidential) meeting with industry before allowing commercialization of these foods and relies entirely on the data the industry chooses to show them.</p>
<p>So why has the FDA not acted to require labeling?</p>
<p>Almost 20 years ago, FDA determined that GE foods did not need to be labeled because they were not “materially” different from other foods. While the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act requires the FDA to prevent consumer deception by clarifying that a food label is misleading if it omits significant, “material” information, the FDA issued a policy statement in 1992 that limited what it considered “material” to only changes in food that could be noted by taste, smell or other senses. Since GE foods can’t be “sensed” in this way, FDA declared them to be “substantially equivalent” to conventionally produced foods, and no labeling was required. It was, and remains, a political decision, not a scientific one. Two decades later, this outdated policy of the 19th century is still in effect. Yet the 21st century has brought fundamental changes to food that cannot be sensed; first through genetic engineering and, soon, through nanotechnology and synthetic biology.</p>
<p>In the spring of 2000, the FDA announced that labeling of GE foods would remain voluntary, even though there was no indication that any company would voluntarily label GE foods.&nbsp; And in the 12 years since, none have. &nbsp;Companies who have eliminated GE ingredients to add “NON-GE” labels to their products have faced tight regulations and litigation challenges from industry, while the FDA allows other companies continue to use GE ingredients in secret.</p>
<p>Center for Food Safety stands for a clear and unqualified consumer right to know what is in our food. The FDA must move into the new century and give consumers the information they overwhelmingly believe to be important for a host of health, environmental, ethical and religious reasons.</p>',
              ),
              'lead_img' => 'label-reading_14108.jpg',
              'gallery' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'label-reading_14108.jpg',
                  1 => 'About GE Food Labeling',
                  2 => '<p>If you want to know if your food contains gluten, aspartame, high fructose corn syrup, trans-fats or MSG, you simply read the label.&nbsp; But if you want to know if it contains genetically engineered (GE) ingredients, you’re not going to find any information on the package. Why? Because unlike <a href="http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/ge-map/">most other developed countries</a>—such as the nations in the European Union, Japan, Australia, Brazil, Russia and China—the U.S. has no laws requiring labeling of GE foods.</p>',
                  3 => 'http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/issues/976/ge-food-labeling/about-ge-labeling',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'shoppersguide_mobile2_53943.jpg',
                  1 => 'Get your free CFS Shoppers Guide to Avoiding GE Foods!',
                  2 => '<p>Which supermarket foods are genetically engineered? This is probably the most urgent question the public has about these novel foods. But despite overwhelming demand, almost no foods on U.S. grocery shelves reveal their secret, genetically engineered ingredients. The first of it\'s kind--available both in print and as a mibile app for iPhone and Android--the CFS True Food Shoppers Guide was designed to help reclaim your right to know about the foods you are buying, and help you find and avoid GMO foods and ingredients.</p>',
                  3 => 'http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/fact-sheets/1974/true-food-shoppers-guide-to-avoiding-gmos',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'gefoodlabelingmap_22184.jpg',
                  1 => 'Did you Know?',
                  2 => '<p>Did you know that more than 60 countries around the world have mandatory labeling of genetically engineered foods? Check out our new map to find out more about these laws</p>',
                  3 => '/ge-map',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
              ),
              'images' => 
              array (
                0 => '',
                1 => '',
                2 => 'istock_000019705702xlarge3_17898.jpg',
                3 => '',
              ),
              'group' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '49',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '48',
                  'sub_group' => '0',
                  'name1' => 'Genetic Engineering',
                  'url' => 'genetic-engineering',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'order' => '3',
                ),
              ),
              'color' => 
              array (
                0 => '#69923e',
                1 => '',
              ),
              'relation' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'custom' => 
                  array (
                    0 => '',
                  ),
                  'page_id' => '6100',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  'custom' => 
                  array (
                    0 => '',
                  ),
                  'page_id' => '5329',
                ),
              ),
              'section' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '212',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '976',
                  'name1' => 'About GE Labeling',
                  'url' => 'about-ge-labeling',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '1',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '572',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '976',
                  'name1' => 'Become a Citizen GMO Investigator',
                  'url' => 'become-a-citizen-gmo-investigator',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '2',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '522',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '976',
                  'name1' => '2018 Proposed GE Labeling Rule: Talking Points',
                  'url' => '2018-proposed-ge-labeling-rule-talking-points',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '3',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                3 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '213',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '976',
                  'name1' => 'The CFS Legal Petition to Label Genetically Engineered Foods',
                  'url' => 'the-cfs-legal-petition-to-label-genetically-engineered-foods',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '4',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                4 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '356',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '976',
                  'name1' => 'Citizen Legislative Advocacy Resources',
                  'url' => 'citizen-legislative-advocacy-resources',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '5',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                5 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '320',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '976',
                  'name1' => 'International Labeling Laws',
                  'url' => 'international-labeling-laws',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '6',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                6 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '247',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '976',
                  'name1' => 'State Labeling Initiatives',
                  'url' => 'state-labeling-initiatives',
                  'visible' => '0',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '7',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 1,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                7 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '430',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '247',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '976',
                  'name1' => 'State Labeling Legislation Map',
                  'url' => 'state-labeling-legislation-map-430',
                  'visible' => '0',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '1',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => 'http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/1881/p/salsa/web/common/public/content?content_item_KEY=14210',
                  'indent' => 1,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => 'state-labeling-initiatives',
                ),
                8 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '246',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '976',
                  'name1' => 'U.S. Polls on GE Food Labeling',
                  'url' => 'us-polls-on-ge-food-labeling',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '8',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
              ),
              'checkbox' => 
              array (
                0 => '0',
                1 => '0',
                2 => '1',
              ),
              'url' => '/issues/976/ge-food-labeling',
            ),
          ),
          2 => 
          array (
            'custom' => 
            array (
              0 => '',
            ),
            'page_id' => '308',
            'basic' => 
            array (
              'page_id' => '308',
              'root_url' => 'issues',
              'root' => 'Issues',
              'text' => 
              array (
                0 => 'Food Safety',
                1 => '',
                2 => 'Food Safety',
                3 => 'From:CFSTrueFood+#foodsafety',
              ),
              'rich' => 
              array (
                0 => '<p>According to federal data, each year, one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. These figures are likely to be far higher, as most food illnesses go unreported. The most five common pathogens causing foodborne illnesses resulting in hospitalizations are: salmonella, norovirus, Campylobacter, toxoplasma gondii, and E. coli 0157.</p>
<p>Almost every week brings more news of food contamination or foodborne illness outbreak. What’s going on? Our industrialized food system is the root cause of many of these outbreaks.</p>
<p>Industrialization of the food supply</p>
<p>One likely cause is overcrowded conditions on factory farms, where animals get sick and pass the disease on to other animals. Another factor is our wide distribution system, in which contaminated food is transported across the nation. Also, we are increasingly relying on imported foods with unknown safety standards. (For example, 60 percent of our seafood is imported.) Adding to this perfect storm is government deregulation and inadequate funding for inspections and oversight.</p>
<p>Another critical food safety problem is the thousands of chemical additives Americans consume every day. Thanks to industry influence over the approval process, the long-term safety risks for most of these substances are unknown.</p>
<p>For example, for years science has pointed to chemical food dyes as a significant contributor to child behavioral problems. And yet the federal government still denies this connection. In addition, we’ve seen a huge increase in food allergies in children in recent years, but without much explanation of the causes. Clearly, more research is needed into how the industrialized food supply may be impacting our health in ways that are less obvious than foodborne illness.</p>
<p>Political influence</p>
<p>Nothing about food safety takes place in a political vacuum. For decades, the food industry has lobbied to ensure the status quo. And when we finally do get a rare policy victory, such as the passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act (passed in 2010), the game switches to “starving the beast” – limiting the funds for government to adequately carry out the legislative intent.</p>
<p>Powerful trade groups such as the American Meat Institute lobby against common sense policy improvements, such as expanding required testing for deadly bacteria in ground beef. Another important political factor is international trade. Other nations get upset when theU.S.government demands higher scrutiny of imports. In addition, the Food and Drug Administration, despite having jurisdiction over most of the food supply, is constantly under-funded, limiting inspection and enforcement actions; again, thanks to powerful lobbyists who like it that way.</p>
<p>What can we do about it?</p>
<p>President Obama has pledged a complete overhaul of our food system. The Center for Food Safety believes this will require elevating food safety within government to be a cabinet level agency. The mission of this new food agency must be to evaluate how best to regulate food production to prevent the greatest food safety hazards caused by large industrial agriculture and processed foods and while also protecting and supporting smaller, family, and diversified farms. But such an overhaul can only be successful by removing politics from food safety.</p>
<p>Additional Food Safety Resources</p>
<p><a href="http://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/cdc-and-food-safety.html" target="_blank">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.fsis.usda.gov/" target="_blank">United States Department of Agriculture</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.fda.gov/food/foodsafety/default.htm" target="_blank">Food and Drug Administration</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.foodsafety.gov/" target="_blank">FoodSafety.gov</a></p>',
              ),
              'lead_img' => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
              'gallery' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
                  1 => 'NEW REPORT: TPP Serves Up an Unsavory Dinner',
                  2 => '<p>If you’ve been listening to or reading the news at any point over the past year, it’s likely that you’ve heard about the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP. While the term may be familiar, the connection between TPP and what you find on your dinner plate may not be.</p>',
                  3 => 'http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/reports/4573/tpp-serves-up-an-unsavory-dinner',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'oilandwater_thinkbeforeyoupink_hero2_14465.jpg',
                  1 => 'Tell Bee Sweet Citrus and Wonderful Company to Stop Watering Our Food with Oil Wastewater!',
                  2 => '<p>The use of oil wastewater for food irrigation is an urgent public health issue because of the potentially hazardous chemicals associated with all oil extraction processes – including toxic chemicals linked to cancer. Tell Wonderful Company and Bee Sweet Citrus to stop watering our food with toxic oil wastewater!</p>',
                  3 => 'http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/1881/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=19536',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'istock_000009992043small_78906.jpg',
                  1 => 'Court Victory: Consumers Have a Right to Know About Their Food',
                  2 => '<p>The Washington D.C. Court of Appeals upheld the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) rule which requires information about where meat is raised and slaughtered. USDA drafted COOL rules in 2009 and finalized them in 2013.</p>',
                  3 => 'http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/3404/court-victory-consumers-have-a-right-to-know-about-their-food',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
              ),
              'images' => 
              array (
                0 => 'foodsafety_48189.png',
                1 => '',
                2 => 'foodsafety_68552.png',
                3 => '',
              ),
              'group' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '94',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '48',
                  'sub_group' => '0',
                  'name1' => 'Food Safety',
                  'url' => 'food-safety',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'order' => '4',
                ),
              ),
              'color' => 
              array (
                0 => '#f79676',
                1 => 'Food Safety Mauve',
              ),
              'section' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '219',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Food Safety & Food Recalls',
                  'url' => 'food-safety-and-food-recalls',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '158',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '329',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Industrialization of the Food Supply',
                  'url' => 'industrialization-of-the-food-supply',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '159',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '330',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Political Influence',
                  'url' => 'political-influence',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '160',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
              ),
              'checkbox' => 
              array (
                0 => '1',
                1 => '0',
                2 => '1',
              ),
              'url' => '/issues/308/food-safety',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'rich' => 
        array (
          0 => '<p>SAN FRANCISCO—Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued a decision in Center for Food Safety\'s (CFS) lawsuit challenging the Food and Drug Administration\'s (FDA) approval of soy leghemoglobin (a.k.a. "heme"), the novel genetically engineered (GE) color additive that makes Impossible Foods\' eponymous plant-based burger, the Impossible Burger, appear to "bleed" like real meat. In an unpublished opinion, the court ruled that concerned consumers have the right to challenge FDA\'s determination, but affirmed the FDA\'s approval of the novel color additive, even though preliminary animal lab data submitted by Impossible Foods indicated potential health risks including blood clot issues, anemia, and kidney damage.  </p>
<p><strong>In response to the appeals court\'s decision, Center for Food Safety\'s senior attorney Sylvia Wu issued the following statement: </strong></p>
<p>"We are disappointed by the court\'s ruling today, which will allow Impossible Burger and other meatless burgers to be made with a novel genetically engineered chemical without conducting any long-term health studies. FDA is supposed to protect consumers from unsafe novel chemicals in our food supply, instead now consumers bear the burden of avoiding these GMO plant-based burgers."   </p>
<hr />
<p style="text-align: center;">BACKGROUND: </p>
<p>CFS originally <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/5961/center-for-food-safety-filed-lawsuit-against-fda-challenging-decision-to-approve-genetically-engineered-soy-protein-found-in-the-impossible-burger" target="_blank">filed the lawsuit</a> in March 2020; oral arguments in the case <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/5961/center-for-food-safety-filed-lawsuit-against-fda-challenging-decision-to-approve-genetically-engineered-soy-protein-found-in-the-impossible-burger" target="_blank">were presented</a> last month. CFS argued that FDA used a lower safety standard when it approved GE heme to be used in raw Impossible Burgers sold in grocery stores. Instead of using the color additive safety standard that specifies "convincing evidence that establishes with reasonable certainty that no harm will result from the intended use of the color additive," FDA conflated that standard with the food additive safety standard, which does not specify that there must be "convincing evidence."  </p>
<p>CFS also argued that FDA approved GE heme without the animal lab study on longer-term health effects called for by FDA\'s own testing guidelines. Today\'s ruling cements FDA\'s food additive approval, allowing Impossible Foods and other plant-based meat companies to use GE heme for no other purposes other than make their burgers more marketable. Despite avidly supporting plant-based diets, CFS urges consumers to avoid eating these GMO plant-based burgers.   <br /> </p>',
        ),
        'file' => 
        array (
          0 => '',
          1 => '',
        ),
        'link' => 
        array (
          0 => '',
          1 => '',
        ),
        'lead_img' => 'impossible_burger_at_hells_kitchen_minneapolis_-_vegan_meat_41303643735_57009_71960.jpg',
        'gallery' => 
        array (
          0 => 
          array (
            0 => 'impossible_burger_at_hells_kitchen_minneapolis_-_vegan_meat_41303643735_57009_71960.jpg',
            1 => '',
            2 => '',
            3 => '',
            4 => '',
            5 => '',
            6 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'url' => '/press-releases/6351/appeals-court-ruling-allows-novel-genetically-engineered-soy-leghemoglobin-in-impossible-burgers',
      ),
      'bid' => 
      array (
        'page_link' => '/press-releases/6351/appeals-court-ruling-allows-novel-genetically-engineered-soy-leghemoglobin-in-impossible-burgers',
        'bitly' => '67h',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'lead_img' => 'impossible_burger_at_hells_kitchen_minneapolis_-_vegan_meat_41303643735_57009_71960.jpg',
        'rich_snippet' => ' SAN FRANCISCO—Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued a decision in Center for Food Safety&#039;s (CFS) lawsuit challenging the Food and Drug Administration&#039;s (FDA) approval of soy leghemoglobin (a.k.a. "heme"), the .',
        'page' => 
        array (
          'id' => '6351',
          'SECTION_ID' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '0',
          'BLOCK_ID' => '0',
          'order' => '3',
          'visible' => '1',
          'feature' => '0',
          'hide' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Appeals Court Ruling Allows Novel Genetically Engineered Soy Leghemoglobin in Impossible Burgers',
          'url' => 'appeals-court-ruling-allows-novel-genetically-engineered-soy-leghemoglobin-in-impossible-burgers',
          'bitly' => '67h',
          'lead_img' => 'impossible_burger_at_hells_kitchen_minneapolis_-_vegan_meat_41303643735_57009_71960.jpg',
          'meta_title' => 'Appeals Court Ruling Allows Novel Genetically Engineered Soy Leghemoglobin in Impossible Burgers',
          'meta_desc' => 'Statement from Center for Food Safety',
          'meta_img' => 'impossible_burger_at_hells_kitchen_minneapolis_-_vegan_meat_41303643735_57009_71938.jpg',
          'meta_json' => '',
          'update_meta_title' => '0',
          'update_meta_desc' => '0',
          'update_meta_img' => '1',
          'update_meta_json' => '0',
          'start_time' => '0',
          'end_time' => '0',
        ),
        'section' => 
        array (
          'id' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '486',
          'PAGE_ID' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Press Releases',
          'url' => 'press-releases',
          'hide' => '0',
          'order' => '1',
        ),
        'bid_380' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Title',
          'block_type' => 'Plain Text',
          'block_alias' => 'title',
          'post_id' => '63312',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 'Appeals Court Ruling Allows Novel Genetically Engineered Soy Leghemoglobin in Impossible Burgers',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5959' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Subtitle',
          'block_type' => 'Plain Text',
          'block_alias' => 'subtitle',
          'post_id' => '63313',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5957' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Show Hero Image',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'hide_hero',
          'post_id' => '63314',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '1',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_381' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Date',
          'block_type' => 'Date',
          'block_alias' => 'date',
          'post_id' => '63315',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '2021-05-03',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_2294' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel1',
          'post_id' => '63316',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'custom_title' => '',
              'page_id' => '311',
              'name1' => 'GE Foods',
              'section_name1' => 'Issues',
              'page_link' => '/issues/311/ge-foods',
              'lead_img' => 'airplane-465619_1920_33778_51645.jpg',
              'rich_snippet' => '<p>The genetic engineering of plants and animals is looming as one of the greatest and most intractable environmental challenges of the 21st Century. Already, this novel technology has invaded our grocery stores and our kitchen pantries by fundamentally altering .',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_3612' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue 2',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel2',
          'post_id' => '63317',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'custom_title' => '',
              'page_id' => '976',
              'name1' => 'GE Food Labeling',
              'section_name1' => 'Issues',
              'page_link' => '/issues/976/ge-food-labeling',
              'lead_img' => 'label-reading_14108.jpg',
              'rich_snippet' => '<p>If you want to know if your food contains gluten, aspartame, high fructose corn syrup, trans-fats or MSG, you simply read the label.  But if you want to know if it contains genetically engineered (GE) ingredients, you’re not going to find any informatio.',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_3613' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue 3',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel3',
          'post_id' => '63318',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'custom_title' => '',
              'page_id' => '308',
              'name1' => 'Food Safety',
              'section_name1' => 'Issues',
              'page_link' => '/issues/308/food-safety',
              'lead_img' => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
              'rich_snippet' => '<p>According to federal data, each year, one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. These figures are likely to be far higher, as most food illnesses go unreported. The most five common pathogens causing foodborne i.',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_382' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Description',
          'block_type' => 'Rich Text',
          'block_alias' => 'desc',
          'post_id' => '63319',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '<p>SAN FRANCISCO—Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued a decision in Center for Food Safety\'s (CFS) lawsuit challenging the Food and Drug Administration\'s (FDA) approval of soy leghemoglobin (a.k.a. "heme"), the novel genetically engineered (GE) color additive that makes Impossible Foods\' eponymous plant-based burger, the Impossible Burger, appear to "bleed" like real meat. In an unpublished opinion, the court ruled that concerned consumers have the right to challenge FDA\'s determination, but affirmed the FDA\'s approval of the novel color additive, even though preliminary animal lab data submitted by Impossible Foods indicated potential health risks including blood clot issues, anemia, and kidney damage.  </p>
<p><strong>In response to the appeals court\'s decision, Center for Food Safety\'s senior attorney Sylvia Wu issued the following statement: </strong></p>
<p>"We are disappointed by the court\'s ruling today, which will allow Impossible Burger and other meatless burgers to be made with a novel genetically engineered chemical without conducting any long-term health studies. FDA is supposed to protect consumers from unsafe novel chemicals in our food supply, instead now consumers bear the burden of avoiding these GMO plant-based burgers."   </p>
<hr />
<p style="text-align: center;">BACKGROUND: </p>
<p>CFS originally <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/5961/center-for-food-safety-filed-lawsuit-against-fda-challenging-decision-to-approve-genetically-engineered-soy-protein-found-in-the-impossible-burger" target="_blank">filed the lawsuit</a> in March 2020; oral arguments in the case <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/5961/center-for-food-safety-filed-lawsuit-against-fda-challenging-decision-to-approve-genetically-engineered-soy-protein-found-in-the-impossible-burger" target="_blank">were presented</a> last month. CFS argued that FDA used a lower safety standard when it approved GE heme to be used in raw Impossible Burgers sold in grocery stores. Instead of using the color additive safety standard that specifies "convincing evidence that establishes with reasonable certainty that no harm will result from the intended use of the color additive," FDA conflated that standard with the food additive safety standard, which does not specify that there must be "convincing evidence."  </p>
<p>CFS also argued that FDA approved GE heme without the animal lab study on longer-term health effects called for by FDA\'s own testing guidelines. Today\'s ruling cements FDA\'s food additive approval, allowing Impossible Foods and other plant-based meat companies to use GE heme for no other purposes other than make their burgers more marketable. Despite avidly supporting plant-based diets, CFS urges consumers to avoid eating these GMO plant-based burgers.   <br /> </p>',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_383' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'PDF File',
          'block_type' => 'File',
          'block_alias' => 'pdf',
          'post_id' => '63320',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_1168' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'CFS Link',
          'block_type' => 'Link',
          'block_alias' => 'link',
          'post_id' => '63321',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_1169' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Image Gallery',
          'block_type' => 'Image Gallery',
          'block_alias' => 'images',
          'post_id' => '63330',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              0 => 'impossible_burger_at_hells_kitchen_minneapolis_-_vegan_meat_41303643735_57009_71960.jpg',
              1 => '',
              2 => '',
              3 => '',
              4 => '',
              5 => '',
              6 => 'Appeals Court Ruling Allows Novel Genetically Engineered Soy Leghemoglobin in Impossible Burgers',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_2291' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Category',
          'block_type' => 'Grouping',
          'block_alias' => 'cat',
          'post_id' => '63323',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4805' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Tweets',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'tweets',
          'post_id' => '63324',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4806' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Quotes',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'quotes',
          'post_id' => '63325',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4807' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Join CFS',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'join',
          'post_id' => '63326',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5592' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Hide',
          'block_type' => 'Hide - In \'page\' table',
          'block_alias' => '',
          'post_id' => '63327',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5835' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Scheduler',
          'block_type' => 'Schedule',
          'block_alias' => 'scheduler',
          'post_id' => '63328',
          'content' => 
          array (
            'id' => '261',
            'PAGE_ID' => '6351',
            'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
            'set_time' => '0',
            'start_time_hour' => 'NA',
            'start_time_minute' => '00',
            'start_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'end_time_hour' => 'NA',
            'end_time_minute' => '00',
            'end_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'start_month' => '05',
            'start_day' => '03',
            'start_year' => '2021',
            'end_month' => '05',
            'end_day' => '03',
            'end_year' => '2021',
            'occurs' => 'once',
            'repeat_every_int' => '1',
            'repeat_every_period' => 'year',
            'repeat_stop_after' => '1',
            'float_period' => 'first',
            'float_day_o_w' => 'sunday',
            'float_repeat_every_x_mo' => '1',
            'float_stop_after' => '1',
            'events' => 
            array (
              0 => 
              array (
                'id' => '2175',
                'SCHEDULE_ID' => '261',
                'PAGE_ID' => '6351',
                'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
                'date_start' => '2021-05-03 00:00:00',
                'date_end' => '2021-05-03 00:00:00',
                'has_start_time' => '0',
                'has_end_time' => '0',
                'occurs' => 'once',
                'start' => 'Monday, May 3, 2021',
                'end' => '',
              ),
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5955' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Unique Url',
          'block_type' => 'Unique Root URL',
          'block_alias' => 'unique_url',
          'post_id' => '63329',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
          ),
        ),
      ),
      'alias' => 
      array (
        'page_link' => '/press-releases/6351/appeals-court-ruling-allows-novel-genetically-engineered-soy-leghemoglobin-in-impossible-burgers',
        'bitly' => '67h',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'lead_img' => 'impossible_burger_at_hells_kitchen_minneapolis_-_vegan_meat_41303643735_57009_71960.jpg',
        'rich_snippet' => ' SAN FRANCISCO—Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued a decision in Center for Food Safety&#039;s (CFS) lawsuit challenging the Food and Drug Administration&#039;s (FDA) approval of soy leghemoglobin (a.k.a. "heme"), the .',
        'page' => 
        array (
          'id' => '6351',
          'SECTION_ID' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '0',
          'BLOCK_ID' => '0',
          'order' => '3',
          'visible' => '1',
          'feature' => '0',
          'hide' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Appeals Court Ruling Allows Novel Genetically Engineered Soy Leghemoglobin in Impossible Burgers',
          'url' => 'appeals-court-ruling-allows-novel-genetically-engineered-soy-leghemoglobin-in-impossible-burgers',
          'bitly' => '67h',
          'lead_img' => 'impossible_burger_at_hells_kitchen_minneapolis_-_vegan_meat_41303643735_57009_71960.jpg',
          'meta_title' => 'Appeals Court Ruling Allows Novel Genetically Engineered Soy Leghemoglobin in Impossible Burgers',
          'meta_desc' => 'Statement from Center for Food Safety',
          'meta_img' => 'impossible_burger_at_hells_kitchen_minneapolis_-_vegan_meat_41303643735_57009_71938.jpg',
          'meta_json' => '',
          'update_meta_title' => '0',
          'update_meta_desc' => '0',
          'update_meta_img' => '1',
          'update_meta_json' => '0',
          'start_time' => '0',
          'end_time' => '0',
        ),
        'section' => 
        array (
          'id' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '486',
          'PAGE_ID' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Press Releases',
          'url' => 'press-releases',
          'hide' => '0',
          'order' => '1',
        ),
        'bid_2291' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Category',
          'block_type' => 'Grouping',
          'block_alias' => 'cat',
          'post_id' => '63323',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5592' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Hide',
          'block_type' => 'Hide - In \'page\' table',
          'block_alias' => '',
          'post_id' => '63327',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'alias' => 
        array (
          'title' => 'Appeals Court Ruling Allows Novel Genetically Engineered Soy Leghemoglobin in Impossible Burgers',
          'subtitle' => '',
          'hide_hero' => '1',
          'date' => '2021-05-03',
          'rel1' => 
          array (
            'custom_title' => '',
            'page_id' => '311',
            'name1' => 'GE Foods',
            'section_name1' => 'Issues',
            'page_link' => '/issues/311/ge-foods',
            'lead_img' => 'airplane-465619_1920_33778_51645.jpg',
            'rich_snippet' => ' The genetic engineering of plants and animals is looming as one of the greatest and most intractable environmental challenges of the 21st Century. Already, this novel technology has invaded our grocery stores and our kitchen pantries by fundamentally altering so.',
          ),
          'rel2' => 
          array (
            'custom_title' => '',
            'page_id' => '976',
            'name1' => 'GE Food Labeling',
            'section_name1' => 'Issues',
            'page_link' => '/issues/976/ge-food-labeling',
            'lead_img' => 'label-reading_14108.jpg',
            'rich_snippet' => ' If you want to know if your food contains gluten, aspartame, high fructose corn syrup, trans-fats or MSG, you simply read the label.  But if you want to know if it contains genetically engineered (GE) ingredients, you’re not going to find any information on th.',
          ),
          'rel3' => 
          array (
            'custom_title' => '',
            'page_id' => '308',
            'name1' => 'Food Safety',
            'section_name1' => 'Issues',
            'page_link' => '/issues/308/food-safety',
            'lead_img' => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
            'rich_snippet' => ' According to federal data, each year, one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. These figures are likely to be far higher, as most food illnesses go unreported. The most five common pathogens causing foodborne ill.',
          ),
          'desc' => '<p>SAN FRANCISCO—Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued a decision in Center for Food Safety\'s (CFS) lawsuit challenging the Food and Drug Administration\'s (FDA) approval of soy leghemoglobin (a.k.a. "heme"), the novel genetically engineered (GE) color additive that makes Impossible Foods\' eponymous plant-based burger, the Impossible Burger, appear to "bleed" like real meat. In an unpublished opinion, the court ruled that concerned consumers have the right to challenge FDA\'s determination, but affirmed the FDA\'s approval of the novel color additive, even though preliminary animal lab data submitted by Impossible Foods indicated potential health risks including blood clot issues, anemia, and kidney damage.  </p>
<p><strong>In response to the appeals court\'s decision, Center for Food Safety\'s senior attorney Sylvia Wu issued the following statement: </strong></p>
<p>"We are disappointed by the court\'s ruling today, which will allow Impossible Burger and other meatless burgers to be made with a novel genetically engineered chemical without conducting any long-term health studies. FDA is supposed to protect consumers from unsafe novel chemicals in our food supply, instead now consumers bear the burden of avoiding these GMO plant-based burgers."   </p>
<hr />
<p style="text-align: center;">BACKGROUND: </p>
<p>CFS originally <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/5961/center-for-food-safety-filed-lawsuit-against-fda-challenging-decision-to-approve-genetically-engineered-soy-protein-found-in-the-impossible-burger" target="_blank">filed the lawsuit</a> in March 2020; oral arguments in the case <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/5961/center-for-food-safety-filed-lawsuit-against-fda-challenging-decision-to-approve-genetically-engineered-soy-protein-found-in-the-impossible-burger" target="_blank">were presented</a> last month. CFS argued that FDA used a lower safety standard when it approved GE heme to be used in raw Impossible Burgers sold in grocery stores. Instead of using the color additive safety standard that specifies "convincing evidence that establishes with reasonable certainty that no harm will result from the intended use of the color additive," FDA conflated that standard with the food additive safety standard, which does not specify that there must be "convincing evidence."  </p>
<p>CFS also argued that FDA approved GE heme without the animal lab study on longer-term health effects called for by FDA\'s own testing guidelines. Today\'s ruling cements FDA\'s food additive approval, allowing Impossible Foods and other plant-based meat companies to use GE heme for no other purposes other than make their burgers more marketable. Despite avidly supporting plant-based diets, CFS urges consumers to avoid eating these GMO plant-based burgers.   <br /> </p>',
          'pdf' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
          'link' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
          'images' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              0 => 'impossible_burger_at_hells_kitchen_minneapolis_-_vegan_meat_41303643735_57009_71960.jpg',
              1 => '',
              2 => '',
              3 => '',
              4 => '',
              5 => '',
              6 => 'Appeals Court Ruling Allows Novel Genetically Engineered Soy Leghemoglobin in Impossible Burgers',
              7 => 1000,
              8 => 562,
            ),
          ),
          'tweets' => '0',
          'quotes' => '0',
          'join' => '0',
          'scheduler' => 
          array (
            'id' => '261',
            'PAGE_ID' => '6351',
            'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
            'set_time' => '0',
            'start_time_hour' => 'NA',
            'start_time_minute' => '00',
            'start_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'end_time_hour' => 'NA',
            'end_time_minute' => '00',
            'end_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'start_month' => '05',
            'start_day' => '03',
            'start_year' => '2021',
            'end_month' => '05',
            'end_day' => '03',
            'end_year' => '2021',
            'occurs' => 'once',
            'repeat_every_int' => '1',
            'repeat_every_period' => 'year',
            'repeat_stop_after' => '1',
            'float_period' => 'first',
            'float_day_o_w' => 'sunday',
            'float_repeat_every_x_mo' => '1',
            'float_stop_after' => '1',
            'events' => 
            array (
              0 => 
              array (
                'id' => '2175',
                'SCHEDULE_ID' => '261',
                'PAGE_ID' => '6351',
                'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
                'date_start' => '2021-05-03 00:00:00',
                'date_end' => '2021-05-03 00:00:00',
                'has_start_time' => '0',
                'has_end_time' => '0',
                'occurs' => 'once',
                'start' => 'Monday, May 3, 2021',
                'end' => '',
              ),
            ),
          ),
          'unique_url' => '',
        ),
      ),
    ),
  ),
  8 => 
  array (
    'id' => '6342',
    'SECTION_ID' => '129',
    'PARENT_ID' => '0',
    'BLOCK_ID' => '0',
    'order' => '53',
    'visible' => '1',
    'feature' => '0',
    'hide' => '0',
    'name1' => 'Florida Halts Use of Controversial Pesticide on Citrus Crops',
    'url' => 'florida-halts-use-of-controversial-pesticide-on-citrus-crops',
    'bitly' => '678',
    'lead_img' => 'oranges_29622.jpg',
    'meta_title' => 'Florida Halts Use of Controversial Pesticide on Citrus Crops',
    'meta_desc' => 'TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — In a victory for farm workers, public health, and the environment, yesterday the Florida Department of Agriculture and...',
    'meta_img' => 'oranges_29599.jpg',
    'meta_json' => '',
    'update_meta_title' => '0',
    'update_meta_desc' => '0',
    'update_meta_img' => '1',
    'update_meta_json' => '0',
    'start_time' => '0',
    'end_time' => '0',
    'content' => 
    array (
      'typ' => 
      array (
        'page_id' => '6342',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'text' => 
        array (
          0 => 'Florida Halts Use of Controversial Pesticide on Citrus Crops',
          1 => 'State Overrides Trump EPA Approval of Toxic Pesticide Aldicarb',
          2 => '',
        ),
        'checkbox' => 
        array (
          0 => '1',
          1 => '0',
          2 => '0',
          3 => '0',
        ),
        'date' => 
        array (
          0 => '2021-04-22',
        ),
        'relation' => 
        array (
          0 => 
          array (
            'custom' => 
            array (
              0 => '',
            ),
            'page_id' => '6249',
            'basic' => 
            array (
              'page_id' => '6249',
              'root_url' => 'media',
              'root' => 'Media',
              'text' => 
              array (
                0 => 'Trump EPA Approves Use of Medically Important Antibiotic and Banned Pesticide to Address Citrus Greening Disease',
                1 => 'Medically Important Antibiotic Streptomycin and Banned Pesticide Aldicarb to Be Allowed on Grapefruits and Oranges',
                2 => '',
              ),
              'checkbox' => 
              array (
                0 => '1',
                1 => '0',
                2 => '0',
                3 => '0',
              ),
              'date' => 
              array (
                0 => '2021-01-21',
              ),
              'relation' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'custom' => 
                  array (
                    0 => '',
                  ),
                  'page_id' => '5550',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  'custom' => 
                  array (
                    0 => '',
                  ),
                  'page_id' => '2927',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  'custom' => 
                  array (
                    0 => '',
                  ),
                  'page_id' => '999',
                ),
              ),
              'rich' => 
              array (
                0 => '<p style="text-align: left;">(<em>Washington, D.C.</em>) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has <a href="https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USAEPAOPPT/bulletins/2b625a7" target="_blank">approved</a> the use of a previously banned pesticide, aldicarb, and a medically important antibiotic, streptomycin, to address bacterial citrus greening disease, a major threat to Florida\'s citrus industry. Prior to this approval, EPA had <a href="https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in686" target="_blank">already approved</a> over 18 different pesticides to combat the disease-carrying bug known as the Asian citrus psyllid. </p>
<p>"Center for Food Safety denounces EPA\'s irresponsible decision to permit the use of streptomycin on citrus groves, a practice known to pose significant environmental and human health risks," <strong>stated Jaydee Hanson, policy director at Center for Food Safety.</strong> "Streptomycin has only been shown to help against citrus greening when directly injected, and there are already over 18 different products, as well as holistic solutions, available to farmers that can more effectively tackle the spread of the disease. EPA\'s decision is reckless and dangerous, a last minute gift to industry lobbyists," he added.</p>
<p>In the U.S., citrus is grown on <a href="https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/Todays_Reports/reports/cfrt0819.pdf" target="_blank">687,000 acres</a> of land largely found in Florida, California, Arizona, and Texas. Streptomycin, a medically important antibiotic critical in treating <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(20)30151-X/fulltext" target="_blank">tuberculosis</a>, is banned for agricultural and/or non-therapeutic use in both the <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12940-019-0488-0" target="_blank">European Union</a> and Brazil and classified as "critically" important by the World Health Organization (WHO). Tuberculosis kills millions of people each year; more than 10 million people were infected in 2020. Before COVID-19, it was the most lethal infectious disease on the planet.  </p>
<p>By permitting the spraying of streptomycin on citrus crops in Florida, EPA has set a new precedent with the largest-ever permitted use of a medically important antibiotic in U.S agriculture. The spraying of antibiotics has been <a href="http://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/news/2019/08/02/uf-ifas-study-oxytetracycline-sprays-may-not-protect-citrus-trees-from-greening-disease-effectively-though-trunk-injections-show-promise/#:~:text=Since%202016%2C%20federal%20authorities%20have,effective%20if%20it%20were%20injected" target="_blank">shown</a> to be largely ineffective against citrus greening disease, but it is <a href="https://beta.regulations.gov/document/EPA-HQ-OPP-2016-0067-0015" target="_blank">estimated</a> that the approval of streptomycin on citrus could result in the use of more than 650,000 pounds each year in Florida alone. <a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/84216/download" target="_blank">Currently</a>, the U.S. uses over 15,000 pounds of that antibiotic class each year. </p>
<p>Aldicarb is a pesticide that causes nausea, blurred vision, tremors, and other neurotoxic symptoms at extremely low exposure levels, and is also toxic to birds, mammals, and fish. It has been banned in more than a hundred countries across the world. WHO has classified the pesticide as "extremely hazardous." Aldicarb use in citrus is a <a href="https://beta.regulations.gov/" target="_blank">serious</a> threat to human health. In 2010, after finding that continued use of aldicarb, particularly in citrus groves, posed high dietary risks to infants and young children, EPA and Bayer <a href="https://archive.epa.gov/pesticides/reregistration/web/html/aldicarb_fs.html" target="_blank">agreed</a> to terminate its use in the U.S. EPA also <a href="https://beta.regulations.gov/" target="_blank">identified</a> significant risks to farmworkers exposed to aldicarb. By permitting its use on citrus crops in Florida, EPA is reintroducing 2.5 million pounds of aldicarb into the environment across 100,000 acres.</p>
<p>"Aldicarb is such a potent nerve toxin that even residues left behind on foods sprayed with it pose unacceptable risks, particularly to infants and young children," <strong>said Bill Freese, science policy analyst at Center for Food Safety.</strong> "The only acceptable level of use is no use whatsoever. Trump EPA\'s approval of aldicarb on citrus must be reversed immediately."</p>
<p>Center for Food Safety has previously met with EPA staff to discuss the issue of antibiotic spraying on citrus crops and <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/cfs-comments-on-streptomycin-on-citrus-groves_45422.pdf" target="_blank">submitted public comments</a> addressing the health and environmental risks associated with the practice in March 2019. CFS urges the Biden administration to promptly withdraw this ill-conceived approval of spraying aldicarb and streptomycin on citrus crops.  </p>
<p> </p>',
              ),
              'file' => 
              array (
                0 => '',
                1 => '',
              ),
              'link' => 
              array (
                0 => '',
                1 => '',
              ),
              'lead_img' => 'oranges_57287.jpg',
              'gallery' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'oranges_57287.jpg',
                  1 => '',
                  2 => '',
                  3 => '',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
              ),
              'group' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '110',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'sub_group' => '0',
                  'name1' => 'Press Releases Categories',
                  'url' => 'press-releases-categories',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'order' => '5',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '111',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '110',
                  'sub_group' => '0',
                  'name1' => 'Politics and Policy',
                  'url' => 'politics-and-policy',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'order' => '5',
                ),
              ),
              'url' => '/press-releases/6249/trump-epa-approves-use-of-medically-important-antibiotic-and-banned-pesticide-to-address-citrus-greening-disease',
            ),
          ),
          1 => 
          array (
            'custom' => 
            array (
              0 => '',
            ),
            'page_id' => '308',
            'basic' => 
            array (
              'page_id' => '308',
              'root_url' => 'issues',
              'root' => 'Issues',
              'text' => 
              array (
                0 => 'Food Safety',
                1 => '',
                2 => 'Food Safety',
                3 => 'From:CFSTrueFood+#foodsafety',
              ),
              'rich' => 
              array (
                0 => '<p>According to federal data, each year, one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. These figures are likely to be far higher, as most food illnesses go unreported. The most five common pathogens causing foodborne illnesses resulting in hospitalizations are: salmonella, norovirus, Campylobacter, toxoplasma gondii, and E. coli 0157.</p>
<p>Almost every week brings more news of food contamination or foodborne illness outbreak. What’s going on? Our industrialized food system is the root cause of many of these outbreaks.</p>
<p>Industrialization of the food supply</p>
<p>One likely cause is overcrowded conditions on factory farms, where animals get sick and pass the disease on to other animals. Another factor is our wide distribution system, in which contaminated food is transported across the nation. Also, we are increasingly relying on imported foods with unknown safety standards. (For example, 60 percent of our seafood is imported.) Adding to this perfect storm is government deregulation and inadequate funding for inspections and oversight.</p>
<p>Another critical food safety problem is the thousands of chemical additives Americans consume every day. Thanks to industry influence over the approval process, the long-term safety risks for most of these substances are unknown.</p>
<p>For example, for years science has pointed to chemical food dyes as a significant contributor to child behavioral problems. And yet the federal government still denies this connection. In addition, we’ve seen a huge increase in food allergies in children in recent years, but without much explanation of the causes. Clearly, more research is needed into how the industrialized food supply may be impacting our health in ways that are less obvious than foodborne illness.</p>
<p>Political influence</p>
<p>Nothing about food safety takes place in a political vacuum. For decades, the food industry has lobbied to ensure the status quo. And when we finally do get a rare policy victory, such as the passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act (passed in 2010), the game switches to “starving the beast” – limiting the funds for government to adequately carry out the legislative intent.</p>
<p>Powerful trade groups such as the American Meat Institute lobby against common sense policy improvements, such as expanding required testing for deadly bacteria in ground beef. Another important political factor is international trade. Other nations get upset when theU.S.government demands higher scrutiny of imports. In addition, the Food and Drug Administration, despite having jurisdiction over most of the food supply, is constantly under-funded, limiting inspection and enforcement actions; again, thanks to powerful lobbyists who like it that way.</p>
<p>What can we do about it?</p>
<p>President Obama has pledged a complete overhaul of our food system. The Center for Food Safety believes this will require elevating food safety within government to be a cabinet level agency. The mission of this new food agency must be to evaluate how best to regulate food production to prevent the greatest food safety hazards caused by large industrial agriculture and processed foods and while also protecting and supporting smaller, family, and diversified farms. But such an overhaul can only be successful by removing politics from food safety.</p>
<p>Additional Food Safety Resources</p>
<p><a href="http://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/cdc-and-food-safety.html" target="_blank">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.fsis.usda.gov/" target="_blank">United States Department of Agriculture</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.fda.gov/food/foodsafety/default.htm" target="_blank">Food and Drug Administration</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.foodsafety.gov/" target="_blank">FoodSafety.gov</a></p>',
              ),
              'lead_img' => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
              'gallery' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
                  1 => 'NEW REPORT: TPP Serves Up an Unsavory Dinner',
                  2 => '<p>If you’ve been listening to or reading the news at any point over the past year, it’s likely that you’ve heard about the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP. While the term may be familiar, the connection between TPP and what you find on your dinner plate may not be.</p>',
                  3 => 'http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/reports/4573/tpp-serves-up-an-unsavory-dinner',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'oilandwater_thinkbeforeyoupink_hero2_14465.jpg',
                  1 => 'Tell Bee Sweet Citrus and Wonderful Company to Stop Watering Our Food with Oil Wastewater!',
                  2 => '<p>The use of oil wastewater for food irrigation is an urgent public health issue because of the potentially hazardous chemicals associated with all oil extraction processes – including toxic chemicals linked to cancer. Tell Wonderful Company and Bee Sweet Citrus to stop watering our food with toxic oil wastewater!</p>',
                  3 => 'http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/1881/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=19536',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'istock_000009992043small_78906.jpg',
                  1 => 'Court Victory: Consumers Have a Right to Know About Their Food',
                  2 => '<p>The Washington D.C. Court of Appeals upheld the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) rule which requires information about where meat is raised and slaughtered. USDA drafted COOL rules in 2009 and finalized them in 2013.</p>',
                  3 => 'http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/3404/court-victory-consumers-have-a-right-to-know-about-their-food',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
              ),
              'images' => 
              array (
                0 => 'foodsafety_48189.png',
                1 => '',
                2 => 'foodsafety_68552.png',
                3 => '',
              ),
              'group' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '94',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '48',
                  'sub_group' => '0',
                  'name1' => 'Food Safety',
                  'url' => 'food-safety',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'order' => '4',
                ),
              ),
              'color' => 
              array (
                0 => '#f79676',
                1 => 'Food Safety Mauve',
              ),
              'section' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '219',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Food Safety & Food Recalls',
                  'url' => 'food-safety-and-food-recalls',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '158',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '329',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Industrialization of the Food Supply',
                  'url' => 'industrialization-of-the-food-supply',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '159',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '330',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Political Influence',
                  'url' => 'political-influence',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '160',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
              ),
              'checkbox' => 
              array (
                0 => '1',
                1 => '0',
                2 => '1',
              ),
              'url' => '/issues/308/food-safety',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'rich' => 
        array (
          0 => '<p>TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — In a victory for farm workers, public health, and the environment, yesterday the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services <a href="https://www.floridatrend.com/article/31080/fdacs-issues-denial-of-aldicarb-pesticide-usage-application-in-florida" target="_blank">denied</a> AgLogic Chemical LLC\'s state pesticide registration application for the pesticide aldicarb on citrus crops in the State of Florida. In January 2021, in a last minute approval by the Trump Administration, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conditionally <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/6249/trump-epa-approves-use-of-medically-important-antibiotic-and-banned-pesticide-to-address-citrus-greening-disease" target="_blank">approved</a> aldicarb to address bacterial citrus greening disease, a major threat to Florida\'s citrus industry. </p>
<p>Aldicarb is a pesticide that causes nausea, blurred vision, tremors, and other neurotoxic symptoms at extremely low exposure levels, and is also toxic to birds, mammals, and fish. It has been banned in more than a hundred countries across the world. WHO has classified the pesticide as "extremely hazardous." Aldicarb use in citrus is a <a href="https://archive.epa.gov/pesticides/reregistration/web/html/aldicarb_fs.html" target="_blank">serious</a> threat to human health. In 2010, after finding that continued use of aldicarb, particularly in citrus groves, posed high dietary risks to infants and young children, EPA and Bayer <a href="https://archive.epa.gov/pesticides/reregistration/web/html/aldicarb_fs.html" target="_blank">agreed</a> to terminate its use in the U.S. EPA also <a href="https://www.regulations.gov/document/EPA-HQ-OPP-2020-0600-0021" target="_blank">identified</a> significant risks to farmworkers exposed to aldicarb. </p>
<p><strong>In response to this news, Center for Food Safety\'s Policy Director Jaydee Hanson issued the following statement: </strong></p>
<p>"We applaud the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services\' decision to prevent spraying of aldicarb in Florida. Aldicarb is banned in most of the world, but was approved at the last minute by Trump EPA to control citrus greening. States should not have to do EPA\'s work. EPA should ban aldicarb immediately."</p>
<p> </p>',
        ),
        'file' => 
        array (
          0 => '',
          1 => '',
        ),
        'link' => 
        array (
          0 => '',
          1 => '',
        ),
        'lead_img' => 'oranges_29622.jpg',
        'gallery' => 
        array (
          0 => 
          array (
            0 => 'oranges_29622.jpg',
            1 => '',
            2 => '',
            3 => '',
            4 => '',
            5 => '',
            6 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'group' => 
        array (
          0 => 
          array (
            'id' => '262',
            'PARENT_ID' => '110',
            'sub_group' => '0',
            'name1' => 'Pesticides',
            'url' => 'pesticides',
            'visible' => '1',
            'order' => '1',
          ),
          1 => 
          array (
            'id' => '110',
            'PARENT_ID' => '0',
            'sub_group' => '0',
            'name1' => 'Press Releases Categories',
            'url' => 'press-releases-categories',
            'visible' => '1',
            'order' => '5',
          ),
        ),
        'url' => '/press-releases/6342/florida-halts-use-of-controversial-pesticide-on-citrus-crops',
      ),
      'bid' => 
      array (
        'page_link' => '/press-releases/6342/florida-halts-use-of-controversial-pesticide-on-citrus-crops',
        'bitly' => '678',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'lead_img' => 'oranges_29622.jpg',
        'rich_snippet' => ' TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — In a victory for farm workers, public health, and the environment, yesterday the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services  denied  AgLogic Chemical LLC&#039;s state pesticide registration application for the pesticide .',
        'page' => 
        array (
          'id' => '6342',
          'SECTION_ID' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '0',
          'BLOCK_ID' => '0',
          'order' => '9',
          'visible' => '1',
          'feature' => '0',
          'hide' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Florida Halts Use of Controversial Pesticide on Citrus Crops',
          'url' => 'florida-halts-use-of-controversial-pesticide-on-citrus-crops',
          'bitly' => '678',
          'lead_img' => 'oranges_29622.jpg',
          'meta_title' => 'Florida Halts Use of Controversial Pesticide on Citrus Crops',
          'meta_desc' => 'TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — In a victory for farm workers, public health, and the environment, yesterday the Florida Department of Agriculture and...',
          'meta_img' => 'oranges_29599.jpg',
          'meta_json' => '',
          'update_meta_title' => '0',
          'update_meta_desc' => '0',
          'update_meta_img' => '1',
          'update_meta_json' => '0',
          'start_time' => '0',
          'end_time' => '0',
        ),
        'section' => 
        array (
          'id' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '486',
          'PAGE_ID' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Press Releases',
          'url' => 'press-releases',
          'hide' => '0',
          'order' => '1',
        ),
        'bid_380' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Title',
          'block_type' => 'Plain Text',
          'block_alias' => 'title',
          'post_id' => '62929',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 'Florida Halts Use of Controversial Pesticide on Citrus Crops',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5959' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Subtitle',
          'block_type' => 'Plain Text',
          'block_alias' => 'subtitle',
          'post_id' => '63199',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 'State Overrides Trump EPA Approval of Toxic Pesticide Aldicarb',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5957' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Show Hero Image',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'hide_hero',
          'post_id' => '62930',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '1',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_381' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Date',
          'block_type' => 'Date',
          'block_alias' => 'date',
          'post_id' => '62931',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '2021-04-22',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_2294' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel1',
          'post_id' => '62932',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'custom_title' => '',
              'page_id' => '6249',
              'name1' => 'Trump EPA Approves Use of Medically Important Antibiotic and Banned Pesticide to Address Citrus Greening Disease',
              'section_name1' => 'Press Releases',
              'page_link' => '/press-releases/6249/trump-epa-approves-use-of-medically-important-antibiotic-and-banned-pesticide-to-address-citrus-greening-disease',
              'lead_img' => 'oranges_57287.jpg',
              'rich_snippet' => ' ( Washington, D.C. ) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has  approved  the use of a previously banned pesticide, aldicarb, and a medically important antibiotic, streptomycin, to address bacterial citrus greening disease, a major threat to Florida&#039;s c.',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_3612' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue 2',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel2',
          'post_id' => '62933',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'custom_title' => '',
              'page_id' => '308',
              'name1' => 'Food Safety',
              'section_name1' => 'Issues',
              'page_link' => '/issues/308/food-safety',
              'lead_img' => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
              'rich_snippet' => '<p>According to federal data, each year, one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. These figures are likely to be far higher, as most food illnesses go unreported. The most five common pathogens causing foodborne i.',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_3613' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue 3',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel3',
          'post_id' => '62934',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_382' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Description',
          'block_type' => 'Rich Text',
          'block_alias' => 'desc',
          'post_id' => '62935',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '<p>TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — In a victory for farm workers, public health, and the environment, yesterday the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services <a href="https://www.floridatrend.com/article/31080/fdacs-issues-denial-of-aldicarb-pesticide-usage-application-in-florida" target="_blank">denied</a> AgLogic Chemical LLC\'s state pesticide registration application for the pesticide aldicarb on citrus crops in the State of Florida. In January 2021, in a last minute approval by the Trump Administration, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conditionally <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/6249/trump-epa-approves-use-of-medically-important-antibiotic-and-banned-pesticide-to-address-citrus-greening-disease" target="_blank">approved</a> aldicarb to address bacterial citrus greening disease, a major threat to Florida\'s citrus industry. </p>
<p>Aldicarb is a pesticide that causes nausea, blurred vision, tremors, and other neurotoxic symptoms at extremely low exposure levels, and is also toxic to birds, mammals, and fish. It has been banned in more than a hundred countries across the world. WHO has classified the pesticide as "extremely hazardous." Aldicarb use in citrus is a <a href="https://archive.epa.gov/pesticides/reregistration/web/html/aldicarb_fs.html" target="_blank">serious</a> threat to human health. In 2010, after finding that continued use of aldicarb, particularly in citrus groves, posed high dietary risks to infants and young children, EPA and Bayer <a href="https://archive.epa.gov/pesticides/reregistration/web/html/aldicarb_fs.html" target="_blank">agreed</a> to terminate its use in the U.S. EPA also <a href="https://www.regulations.gov/document/EPA-HQ-OPP-2020-0600-0021" target="_blank">identified</a> significant risks to farmworkers exposed to aldicarb. </p>
<p><strong>In response to this news, Center for Food Safety\'s Policy Director Jaydee Hanson issued the following statement: </strong></p>
<p>"We applaud the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services\' decision to prevent spraying of aldicarb in Florida. Aldicarb is banned in most of the world, but was approved at the last minute by Trump EPA to control citrus greening. States should not have to do EPA\'s work. EPA should ban aldicarb immediately."</p>
<p> </p>',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_383' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'PDF File',
          'block_type' => 'File',
          'block_alias' => 'pdf',
          'post_id' => '62936',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_1168' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'CFS Link',
          'block_type' => 'Link',
          'block_alias' => 'link',
          'post_id' => '62937',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_1169' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Image Gallery',
          'block_type' => 'Image Gallery',
          'block_alias' => 'images',
          'post_id' => '62946',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              0 => 'oranges_29622.jpg',
              1 => '',
              2 => '',
              3 => '',
              4 => '',
              5 => '',
              6 => 'Florida Halts Use of Controversial Pesticide on Citrus Crops',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_2291' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Category',
          'block_type' => 'Grouping',
          'block_alias' => 'cat',
          'post_id' => '62939',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'id' => '262',
              'PARENT_ID' => '110',
              'sub_group' => '0',
              'name1' => 'Pesticides',
              'url' => 'pesticides',
              'visible' => '1',
              'order' => '1',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4805' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Tweets',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'tweets',
          'post_id' => '62940',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4806' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Quotes',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'quotes',
          'post_id' => '62941',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4807' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Join CFS',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'join',
          'post_id' => '62942',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5592' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Hide',
          'block_type' => 'Hide - In \'page\' table',
          'block_alias' => '',
          'post_id' => '62943',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5835' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Scheduler',
          'block_type' => 'Schedule',
          'block_alias' => 'scheduler',
          'post_id' => '62944',
          'content' => 
          array (
            'id' => '200',
            'PAGE_ID' => '6342',
            'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
            'set_time' => '0',
            'start_time_hour' => 'NA',
            'start_time_minute' => '00',
            'start_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'end_time_hour' => 'NA',
            'end_time_minute' => '00',
            'end_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'start_month' => '04',
            'start_day' => '22',
            'start_year' => '2021',
            'end_month' => '04',
            'end_day' => '22',
            'end_year' => '2021',
            'occurs' => 'once',
            'repeat_every_int' => '1',
            'repeat_every_period' => 'year',
            'repeat_stop_after' => '1',
            'float_period' => 'first',
            'float_day_o_w' => 'sunday',
            'float_repeat_every_x_mo' => '1',
            'float_stop_after' => '1',
            'events' => 
            array (
              0 => 
              array (
                'id' => '2203',
                'SCHEDULE_ID' => '200',
                'PAGE_ID' => '6342',
                'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
                'date_start' => '2021-04-22 00:00:00',
                'date_end' => '2021-04-22 00:00:00',
                'has_start_time' => '0',
                'has_end_time' => '0',
                'occurs' => 'once',
                'start' => 'Thursday, April 22, 2021',
                'end' => '',
              ),
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5955' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Unique Url',
          'block_type' => 'Unique Root URL',
          'block_alias' => 'unique_url',
          'post_id' => '62945',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
          ),
        ),
      ),
      'alias' => 
      array (
        'page_link' => '/press-releases/6342/florida-halts-use-of-controversial-pesticide-on-citrus-crops',
        'bitly' => '678',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'lead_img' => 'oranges_29622.jpg',
        'rich_snippet' => ' TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — In a victory for farm workers, public health, and the environment, yesterday the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services  denied  AgLogic Chemical LLC&#039;s state pesticide registration application for the pesticide .',
        'page' => 
        array (
          'id' => '6342',
          'SECTION_ID' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '0',
          'BLOCK_ID' => '0',
          'order' => '9',
          'visible' => '1',
          'feature' => '0',
          'hide' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Florida Halts Use of Controversial Pesticide on Citrus Crops',
          'url' => 'florida-halts-use-of-controversial-pesticide-on-citrus-crops',
          'bitly' => '678',
          'lead_img' => 'oranges_29622.jpg',
          'meta_title' => 'Florida Halts Use of Controversial Pesticide on Citrus Crops',
          'meta_desc' => 'TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — In a victory for farm workers, public health, and the environment, yesterday the Florida Department of Agriculture and...',
          'meta_img' => 'oranges_29599.jpg',
          'meta_json' => '',
          'update_meta_title' => '0',
          'update_meta_desc' => '0',
          'update_meta_img' => '1',
          'update_meta_json' => '0',
          'start_time' => '0',
          'end_time' => '0',
        ),
        'section' => 
        array (
          'id' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '486',
          'PAGE_ID' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Press Releases',
          'url' => 'press-releases',
          'hide' => '0',
          'order' => '1',
        ),
        'bid_3613' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue 3',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel3',
          'post_id' => '62934',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5592' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Hide',
          'block_type' => 'Hide - In \'page\' table',
          'block_alias' => '',
          'post_id' => '62943',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'alias' => 
        array (
          'title' => 'Florida Halts Use of Controversial Pesticide on Citrus Crops',
          'subtitle' => 'State Overrides Trump EPA Approval of Toxic Pesticide Aldicarb',
          'hide_hero' => '1',
          'date' => '2021-04-22',
          'rel1' => 
          array (
            'custom_title' => '',
            'page_id' => '6249',
            'name1' => 'Trump EPA Approves Use of Medically Important Antibiotic and Banned Pesticide to Address Citrus Greening Disease',
            'section_name1' => 'Press Releases',
            'page_link' => '/press-releases/6249/trump-epa-approves-use-of-medically-important-antibiotic-and-banned-pesticide-to-address-citrus-greening-disease',
            'lead_img' => 'oranges_57287.jpg',
            'rich_snippet' => '  Trump EPA Approves Use of Medically Important Antibiotic and Banned Pesticide to Address Citrus Greening Disease  
   Medically Important Antibiotic Streptomycin and Banned Pesticide Aldicarb to Be Allowed on Grapefruits and Oranges  
 ( Washington, D.C. ) The.',
          ),
          'rel2' => 
          array (
            'custom_title' => '',
            'page_id' => '308',
            'name1' => 'Food Safety',
            'section_name1' => 'Issues',
            'page_link' => '/issues/308/food-safety',
            'lead_img' => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
            'rich_snippet' => ' According to federal data, each year, one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. These figures are likely to be far higher, as most food illnesses go unreported. The most five common pathogens causing foodborne ill.',
          ),
          'desc' => '<p>TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — In a victory for farm workers, public health, and the environment, yesterday the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services <a href="https://www.floridatrend.com/article/31080/fdacs-issues-denial-of-aldicarb-pesticide-usage-application-in-florida" target="_blank">denied</a> AgLogic Chemical LLC\'s state pesticide registration application for the pesticide aldicarb on citrus crops in the State of Florida. In January 2021, in a last minute approval by the Trump Administration, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conditionally <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/6249/trump-epa-approves-use-of-medically-important-antibiotic-and-banned-pesticide-to-address-citrus-greening-disease" target="_blank">approved</a> aldicarb to address bacterial citrus greening disease, a major threat to Florida\'s citrus industry. </p>
<p>Aldicarb is a pesticide that causes nausea, blurred vision, tremors, and other neurotoxic symptoms at extremely low exposure levels, and is also toxic to birds, mammals, and fish. It has been banned in more than a hundred countries across the world. WHO has classified the pesticide as "extremely hazardous." Aldicarb use in citrus is a <a href="https://archive.epa.gov/pesticides/reregistration/web/html/aldicarb_fs.html" target="_blank">serious</a> threat to human health. In 2010, after finding that continued use of aldicarb, particularly in citrus groves, posed high dietary risks to infants and young children, EPA and Bayer <a href="https://archive.epa.gov/pesticides/reregistration/web/html/aldicarb_fs.html" target="_blank">agreed</a> to terminate its use in the U.S. EPA also <a href="https://www.regulations.gov/document/EPA-HQ-OPP-2020-0600-0021" target="_blank">identified</a> significant risks to farmworkers exposed to aldicarb. </p>
<p><strong>In response to this news, Center for Food Safety\'s Policy Director Jaydee Hanson issued the following statement: </strong></p>
<p>"We applaud the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services\' decision to prevent spraying of aldicarb in Florida. Aldicarb is banned in most of the world, but was approved at the last minute by Trump EPA to control citrus greening. States should not have to do EPA\'s work. EPA should ban aldicarb immediately."</p>
<p> </p>',
          'pdf' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
          'link' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
          'images' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              0 => 'oranges_29622.jpg',
              1 => '',
              2 => '',
              3 => '',
              4 => '',
              5 => '',
              6 => 'Florida Halts Use of Controversial Pesticide on Citrus Crops',
              7 => 1000,
              8 => 562,
            ),
          ),
          'cat' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'id' => '262',
              'PARENT_ID' => '110',
              'sub_group' => '0',
              'name1' => 'Pesticides',
              'url' => 'pesticides',
              'visible' => '1',
              'order' => '1',
            ),
          ),
          'tweets' => '0',
          'quotes' => '0',
          'join' => '0',
          'scheduler' => 
          array (
            'id' => '200',
            'PAGE_ID' => '6342',
            'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
            'set_time' => '0',
            'start_time_hour' => 'NA',
            'start_time_minute' => '00',
            'start_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'end_time_hour' => 'NA',
            'end_time_minute' => '00',
            'end_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'start_month' => '04',
            'start_day' => '22',
            'start_year' => '2021',
            'end_month' => '04',
            'end_day' => '22',
            'end_year' => '2021',
            'occurs' => 'once',
            'repeat_every_int' => '1',
            'repeat_every_period' => 'year',
            'repeat_stop_after' => '1',
            'float_period' => 'first',
            'float_day_o_w' => 'sunday',
            'float_repeat_every_x_mo' => '1',
            'float_stop_after' => '1',
            'events' => 
            array (
              0 => 
              array (
                'id' => '2203',
                'SCHEDULE_ID' => '200',
                'PAGE_ID' => '6342',
                'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
                'date_start' => '2021-04-22 00:00:00',
                'date_end' => '2021-04-22 00:00:00',
                'has_start_time' => '0',
                'has_end_time' => '0',
                'occurs' => 'once',
                'start' => 'Thursday, April 22, 2021',
                'end' => '',
              ),
            ),
          ),
          'unique_url' => '',
        ),
      ),
    ),
  ),
  9 => 
  array (
    'id' => '6333',
    'SECTION_ID' => '129',
    'PARENT_ID' => '0',
    'BLOCK_ID' => '0',
    'order' => '56',
    'visible' => '1',
    'feature' => '0',
    'hide' => '0',
    'name1' => 'Public Oral Argument in Lawsuit Challenging FDA Approval of Genetically Engineered Ingredient That Makes Impossible Burger \'Bleed\'',
    'url' => 'public-oral-argument-in-lawsuit-challenging-fda-approval-of-genetically-engineered-ingredient-that-makes-impossible-burger-bleed',
    'bitly' => '66y',
    'lead_img' => 'impossible-burger-safety-genetically-engineered-gmos-lawsuit_54024.jpg',
    'meta_title' => 'Public Oral Argument in Lawsuit Challenging FDA Approval of Genetically Engineered Ingredient That Makes Impossible Burger \'Blee',
    'meta_desc' => 'At stake in tomorrow\'s argument is whether FDA examined the safety of soy leghemoglobin as a color additive before allowing it to be consumed by millions of',
    'meta_img' => 'impossible-burger-safety-genetically-engineered-gmos-lawsuit_54011.jpg',
    'meta_json' => '',
    'update_meta_title' => '0',
    'update_meta_desc' => '0',
    'update_meta_img' => '1',
    'update_meta_json' => '0',
    'start_time' => '0',
    'end_time' => '0',
    'content' => 
    array (
      'typ' => 
      array (
        'page_id' => '6333',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'text' => 
        array (
          0 => 'Public Oral Argument in Lawsuit Challenging FDA Approval of Genetically Engineered Ingredient That Makes Impossible Burger \'Bleed\'',
          1 => '',
          2 => 'public-oral-argument-in-lawsuit-challenging-fda-approval-of-genetically-engineered-ingredient-that-makes-impossible-burger-bleed-soy-leghemoglobin-fda',
        ),
        'checkbox' => 
        array (
          0 => '1',
          1 => '0',
          2 => '0',
          3 => '0',
        ),
        'date' => 
        array (
          0 => '2021-04-13',
        ),
        'relation' => 
        array (
          0 => 
          array (
            'custom' => 
            array (
              0 => '',
            ),
            'page_id' => '308',
            'basic' => 
            array (
              'page_id' => '308',
              'root_url' => 'issues',
              'root' => 'Issues',
              'text' => 
              array (
                0 => 'Food Safety',
                1 => '',
                2 => 'Food Safety',
                3 => 'From:CFSTrueFood+#foodsafety',
              ),
              'rich' => 
              array (
                0 => '<p>According to federal data, each year, one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. These figures are likely to be far higher, as most food illnesses go unreported. The most five common pathogens causing foodborne illnesses resulting in hospitalizations are: salmonella, norovirus, Campylobacter, toxoplasma gondii, and E. coli 0157.</p>
<p>Almost every week brings more news of food contamination or foodborne illness outbreak. What’s going on? Our industrialized food system is the root cause of many of these outbreaks.</p>
<p>Industrialization of the food supply</p>
<p>One likely cause is overcrowded conditions on factory farms, where animals get sick and pass the disease on to other animals. Another factor is our wide distribution system, in which contaminated food is transported across the nation. Also, we are increasingly relying on imported foods with unknown safety standards. (For example, 60 percent of our seafood is imported.) Adding to this perfect storm is government deregulation and inadequate funding for inspections and oversight.</p>
<p>Another critical food safety problem is the thousands of chemical additives Americans consume every day. Thanks to industry influence over the approval process, the long-term safety risks for most of these substances are unknown.</p>
<p>For example, for years science has pointed to chemical food dyes as a significant contributor to child behavioral problems. And yet the federal government still denies this connection. In addition, we’ve seen a huge increase in food allergies in children in recent years, but without much explanation of the causes. Clearly, more research is needed into how the industrialized food supply may be impacting our health in ways that are less obvious than foodborne illness.</p>
<p>Political influence</p>
<p>Nothing about food safety takes place in a political vacuum. For decades, the food industry has lobbied to ensure the status quo. And when we finally do get a rare policy victory, such as the passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act (passed in 2010), the game switches to “starving the beast” – limiting the funds for government to adequately carry out the legislative intent.</p>
<p>Powerful trade groups such as the American Meat Institute lobby against common sense policy improvements, such as expanding required testing for deadly bacteria in ground beef. Another important political factor is international trade. Other nations get upset when theU.S.government demands higher scrutiny of imports. In addition, the Food and Drug Administration, despite having jurisdiction over most of the food supply, is constantly under-funded, limiting inspection and enforcement actions; again, thanks to powerful lobbyists who like it that way.</p>
<p>What can we do about it?</p>
<p>President Obama has pledged a complete overhaul of our food system. The Center for Food Safety believes this will require elevating food safety within government to be a cabinet level agency. The mission of this new food agency must be to evaluate how best to regulate food production to prevent the greatest food safety hazards caused by large industrial agriculture and processed foods and while also protecting and supporting smaller, family, and diversified farms. But such an overhaul can only be successful by removing politics from food safety.</p>
<p>Additional Food Safety Resources</p>
<p><a href="http://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/cdc-and-food-safety.html" target="_blank">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.fsis.usda.gov/" target="_blank">United States Department of Agriculture</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.fda.gov/food/foodsafety/default.htm" target="_blank">Food and Drug Administration</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.foodsafety.gov/" target="_blank">FoodSafety.gov</a></p>',
              ),
              'lead_img' => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
              'gallery' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
                  1 => 'NEW REPORT: TPP Serves Up an Unsavory Dinner',
                  2 => '<p>If you’ve been listening to or reading the news at any point over the past year, it’s likely that you’ve heard about the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP. While the term may be familiar, the connection between TPP and what you find on your dinner plate may not be.</p>',
                  3 => 'http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/reports/4573/tpp-serves-up-an-unsavory-dinner',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'oilandwater_thinkbeforeyoupink_hero2_14465.jpg',
                  1 => 'Tell Bee Sweet Citrus and Wonderful Company to Stop Watering Our Food with Oil Wastewater!',
                  2 => '<p>The use of oil wastewater for food irrigation is an urgent public health issue because of the potentially hazardous chemicals associated with all oil extraction processes – including toxic chemicals linked to cancer. Tell Wonderful Company and Bee Sweet Citrus to stop watering our food with toxic oil wastewater!</p>',
                  3 => 'http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/1881/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=19536',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'istock_000009992043small_78906.jpg',
                  1 => 'Court Victory: Consumers Have a Right to Know About Their Food',
                  2 => '<p>The Washington D.C. Court of Appeals upheld the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) rule which requires information about where meat is raised and slaughtered. USDA drafted COOL rules in 2009 and finalized them in 2013.</p>',
                  3 => 'http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/3404/court-victory-consumers-have-a-right-to-know-about-their-food',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
              ),
              'images' => 
              array (
                0 => 'foodsafety_48189.png',
                1 => '',
                2 => 'foodsafety_68552.png',
                3 => '',
              ),
              'group' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '94',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '48',
                  'sub_group' => '0',
                  'name1' => 'Food Safety',
                  'url' => 'food-safety',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'order' => '4',
                ),
              ),
              'color' => 
              array (
                0 => '#f79676',
                1 => 'Food Safety Mauve',
              ),
              'section' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '219',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Food Safety & Food Recalls',
                  'url' => 'food-safety-and-food-recalls',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '158',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '329',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Industrialization of the Food Supply',
                  'url' => 'industrialization-of-the-food-supply',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '159',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '330',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Political Influence',
                  'url' => 'political-influence',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '160',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
              ),
              'checkbox' => 
              array (
                0 => '1',
                1 => '0',
                2 => '1',
              ),
              'url' => '/issues/308/food-safety',
            ),
          ),
          1 => 
          array (
            'custom' => 
            array (
              0 => '',
            ),
            'page_id' => '6256',
            'basic' => 
            array (
              'page_id' => '6256',
              'root_url' => 'media',
              'root' => 'Media',
              'text' => 
              array (
                0 => 'Lawsuit Challenging FDA Approval of Novel Genetically Engineered Color Additive That Makes Impossible Burger "Bleed" Moves Forward',
                1 => 'FDA Fails to Demand Needed Tests, Its Approval Not Based on "Convincing Evidence" as Required by Law',
                2 => '',
              ),
              'checkbox' => 
              array (
                0 => '1',
                1 => '0',
                2 => '0',
                3 => '0',
              ),
              'date' => 
              array (
                0 => '2021-01-29',
              ),
              'relation' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'custom' => 
                  array (
                    0 => '',
                  ),
                  'page_id' => '311',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  'custom' => 
                  array (
                    0 => '',
                  ),
                  'page_id' => '5961',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  'custom' => 
                  array (
                    0 => '',
                  ),
                  'page_id' => '5768',
                ),
              ),
              'rich' => 
              array (
                0 => '<p style="text-align: left;">(Washington, D.C.) -- Yesterday, Center for Food Safety (CFS) <strong><a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/2021-01-28--ecf-45-cfs-combined-reply-brief_82674.pdf" target="_blank">filed a legal brief</a></strong> in its <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/2020-08-18--ecf-19--pet-opening-brief_71435.pdf" target="_blank">challenge</a> to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration\'s (FDA) 2019 approval of soy leghemoglobin ("heme"), a color additive used to make Impossible Foods\' eponymous plant-based burger, the Impossible Burger, appear to "bleed" like real meat.</p>
<p>The novel heme colorant is produced in genetically engineered (GE) yeast, and is modeled on a protein found in the roots of soybean. The GE heme is actually a color additive preparation that also contains over a dozen yeast proteins. Because GE heme is new to the human diet, and substantial quantities are added to the Impossible Burger, FDA should have required extensive safety testing before approving its use as a color additive, as required by law.</p>
<p>"FDA approved soy leghemoglobin even though it conducted none of the long-term animal studies that are needed to determine whether or not it harms human health," <strong>said Bill Freese, science policy analyst at Center for Food Safety.</strong> "This includes studies for cancer, reproductive impairment, and other adverse effects called for by FDA\'s Redbook, the Bible of food and color additive testing," he added. "We find this to be all the more troubling because a number of potential adverse effects were detected in a short-term <a href="https://www.gmoscience.org/rat-feeding-studies-suggest-the-impossible-burger-may-not-be-safe-to-eat/" target="_blank">rat trial</a>: disruption of reproductive cycles and reduced uterine weights in females, and biomarkers of anemia, reduced clotting ability, and kidney problems."</p>
<p>The law on color additives is clear: Because they offer no substantive benefits, and add only aesthetic appeal, Congress and FDA established an extremely high bar for approval. The agency\'s "convincing evidence" standard means that a color additive cannot be approved without the strongest possible evidence of safety, a higher bar than for other food additives. Despite the lack of needed safety tests, Impossible Foods\' products containing GE heme are now widely available in supermarkets across the country due to FDA\'s unlawful approval of GE heme as a color additive.</p>
<p>"FDA\'s failure to require Impossible Foods to conduct long-term tests called for in the agency\'s own authoritative guidelines means it does not have \'convincing evidence\' that this color additive, consumed by millions, is safe,"<strong> said Ryan Talbott, staff attorney at Center for Food Safety</strong>. "The approval of soy leghemoglobin must be revoked, unless and until truly convincing evidence proves it to be safe."</p>
<p>While CFS like many others avidly supports plant-based eating, enthusiasm for meatless products cannot be used as an excuse to skirt food safety laws. FDA\'s dereliction of duty has resulted in the premature introduction of Impossible Foods\' products containing GE heme to restaurants and supermarkets throughout the country, and highlights a troubling deregulatory trend which prioritizes corporate profit over public health and safety.</p>',
              ),
              'file' => 
              array (
                0 => '2021-01-28--ecf-45-cfs-combined-reply-brief_82674.pdf',
                1 => '',
              ),
              'link' => 
              array (
                0 => '',
                1 => '',
              ),
              'lead_img' => 'impossible_burger_at_hells_kitchen_minneapolis_-_vegan_meat_41303643735_57009_80576.jpg',
              'gallery' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'impossible_burger_at_hells_kitchen_minneapolis_-_vegan_meat_41303643735_57009_80576.jpg',
                  1 => '',
                  2 => '',
                  3 => '',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
              ),
              'group' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '110',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'sub_group' => '0',
                  'name1' => 'Press Releases Categories',
                  'url' => 'press-releases-categories',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'order' => '5',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '118',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '110',
                  'sub_group' => '0',
                  'name1' => 'Food Safety',
                  'url' => 'food-safety',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'order' => '11',
                ),
              ),
              'url' => '/press-releases/6256/lawsuit-challenging-fda-approval-of-novel-genetically-engineered-color-additive-that-makes-impossible-burger-bleed-moves-forward',
            ),
          ),
          2 => 
          array (
            'custom' => 
            array (
              0 => '',
            ),
            'page_id' => '5961',
            'basic' => 
            array (
              'page_id' => '5961',
              'root_url' => 'media',
              'root' => 'Media',
              'text' => 
              array (
                0 => 'Center for Food Safety Filed Lawsuit Against FDA Challenging Decision to Approve Genetically Engineered Soy Protein Found in the Impossible Burger',
                1 => 'FDA\'s Decision Not Based on "Convincing Evidence" that Regulation Requires',
                2 => '',
              ),
              'checkbox' => 
              array (
                0 => '1',
                1 => '0',
                2 => '0',
                3 => '0',
              ),
              'date' => 
              array (
                0 => '2020-03-18',
              ),
              'relation' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'custom' => 
                  array (
                    0 => '',
                  ),
                  'page_id' => '308',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  'custom' => 
                  array (
                    0 => '',
                  ),
                  'page_id' => '311',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  'custom' => 
                  array (
                    0 => '',
                  ),
                  'page_id' => '5768',
                ),
              ),
              'rich' => 
              array (
                0 => '<p style="text-align: left;"> </p>
<p><strong>(Washington, D.C.)</strong> Yesterday, Center for Food Safety (CFS) filed a <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/2020-03-17-petition-for-review_86947.pdf" target="_blank">lawsuit</a> against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its decision to decline the advocacy group\'s objections to the agency\'s approval of a genetically engineered (GE) soy protein used in the Impossible Burger. Also referred to as genetically engineered "heme," soy leghemoglobin is the color additive Impossible Foods uses to make its plant-based burger appear to "bleed."</p>
<p>CFS\'s lawsuit asserts that FDA used the wrong legal standard when it reviewed and approved GE heme to be used in raw Impossible Burgers sold in grocery stores. Instead of using the color additive safety standard that specifies "convincing evidence that establishes with reasonable certainty that no harm will result from the intended use of the color additive," FDA conflated that standard with the food additive safety standard, which does not specify that there must be "convincing evidence."</p>
<p>"By treating these two standards as \'the same,\' FDA ignored the \'convincing evidence\' requirement out of its color additive safety standard, which the agency isn\'t legally allowed to do," <strong>said Ryan Talbott, staff attorney at CFS.</strong> "This isn\'t just a problem with FDA\'s review and approval of soy leghemoglobin, but how the agency consistently ignores the "convincing evidence" standard in its review of all color additives that are added to our food." </p>
<p>In order to make this GMO heme, Impossible Foods uses the process of synthetic biology (or synbio) to extract DNA from the roots of soy plants—where a small amount of heme is produced—and inserts the DNA into genetically engineered yeast where it is fermented to mass-produce this genetically engineered heme.</p>
<p>"This heme produced using synbio has never been consumed before. FDA should have required additional independent testing to make sure that this new substance does not cause allergic reactions or other health problems in people," <strong>said Jaydee Hanson, Center for Food Safety\'s policy director.</strong> "But instead of following its own guidelines for 90-day studies, the agency allowed the company to conduct a 28-day study to evaluate the safety of its own product."</p>
<p>CFS filed an objection to FDA\'s approval of the GE heme in uncooked Impossible Burgers in October 2019. This objection should have halted Impossible Burger sales in grocery stores, but several chains including Wegmans, Gelson\'s, and Fairway Market started selling Impossible Burgers illegally before FDA responded to CFS\'s objection.</p>
<p>While CFS avidly supports plant-based eating, the lack of transparency in getting the GE Impossible Burger in restaurants and retail stores highlights a troubling deregulatory trend which prioritizes corporate profit over public health and safety.</p>',
              ),
              'file' => 
              array (
                0 => '2020-03-17-petition-for-review_86947.pdf',
                1 => 'View the lawsuit >>',
              ),
              'link' => 
              array (
                0 => '',
                1 => '',
              ),
              'lead_img' => 'impburger_84514.jpg',
              'gallery' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'impburger_84514.jpg',
                  1 => '',
                  2 => '',
                  3 => '',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
              ),
              'group' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '110',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'sub_group' => '0',
                  'name1' => 'Press Releases Categories',
                  'url' => 'press-releases-categories',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'order' => '5',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '118',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '110',
                  'sub_group' => '0',
                  'name1' => 'Food Safety',
                  'url' => 'food-safety',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'order' => '11',
                ),
              ),
              'url' => '/press-releases/5961/center-for-food-safety-filed-lawsuit-against-fda-challenging-decision-to-approve-genetically-engineered-soy-protein-found-in-the-impossible-burger',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'rich' => 
        array (
          0 => '<p>SEATTLE—Tomorrow, on Wednesday, April 14, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit will hear arguments in Center for Food Safety\'s (CFS) ongoing lawsuit challenging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration\'s (FDA) approval of soy leghemoglobin (a.k.a. "heme"), the novel genetically engineered (GE) color additive that makes Impossible Foods\' eponymous plant-based burger, the Impossible Burger, appear to "bleed" like real meat. CFS originally <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/5961/center-for-food-safety-filed-lawsuit-against-fda-challenging-decision-to-approve-genetically-engineered-soy-protein-found-in-the-impossible-burger" target="_blank">filed the lawsuit</a> in March 2020, challenging FDA\'s safety review of the genetically engineered color additive. </p>
<p>At stake in tomorrow\'s argument is whether FDA examined the safety of soy leghemoglobin as a color additive before allowing it to be consumed by millions of consumers across the U.S. In its briefs, CFS argued that FDA applied an unlawful safety standard, and approved soy leghemoglobin without long-term toxicity studies called for by the FDA under its standards for food and color additive testing. The outcome of the case could remove Impossible Foods\' plant-based burger products from grocery shelves until their safety for human consumption has been adequately reviewed. </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>WHAT:</strong> Public oral argument in CFS\' lawsuit challenging FDA approval of soy leghemoglobin</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>WHEN:</strong> Wednesday, April 14, 2021, at 9 AM PST</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>WHERE:</strong> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeIMdiBTNTpeA84wmSRPDPg" target="_blank">Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals YouTube Channel >></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Background:</p>
<p>Soy leghemoglobin, the novel heme colorant used to make the Impossible Burger appear to "bleed," is produced using GE yeast, and is modeled on a protein found in the roots of soybean. Because GE heme is new to the human diet, and substantial quantities are added to the Impossible Burger, FDA should have required extensive safety testing before approving its use as a color additive, as required by law.</p>
<p>While CFS like many others avidly supports plant-based eating, enthusiasm for meatless products cannot be used as an excuse to skirt food safety laws. Because color additives offer no substantive benefits, and add only aesthetic appeal, Congress and FDA established an extremely high bar for approval. The "convincing evidence" standard ("convincing evidence that establishes with reasonable certainty that no harm will result from the intended use of the color additive") means that a color additive cannot be approved without the strongest possible evidence of safety, a higher bar than for other food additives. </p>
<p>CFS\' <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/2020-03-17-petition-for-review_86947.pdf" target="_blank">lawsuit</a> asserts that FDA used a lower safety standard than "convincing evidence" when it reviewed and approved GE heme to be used in raw Impossible Burgers sold in grocery stores. The lawsuit further alleges that Impossible Burger failed to submit long-term animal feeding studies for cancer, reproductive impairment and other adverse effects, which are required by FDA\'s Redbook, the "Bible" of food and color additive testing. This lack of testing is all the more troubling because a number of potential adverse effects were detected in a short-term <a href="https://www.gmoscience.org/rat-feeding-studies-suggest-the-impossible-burger-may-not-be-safe-to-eat/">rat trial</a>: disruption of reproductive cycles and reduced uterine weights in females, and biomarkers of anemia, reduced clotting ability, and kidney problems.</p>',
        ),
        'file' => 
        array (
          0 => '',
          1 => '',
        ),
        'link' => 
        array (
          0 => '',
          1 => '',
        ),
        'lead_img' => 'impossible-burger-safety-genetically-engineered-gmos-lawsuit_54024.jpg',
        'gallery' => 
        array (
          0 => 
          array (
            0 => 'impossible-burger-safety-genetically-engineered-gmos-lawsuit_54024.jpg',
            1 => '',
            2 => '',
            3 => '',
            4 => '',
            5 => '',
            6 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'group' => 
        array (
          0 => 
          array (
            'id' => '110',
            'PARENT_ID' => '0',
            'sub_group' => '0',
            'name1' => 'Press Releases Categories',
            'url' => 'press-releases-categories',
            'visible' => '1',
            'order' => '5',
          ),
          1 => 
          array (
            'id' => '110',
            'PARENT_ID' => '0',
            'sub_group' => '0',
            'name1' => 'Press Releases Categories',
            'url' => 'press-releases-categories',
            'visible' => '1',
            'order' => '5',
          ),
          2 => 
          array (
            'id' => '116',
            'PARENT_ID' => '110',
            'sub_group' => '0',
            'name1' => 'GE Food',
            'url' => 'ge-food',
            'visible' => '1',
            'order' => '9',
          ),
          3 => 
          array (
            'id' => '118',
            'PARENT_ID' => '110',
            'sub_group' => '0',
            'name1' => 'Food Safety',
            'url' => 'food-safety',
            'visible' => '1',
            'order' => '11',
          ),
        ),
        'url' => '/press-releases/6333/public-oral-argument-in-lawsuit-challenging-fda-approval-of-genetically-engineered-ingredient-that-makes-impossible-burger-bleed',
      ),
      'bid' => 
      array (
        'page_link' => '/press-releases/6333/public-oral-argument-in-lawsuit-challenging-fda-approval-of-genetically-engineered-ingredient-that-makes-impossible-burger-bleed',
        'bitly' => '66y',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'lead_img' => 'impossible-burger-safety-genetically-engineered-gmos-lawsuit_54024.jpg',
        'rich_snippet' => '<p>SEATTLE—Tomorrow, on Wednesday, April 14, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit will hear arguments in Center for Food Safety\'s (CFS) ongoing lawsuit challenging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration\'s (FDA) approval of soy leghemoglobin (a.k.a. "h.',
        'page' => 
        array (
          'id' => '6333',
          'SECTION_ID' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '0',
          'BLOCK_ID' => '0',
          'order' => '24',
          'visible' => '1',
          'feature' => '0',
          'hide' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Public Oral Argument in Lawsuit Challenging FDA Approval of Genetically Engineered Ingredient That Makes Impossible Burger \'Bleed\'',
          'url' => 'public-oral-argument-in-lawsuit-challenging-fda-approval-of-genetically-engineered-ingredient-that-makes-impossible-burger-bleed',
          'bitly' => '66y',
          'lead_img' => 'impossible-burger-safety-genetically-engineered-gmos-lawsuit_54024.jpg',
          'meta_title' => 'Public Oral Argument in Lawsuit Challenging FDA Approval of Genetically Engineered Ingredient That Makes Impossible Burger \'Blee',
          'meta_desc' => 'At stake in tomorrow\'s argument is whether FDA examined the safety of soy leghemoglobin as a color additive before allowing it to be consumed by millions of',
          'meta_img' => 'impossible-burger-safety-genetically-engineered-gmos-lawsuit_54011.jpg',
          'meta_json' => '',
          'update_meta_title' => '0',
          'update_meta_desc' => '0',
          'update_meta_img' => '1',
          'update_meta_json' => '0',
          'start_time' => '0',
          'end_time' => '0',
        ),
        'section' => 
        array (
          'id' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '486',
          'PAGE_ID' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Press Releases',
          'url' => 'press-releases',
          'hide' => '0',
          'order' => '1',
        ),
        'bid_380' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Title',
          'block_type' => 'Plain Text',
          'block_alias' => 'title',
          'post_id' => '62763',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 'Public Oral Argument in Lawsuit Challenging FDA Approval of Genetically Engineered Ingredient That Makes Impossible Burger \'Bleed\'',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5959' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Subtitle',
          'block_type' => 'Plain Text',
          'block_alias' => 'subtitle',
          'post_id' => '63201',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5957' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Show Hero Image',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'hide_hero',
          'post_id' => '62884',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '1',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_381' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Date',
          'block_type' => 'Date',
          'block_alias' => 'date',
          'post_id' => '62764',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '2021-04-13',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_2294' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel1',
          'post_id' => '62765',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'custom_title' => '',
              'page_id' => '308',
              'name1' => 'Food Safety',
              'section_name1' => 'Issues',
              'page_link' => '/issues/308/food-safety',
              'lead_img' => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
              'rich_snippet' => '<p>According to federal data, each year, one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. These figures are likely to be far higher, as most food illnesses go unreported. The most five common pathogens causing foodborne i.',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_3612' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue 2',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel2',
          'post_id' => '62766',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'custom_title' => '',
              'page_id' => '6256',
              'name1' => 'Lawsuit Challenging FDA Approval of Novel Genetically Engineered Color Additive That Makes Impossible Burger "Bleed" Moves Forward',
              'section_name1' => 'Press Releases',
              'page_link' => '/press-releases/6256/lawsuit-challenging-fda-approval-of-novel-genetically-engineered-color-additive-that-makes-impossible-burger-bleed-moves-forward',
              'lead_img' => 'impossible_burger_at_hells_kitchen_minneapolis_-_vegan_meat_41303643735_57009_80576.jpg',
              'rich_snippet' => ' (Washington, D.C.) -- Yesterday, Center for Food Safety (CFS)   filed a legal brief   in its  challenge  to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration&#039;s (FDA) 2019 approval of soy leghemoglobin ("heme"), a color additive used to make Impossible Foods&#.',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_3613' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue 3',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel3',
          'post_id' => '62767',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'custom_title' => '',
              'page_id' => '5961',
              'name1' => 'Center for Food Safety Filed Lawsuit Against FDA Challenging Decision to Approve Genetically Engineered Soy Protein Found in the Impossible Burger',
              'section_name1' => 'Press Releases',
              'page_link' => '/press-releases/5961/center-for-food-safety-filed-lawsuit-against-fda-challenging-decision-to-approve-genetically-engineered-soy-protein-found-in-the-impossible-burger',
              'lead_img' => 'impburger_84514.jpg',
              'rich_snippet' => '   
  (Washington, D.C.)  Yesterday, Center for Food Safety (CFS) filed a  lawsuit  against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its decision to decline the advocacy group&#039;s objections to the agency&#039;s approval of a genetically engineered (G.',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_382' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Description',
          'block_type' => 'Rich Text',
          'block_alias' => 'desc',
          'post_id' => '62768',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '<p>SEATTLE—Tomorrow, on Wednesday, April 14, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit will hear arguments in Center for Food Safety\'s (CFS) ongoing lawsuit challenging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration\'s (FDA) approval of soy leghemoglobin (a.k.a. "heme"), the novel genetically engineered (GE) color additive that makes Impossible Foods\' eponymous plant-based burger, the Impossible Burger, appear to "bleed" like real meat. CFS originally <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/5961/center-for-food-safety-filed-lawsuit-against-fda-challenging-decision-to-approve-genetically-engineered-soy-protein-found-in-the-impossible-burger" target="_blank">filed the lawsuit</a> in March 2020, challenging FDA\'s safety review of the genetically engineered color additive. </p>
<p>At stake in tomorrow\'s argument is whether FDA examined the safety of soy leghemoglobin as a color additive before allowing it to be consumed by millions of consumers across the U.S. In its briefs, CFS argued that FDA applied an unlawful safety standard, and approved soy leghemoglobin without long-term toxicity studies called for by the FDA under its standards for food and color additive testing. The outcome of the case could remove Impossible Foods\' plant-based burger products from grocery shelves until their safety for human consumption has been adequately reviewed. </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>WHAT:</strong> Public oral argument in CFS\' lawsuit challenging FDA approval of soy leghemoglobin</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>WHEN:</strong> Wednesday, April 14, 2021, at 9 AM PST</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>WHERE:</strong> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeIMdiBTNTpeA84wmSRPDPg" target="_blank">Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals YouTube Channel >></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Background:</p>
<p>Soy leghemoglobin, the novel heme colorant used to make the Impossible Burger appear to "bleed," is produced using GE yeast, and is modeled on a protein found in the roots of soybean. Because GE heme is new to the human diet, and substantial quantities are added to the Impossible Burger, FDA should have required extensive safety testing before approving its use as a color additive, as required by law.</p>
<p>While CFS like many others avidly supports plant-based eating, enthusiasm for meatless products cannot be used as an excuse to skirt food safety laws. Because color additives offer no substantive benefits, and add only aesthetic appeal, Congress and FDA established an extremely high bar for approval. The "convincing evidence" standard ("convincing evidence that establishes with reasonable certainty that no harm will result from the intended use of the color additive") means that a color additive cannot be approved without the strongest possible evidence of safety, a higher bar than for other food additives. </p>
<p>CFS\' <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/2020-03-17-petition-for-review_86947.pdf" target="_blank">lawsuit</a> asserts that FDA used a lower safety standard than "convincing evidence" when it reviewed and approved GE heme to be used in raw Impossible Burgers sold in grocery stores. The lawsuit further alleges that Impossible Burger failed to submit long-term animal feeding studies for cancer, reproductive impairment and other adverse effects, which are required by FDA\'s Redbook, the "Bible" of food and color additive testing. This lack of testing is all the more troubling because a number of potential adverse effects were detected in a short-term <a href="https://www.gmoscience.org/rat-feeding-studies-suggest-the-impossible-burger-may-not-be-safe-to-eat/">rat trial</a>: disruption of reproductive cycles and reduced uterine weights in females, and biomarkers of anemia, reduced clotting ability, and kidney problems.</p>',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_383' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'PDF File',
          'block_type' => 'File',
          'block_alias' => 'pdf',
          'post_id' => '62769',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_1168' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'CFS Link',
          'block_type' => 'Link',
          'block_alias' => 'link',
          'post_id' => '62770',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_1169' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Image Gallery',
          'block_type' => 'Image Gallery',
          'block_alias' => 'images',
          'post_id' => '62778',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              0 => 'impossible-burger-safety-genetically-engineered-gmos-lawsuit_54024.jpg',
              1 => '',
              2 => '',
              3 => '',
              4 => '',
              5 => '',
              6 => 'Public Oral Argument in Lawsuit Challenging FDA Approval of Genetically Engineered Ingredient That Makes Impossible Burger \'Bleed\'',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_2291' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Category',
          'block_type' => 'Grouping',
          'block_alias' => 'cat',
          'post_id' => '62772',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'id' => '116',
              'PARENT_ID' => '110',
              'sub_group' => '0',
              'name1' => 'GE Food',
              'url' => 'ge-food',
              'visible' => '1',
              'order' => '9',
            ),
            1 => 
            array (
              'id' => '118',
              'PARENT_ID' => '110',
              'sub_group' => '0',
              'name1' => 'Food Safety',
              'url' => 'food-safety',
              'visible' => '1',
              'order' => '11',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4805' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Tweets',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'tweets',
          'post_id' => '62773',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4806' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Quotes',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'quotes',
          'post_id' => '62774',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4807' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Join CFS',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'join',
          'post_id' => '62775',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5592' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Hide',
          'block_type' => 'Hide - In \'page\' table',
          'block_alias' => '',
          'post_id' => '62776',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5835' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Scheduler',
          'block_type' => 'Schedule',
          'block_alias' => 'scheduler',
          'post_id' => '62777',
          'content' => 
          array (
            'id' => '191',
            'PAGE_ID' => '6333',
            'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
            'set_time' => '1',
            'start_time_hour' => '',
            'start_time_minute' => '00',
            'start_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'end_time_hour' => '5',
            'end_time_minute' => '00',
            'end_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'start_month' => '04',
            'start_day' => '12',
            'start_year' => '2021',
            'end_month' => '04',
            'end_day' => '13',
            'end_year' => '2021',
            'occurs' => 'once',
            'repeat_every_int' => '1',
            'repeat_every_period' => 'year',
            'repeat_stop_after' => '1',
            'float_period' => 'first',
            'float_day_o_w' => 'sunday',
            'float_repeat_every_x_mo' => '1',
            'float_stop_after' => '1',
            'events' => 
            array (
              0 => 
              array (
                'id' => '2777',
                'SCHEDULE_ID' => '191',
                'PAGE_ID' => '6333',
                'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
                'date_start' => '2021-04-12 00:00:00',
                'date_end' => '2021-04-13 05:00:00',
                'has_start_time' => '0',
                'has_end_time' => '1',
                'occurs' => 'once',
                'start' => 'Monday, April 12, 2021',
                'end' => 'Tuesday, April 13, 2021, 5:00am',
              ),
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5955' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Unique Url',
          'block_type' => 'Unique Root URL',
          'block_alias' => 'unique_url',
          'post_id' => '62864',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 'public-oral-argument-in-lawsuit-challenging-fda-approval-of-genetically-engineered-ingredient-that-makes-impossible-burger-bleed-soy-leghemoglobin-fda',
          ),
        ),
      ),
      'alias' => 
      array (
        'page_link' => '/press-releases/6333/public-oral-argument-in-lawsuit-challenging-fda-approval-of-genetically-engineered-ingredient-that-makes-impossible-burger-bleed',
        'bitly' => '66y',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'lead_img' => 'impossible-burger-safety-genetically-engineered-gmos-lawsuit_54024.jpg',
        'rich_snippet' => '<p>SEATTLE—Tomorrow, on Wednesday, April 14, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit will hear arguments in Center for Food Safety\'s (CFS) ongoing lawsuit challenging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration\'s (FDA) approval of soy leghemoglobin (a.k.a. "h.',
        'page' => 
        array (
          'id' => '6333',
          'SECTION_ID' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '0',
          'BLOCK_ID' => '0',
          'order' => '24',
          'visible' => '1',
          'feature' => '0',
          'hide' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Public Oral Argument in Lawsuit Challenging FDA Approval of Genetically Engineered Ingredient That Makes Impossible Burger \'Bleed\'',
          'url' => 'public-oral-argument-in-lawsuit-challenging-fda-approval-of-genetically-engineered-ingredient-that-makes-impossible-burger-bleed',
          'bitly' => '66y',
          'lead_img' => 'impossible-burger-safety-genetically-engineered-gmos-lawsuit_54024.jpg',
          'meta_title' => 'Public Oral Argument in Lawsuit Challenging FDA Approval of Genetically Engineered Ingredient That Makes Impossible Burger \'Blee',
          'meta_desc' => 'At stake in tomorrow\'s argument is whether FDA examined the safety of soy leghemoglobin as a color additive before allowing it to be consumed by millions of',
          'meta_img' => 'impossible-burger-safety-genetically-engineered-gmos-lawsuit_54011.jpg',
          'meta_json' => '',
          'update_meta_title' => '0',
          'update_meta_desc' => '0',
          'update_meta_img' => '1',
          'update_meta_json' => '0',
          'start_time' => '0',
          'end_time' => '0',
        ),
        'section' => 
        array (
          'id' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '486',
          'PAGE_ID' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Press Releases',
          'url' => 'press-releases',
          'hide' => '0',
          'order' => '1',
        ),
        'bid_5592' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Hide',
          'block_type' => 'Hide - In \'page\' table',
          'block_alias' => '',
          'post_id' => '62776',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'alias' => 
        array (
          'title' => 'Public Oral Argument in Lawsuit Challenging FDA Approval of Genetically Engineered Ingredient That Makes Impossible Burger \'Bleed\'',
          'subtitle' => '',
          'hide_hero' => '1',
          'date' => '2021-04-13',
          'rel1' => 
          array (
            'custom_title' => '',
            'page_id' => '308',
            'name1' => 'Food Safety',
            'section_name1' => 'Issues',
            'page_link' => '/issues/308/food-safety',
            'lead_img' => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
            'rich_snippet' => '<p>According to federal data, each year, one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. These figures are likely to be far higher, as most food illnesses go unreported. The most five common pathogens causing foodborne i.',
          ),
          'rel2' => 
          array (
            'custom_title' => '',
            'page_id' => '6256',
            'name1' => 'Lawsuit Challenging FDA Approval of Novel Genetically Engineered Color Additive That Makes Impossible Burger "Bleed" Moves Forward',
            'section_name1' => 'Press Releases',
            'page_link' => '/press-releases/6256/lawsuit-challenging-fda-approval-of-novel-genetically-engineered-color-additive-that-makes-impossible-burger-bleed-moves-forward',
            'lead_img' => 'impossible_burger_at_hells_kitchen_minneapolis_-_vegan_meat_41303643735_57009_80576.jpg',
            'rich_snippet' => ' (Washington, D.C.) -- Yesterday, Center for Food Safety (CFS)   filed a legal brief   in its  challenge  to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration&#039;s (FDA) 2019 approval of soy leghemoglobin ("heme"), a color additive used to make Impossible Foods&#.',
          ),
          'rel3' => 
          array (
            'custom_title' => '',
            'page_id' => '5961',
            'name1' => 'Center for Food Safety Filed Lawsuit Against FDA Challenging Decision to Approve Genetically Engineered Soy Protein Found in the Impossible Burger',
            'section_name1' => 'Press Releases',
            'page_link' => '/press-releases/5961/center-for-food-safety-filed-lawsuit-against-fda-challenging-decision-to-approve-genetically-engineered-soy-protein-found-in-the-impossible-burger',
            'lead_img' => 'impburger_84514.jpg',
            'rich_snippet' => '   
  (Washington, D.C.)  Yesterday, Center for Food Safety (CFS) filed a  lawsuit  against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its decision to decline the advocacy group&#039;s objections to the agency&#039;s approval of a genetically engineered (G.',
          ),
          'desc' => '<p>SEATTLE—Tomorrow, on Wednesday, April 14, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit will hear arguments in Center for Food Safety\'s (CFS) ongoing lawsuit challenging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration\'s (FDA) approval of soy leghemoglobin (a.k.a. "heme"), the novel genetically engineered (GE) color additive that makes Impossible Foods\' eponymous plant-based burger, the Impossible Burger, appear to "bleed" like real meat. CFS originally <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/5961/center-for-food-safety-filed-lawsuit-against-fda-challenging-decision-to-approve-genetically-engineered-soy-protein-found-in-the-impossible-burger" target="_blank">filed the lawsuit</a> in March 2020, challenging FDA\'s safety review of the genetically engineered color additive. </p>
<p>At stake in tomorrow\'s argument is whether FDA examined the safety of soy leghemoglobin as a color additive before allowing it to be consumed by millions of consumers across the U.S. In its briefs, CFS argued that FDA applied an unlawful safety standard, and approved soy leghemoglobin without long-term toxicity studies called for by the FDA under its standards for food and color additive testing. The outcome of the case could remove Impossible Foods\' plant-based burger products from grocery shelves until their safety for human consumption has been adequately reviewed. </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>WHAT:</strong> Public oral argument in CFS\' lawsuit challenging FDA approval of soy leghemoglobin</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>WHEN:</strong> Wednesday, April 14, 2021, at 9 AM PST</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>WHERE:</strong> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeIMdiBTNTpeA84wmSRPDPg" target="_blank">Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals YouTube Channel >></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Background:</p>
<p>Soy leghemoglobin, the novel heme colorant used to make the Impossible Burger appear to "bleed," is produced using GE yeast, and is modeled on a protein found in the roots of soybean. Because GE heme is new to the human diet, and substantial quantities are added to the Impossible Burger, FDA should have required extensive safety testing before approving its use as a color additive, as required by law.</p>
<p>While CFS like many others avidly supports plant-based eating, enthusiasm for meatless products cannot be used as an excuse to skirt food safety laws. Because color additives offer no substantive benefits, and add only aesthetic appeal, Congress and FDA established an extremely high bar for approval. The "convincing evidence" standard ("convincing evidence that establishes with reasonable certainty that no harm will result from the intended use of the color additive") means that a color additive cannot be approved without the strongest possible evidence of safety, a higher bar than for other food additives. </p>
<p>CFS\' <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/2020-03-17-petition-for-review_86947.pdf" target="_blank">lawsuit</a> asserts that FDA used a lower safety standard than "convincing evidence" when it reviewed and approved GE heme to be used in raw Impossible Burgers sold in grocery stores. The lawsuit further alleges that Impossible Burger failed to submit long-term animal feeding studies for cancer, reproductive impairment and other adverse effects, which are required by FDA\'s Redbook, the "Bible" of food and color additive testing. This lack of testing is all the more troubling because a number of potential adverse effects were detected in a short-term <a href="https://www.gmoscience.org/rat-feeding-studies-suggest-the-impossible-burger-may-not-be-safe-to-eat/">rat trial</a>: disruption of reproductive cycles and reduced uterine weights in females, and biomarkers of anemia, reduced clotting ability, and kidney problems.</p>',
          'pdf' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
          'link' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
          'images' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              0 => 'impossible-burger-safety-genetically-engineered-gmos-lawsuit_54024.jpg',
              1 => '',
              2 => '',
              3 => '',
              4 => '',
              5 => '',
              6 => 'Public Oral Argument in Lawsuit Challenging FDA Approval of Genetically Engineered Ingredient That Makes Impossible Burger \'Bleed\'',
              7 => 1000,
              8 => 562,
            ),
          ),
          'cat' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'id' => '116',
              'PARENT_ID' => '110',
              'sub_group' => '0',
              'name1' => 'GE Food',
              'url' => 'ge-food',
              'visible' => '1',
              'order' => '9',
            ),
            1 => 
            array (
              'id' => '118',
              'PARENT_ID' => '110',
              'sub_group' => '0',
              'name1' => 'Food Safety',
              'url' => 'food-safety',
              'visible' => '1',
              'order' => '11',
            ),
          ),
          'tweets' => '0',
          'quotes' => '0',
          'join' => '0',
          'scheduler' => 
          array (
            'id' => '191',
            'PAGE_ID' => '6333',
            'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
            'set_time' => '1',
            'start_time_hour' => '',
            'start_time_minute' => '00',
            'start_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'end_time_hour' => '5',
            'end_time_minute' => '00',
            'end_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'start_month' => '04',
            'start_day' => '12',
            'start_year' => '2021',
            'end_month' => '04',
            'end_day' => '13',
            'end_year' => '2021',
            'occurs' => 'once',
            'repeat_every_int' => '1',
            'repeat_every_period' => 'year',
            'repeat_stop_after' => '1',
            'float_period' => 'first',
            'float_day_o_w' => 'sunday',
            'float_repeat_every_x_mo' => '1',
            'float_stop_after' => '1',
            'events' => 
            array (
              0 => 
              array (
                'id' => '2777',
                'SCHEDULE_ID' => '191',
                'PAGE_ID' => '6333',
                'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
                'date_start' => '2021-04-12 00:00:00',
                'date_end' => '2021-04-13 05:00:00',
                'has_start_time' => '0',
                'has_end_time' => '1',
                'occurs' => 'once',
                'start' => 'Monday, April 12, 2021',
                'end' => 'Tuesday, April 13, 2021, 5:00am',
              ),
            ),
          ),
          'unique_url' => 'public-oral-argument-in-lawsuit-challenging-fda-approval-of-genetically-engineered-ingredient-that-makes-impossible-burger-bleed-soy-leghemoglobin-fda',
        ),
      ),
    ),
  ),
  10 => 
  array (
    'id' => '6260',
    'SECTION_ID' => '129',
    'PARENT_ID' => '0',
    'BLOCK_ID' => '0',
    'order' => '68',
    'visible' => '1',
    'feature' => '0',
    'hide' => '0',
    'name1' => 'Lawsuit Challenging Trump Administration\'s Dirty Swine Slaughter Rules Allowed to Proceed in Federal Court',
    'url' => 'lawsuit-challenging-trump-administrations-dirty-swine-slaughter-rules-allowed-to-proceed-in-federal-court',
    'bitly' => '64v',
    'lead_img' => 'web_830x437_media-usdahoginspection_46401_38970.jpg',
    'meta_title' => 'Lawsuit Challenging Trump Administration\'s Dirty Swine Slaughter Rules Allowed to Proceed in Federal Court',
    'meta_desc' => 'Lawsuit Challenging Trump Administration\'s Dirty Swine Slaughter Rules Allowed to Proceed in Federal Court     Washington D.C.—In a...',
    'meta_img' => 'web_830x437_media-usdahoginspection_46401_38954.jpg',
    'meta_json' => '',
    'update_meta_title' => '0',
    'update_meta_desc' => '0',
    'update_meta_img' => '1',
    'update_meta_json' => '0',
    'start_time' => '0',
    'end_time' => '0',
    'content' => 
    array (
      'typ' => 
      array (
        'page_id' => '6260',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'text' => 
        array (
          0 => 'Lawsuit Challenging Trump Administration\'s Dirty Swine Slaughter Rules Allowed to Proceed in Federal Court',
          1 => '',
          2 => '',
        ),
        'checkbox' => 
        array (
          0 => '1',
          1 => '0',
          2 => '0',
          3 => '0',
        ),
        'date' => 
        array (
          0 => '2021-02-05',
        ),
        'relation' => 
        array (
          0 => 
          array (
            'custom' => 
            array (
              0 => '',
            ),
            'page_id' => '307',
            'basic' => 
            array (
              'page_id' => '307',
              'root_url' => 'issues',
              'root' => 'Issues',
              'text' => 
              array (
                0 => 'Animal Factories',
                1 => '',
                2 => 'Animal Factories',
                3 => 'From:CFSTrueFood+CAFO+facttory farms+animal factories',
              ),
              'rich' => 
              array (
                0 => '<p>In the last few decades, consolidation of food production has concentrated power in the hands of fewer and fewer corporations.&nbsp; Many of today’s farms are actually large industrial facilities, not family farms with green pastures and red barns that most Americans imagine. &nbsp;The operation of these consolidated operations have little to no regard for the environment, animal welfare or food safety, and they often put the health of consumers and rural communities at risk for the sake of profit.</p>',
              ),
              'lead_img' => 'chainreaction2socialpromoweb_90391.jpg',
              'gallery' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'chainreaction2socialpromoweb_90391.jpg',
                  1 => 'Fast Food Companies Make Progress in Addressing Antibiotic Resistance Crisis',
                  2 => '<p>Today, groups including Center for Food Safety released Chain Reaction II, the 2nd annual report ranking the top 25 U.S. restaurant chains on their antibiotics policies. Find out who passed, who failed, and what you can do to urge companies to step up to the plate on antibiotics use.</p>',
                  3 => 'http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/4001/idaho-ag-gag-law-overturned-ruled-unconstitutional-in-federal-court',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
              ),
              'images' => 
              array (
                0 => 'cafos_48232.png',
                1 => '',
                2 => 'mud_96426c_38739.jpg',
                3 => '',
              ),
              'color' => 
              array (
                0 => '#85594a',
                1 => 'Factory Farms Brown',
              ),
              'section' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '224',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '307',
                  'name1' => 'About Animal Factories',
                  'url' => 'about-animal-factories',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '13',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '507',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '307',
                  'name1' => 'Animal Factories and Animal Welfare',
                  'url' => 'animal-factories-and-animal-welfare',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '22',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '225',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '307',
                  'name1' => 'Animal Factories and Public Health',
                  'url' => 'animal-factories-and-public-health',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '29',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                3 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '226',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '307',
                  'name1' => 'Animal Factories and Environmental Pollution',
                  'url' => 'animal-factories-and-environmental-pollution',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '37',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                4 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '227',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '307',
                  'name1' => 'Animal Factories and Corporate Control',
                  'url' => 'animal-factories-and-corporate-control',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '45',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                5 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '551',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '307',
                  'name1' => 'Ag-Gag Laws in the U.S.',
                  'url' => 'ag-gag-laws-in-the-us',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '49',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                6 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '526',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '307',
                  'name1' => 'Opt Out of Industrial Meat',
                  'url' => 'opt-out-of-industrial-meat',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '51',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                7 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '544',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '307',
                  'name1' => 'Tell Tillamook to Dump Dirty Dairy!',
                  'url' => 'tell-tillamook-to-dump-dirty-dairy',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '56',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => 'http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/actions/5745/be-the-truth-tillamook-say-goodbye-to-mega-dairies',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                8 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '443',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '307',
                  'name1' => 'State Legislative Map',
                  'url' => 'state-legislative-map',
                  'visible' => '0',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '60',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => 'http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/1881/p/salsa/web/common/public/content?content_item_KEY=14020',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                9 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '392',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '307',
                  'name1' => 'Animal Factories Map',
                  'url' => 'animal-factories-map',
                  'visible' => '0',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '63',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
              ),
              'checkbox' => 
              array (
                0 => '1',
                1 => '0',
                2 => '1',
              ),
              'url' => '/issues/307/animal-factories',
            ),
          ),
          1 => 
          array (
            'custom' => 
            array (
              0 => '',
            ),
            'page_id' => '308',
            'basic' => 
            array (
              'page_id' => '308',
              'root_url' => 'issues',
              'root' => 'Issues',
              'text' => 
              array (
                0 => 'Food Safety',
                1 => '',
                2 => 'Food Safety',
                3 => 'From:CFSTrueFood+#foodsafety',
              ),
              'rich' => 
              array (
                0 => '<p>According to federal data, each year, one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. These figures are likely to be far higher, as most food illnesses go unreported. The most five common pathogens causing foodborne illnesses resulting in hospitalizations are: salmonella, norovirus, Campylobacter, toxoplasma gondii, and E. coli 0157.</p>
<p>Almost every week brings more news of food contamination or foodborne illness outbreak. What’s going on? Our industrialized food system is the root cause of many of these outbreaks.</p>
<p>Industrialization of the food supply</p>
<p>One likely cause is overcrowded conditions on factory farms, where animals get sick and pass the disease on to other animals. Another factor is our wide distribution system, in which contaminated food is transported across the nation. Also, we are increasingly relying on imported foods with unknown safety standards. (For example, 60 percent of our seafood is imported.) Adding to this perfect storm is government deregulation and inadequate funding for inspections and oversight.</p>
<p>Another critical food safety problem is the thousands of chemical additives Americans consume every day. Thanks to industry influence over the approval process, the long-term safety risks for most of these substances are unknown.</p>
<p>For example, for years science has pointed to chemical food dyes as a significant contributor to child behavioral problems. And yet the federal government still denies this connection. In addition, we’ve seen a huge increase in food allergies in children in recent years, but without much explanation of the causes. Clearly, more research is needed into how the industrialized food supply may be impacting our health in ways that are less obvious than foodborne illness.</p>
<p>Political influence</p>
<p>Nothing about food safety takes place in a political vacuum. For decades, the food industry has lobbied to ensure the status quo. And when we finally do get a rare policy victory, such as the passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act (passed in 2010), the game switches to “starving the beast” – limiting the funds for government to adequately carry out the legislative intent.</p>
<p>Powerful trade groups such as the American Meat Institute lobby against common sense policy improvements, such as expanding required testing for deadly bacteria in ground beef. Another important political factor is international trade. Other nations get upset when theU.S.government demands higher scrutiny of imports. In addition, the Food and Drug Administration, despite having jurisdiction over most of the food supply, is constantly under-funded, limiting inspection and enforcement actions; again, thanks to powerful lobbyists who like it that way.</p>
<p>What can we do about it?</p>
<p>President Obama has pledged a complete overhaul of our food system. The Center for Food Safety believes this will require elevating food safety within government to be a cabinet level agency. The mission of this new food agency must be to evaluate how best to regulate food production to prevent the greatest food safety hazards caused by large industrial agriculture and processed foods and while also protecting and supporting smaller, family, and diversified farms. But such an overhaul can only be successful by removing politics from food safety.</p>
<p>Additional Food Safety Resources</p>
<p><a href="http://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/cdc-and-food-safety.html" target="_blank">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.fsis.usda.gov/" target="_blank">United States Department of Agriculture</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.fda.gov/food/foodsafety/default.htm" target="_blank">Food and Drug Administration</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.foodsafety.gov/" target="_blank">FoodSafety.gov</a></p>',
              ),
              'lead_img' => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
              'gallery' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
                  1 => 'NEW REPORT: TPP Serves Up an Unsavory Dinner',
                  2 => '<p>If you’ve been listening to or reading the news at any point over the past year, it’s likely that you’ve heard about the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP. While the term may be familiar, the connection between TPP and what you find on your dinner plate may not be.</p>',
                  3 => 'http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/reports/4573/tpp-serves-up-an-unsavory-dinner',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'oilandwater_thinkbeforeyoupink_hero2_14465.jpg',
                  1 => 'Tell Bee Sweet Citrus and Wonderful Company to Stop Watering Our Food with Oil Wastewater!',
                  2 => '<p>The use of oil wastewater for food irrigation is an urgent public health issue because of the potentially hazardous chemicals associated with all oil extraction processes – including toxic chemicals linked to cancer. Tell Wonderful Company and Bee Sweet Citrus to stop watering our food with toxic oil wastewater!</p>',
                  3 => 'http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/1881/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=19536',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'istock_000009992043small_78906.jpg',
                  1 => 'Court Victory: Consumers Have a Right to Know About Their Food',
                  2 => '<p>The Washington D.C. Court of Appeals upheld the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) rule which requires information about where meat is raised and slaughtered. USDA drafted COOL rules in 2009 and finalized them in 2013.</p>',
                  3 => 'http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/3404/court-victory-consumers-have-a-right-to-know-about-their-food',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
              ),
              'images' => 
              array (
                0 => 'foodsafety_48189.png',
                1 => '',
                2 => 'foodsafety_68552.png',
                3 => '',
              ),
              'group' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '94',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '48',
                  'sub_group' => '0',
                  'name1' => 'Food Safety',
                  'url' => 'food-safety',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'order' => '4',
                ),
              ),
              'color' => 
              array (
                0 => '#f79676',
                1 => 'Food Safety Mauve',
              ),
              'section' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '219',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Food Safety & Food Recalls',
                  'url' => 'food-safety-and-food-recalls',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '158',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '329',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Industrialization of the Food Supply',
                  'url' => 'industrialization-of-the-food-supply',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '159',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '330',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Political Influence',
                  'url' => 'political-influence',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '160',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
              ),
              'checkbox' => 
              array (
                0 => '1',
                1 => '0',
                2 => '1',
              ),
              'url' => '/issues/308/food-safety',
            ),
          ),
          2 => 
          array (
            'custom' => 
            array (
              0 => '',
            ),
            'page_id' => '5897',
            'basic' => 
            array (
              'page_id' => '5897',
              'root_url' => 'media',
              'root' => 'Media',
              'text' => 
              array (
                0 => 'New Consumer Lawsuit Challenges USDA\'s Dirty and Dangerous New Swine Inspection System',
                1 => 'Center for Food Safety and Food & Water Watch just filed a lawsuit to protect consumers of pork products',
                2 => '',
              ),
              'checkbox' => 
              array (
                0 => '1',
                1 => '0',
                2 => '0',
                3 => '0',
              ),
              'date' => 
              array (
                0 => '2020-01-13',
              ),
              'relation' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'custom' => 
                  array (
                    0 => '',
                  ),
                  'page_id' => '307',
                ),
              ),
              'rich' => 
              array (
                0 => '<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Photo credit: Food and Water Watch</em></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"> </p>
<p><strong>Washington D.C.—</strong>Today, Center for Food Safety (CFS), Food & Water Watch (FWW), and two supporting members <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/2020-01-13-nsis-complaint_45448.pdf" target="_blank">filed an action</a> against the U.S. Department of Agriculture for issuing New Swine Inspection System (NSIS) rules that undermine pork-safety inspection in slaughter plants.</p>
<p>The NSIS rules are a draconian reversal to the swine slaughter inspection system that has existed in the United States since 1906. Prior federal law required that meat inspectors critically examine each and every animal for conditions (as dangerous as septicemia and salmonella) before and after slaughter.</p>
<p>The new rules prevent such inspection and hand over these responsibilities to the slaughter companies themselves. They also surrender federal control over removing contamination from carcasses to slaughter companies without any minimum training requirements for slaughter-plant employees.</p>
<p>At the same time, the NSIS rules lifted prior limits on slaughter-line speeds that were in place to prevent foodborne illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths. Even with these line-speed limits, contaminated pork may cause as many as 1.5 million cases of foodborne illnesses, 7,000 hospitalizations, and 200 deaths in the United States each year. </p>
<p>The lawsuit claims NSIS rules cannot stand and must be permanently stopped. USDA is acting beyond its authority in essentially leaving inspection up to slaughter companies. These new rules are contrary to the Federal Meat Inspection Act.</p>
<p>"Reducing the number of trained federal inspectors and increasing line speeds is a recipe for disaster," <strong>said Ryan Talbott, Staff Attorney for CFS.</strong> "USDA has an obligation to protect the health and welfare of consumers. USDA cannot do that when it takes a back seat and lets the slaughter plants largely regulate themselves."  </p>
<p>"There is no gray area here. The new rules curtail the ability of federal inspectors to detect serious food-safety problems and expose those who consume such pork products to serious health threats like salmonella," <strong>said Zach Corrigan, Senior Staff Attorney, Food & Water Watch.</strong> "It\'s easy to read between the lines with these new rules: the USDA is letting the wolf guard the hog-house. Food safety is one of the most important protections in our country and gifting the slaughter industry self-regulation powers will mean pork eaters in this country will be facing higher threats of disease."</p>
<p>This is the fourth action challenging the NSIS rules. FWW has filed a separate lawsuit for the agency\'s violation of the Freedom of Information Act and concealing of information related to the rules. The newest complaint is the first to challenge the rules because of the harm posed to consumers. The 69-page complaint details in more than 358 paragraphs how the agency has delegated critical inspection activities to the slaughter companies themselves and how this will harm public health. Two other groups have challenged the rules because of the harm posed to plant employees and to the animals because they will result in inhumane treatment. </p>
<p>View the complaint <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/2020-01-13-nsis-complaint_45448.pdf">here</a>.</p>
<p> </p>',
              ),
              'file' => 
              array (
                0 => '',
                1 => '',
              ),
              'link' => 
              array (
                0 => '',
                1 => '',
              ),
              'lead_img' => 'web_830x437_media-usdahoginspection_46401.jpg',
              'gallery' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'web_830x437_media-usdahoginspection_46401.jpg',
                  1 => '',
                  2 => '',
                  3 => '',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
              ),
              'url' => '/press-releases/5897/new-consumer-lawsuit-challenges-usdas-dirty-and-dangerous-new-swine-inspection-system',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'rich' => 
        array (
          0 => '<p style="text-align: left;">Washington D.C.—In a ruling yesterday, a federal court <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/white-decision-mtd_38816.pdf" target="_blank">allowed</a> a lawsuit contesting the Trump administration\'s rollback of food safety rules in swine slaughter plants to proceed. The court denied the government\'s motion to dismiss the case, saying that the groups had the legal standing to pursue their claims.</p>
<p>The plaintiffs—Center for Food Safety, Food & Water Watch, and Humane Farming Association—<a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/5897/new-consumer-lawsuit-challenges-usdas-dirty-and-dangerous-new-swine-inspection-system" target="_blank">filed their lawsuit</a> in early 2020 challenging U.S. Department of Agriculture\'s (USDA) "New Swine Inspection System" program. The organizations assert that the Trump administration\'s rules will harm consumers by eliminating statutory requirements that federal government inspectors perform critical inspection responsibilities, instead handing these over to slaughter plant employees. The lawsuit also challenged the rules\' lifting of limits on plants\' slaughter-line speed. The suit is one of three that have been lodged around the country challenging the legality of the swine-slaughter rules.</p>
<p>The court ruled that "[a]ccepting [their] allegations as true, the Court concludes there is a credible threat that [their] members face an increased risk of illness from consuming adulterated pork products because of the [new rules], sufficiently establishing standing based on potential future harm."</p>
<p> <strong>In response, the plaintiffs issued the following statements:</strong></p>
<p> "We are pleased that the court recognized the \'credible threat\' posed by USDA\'s new swine inspection rules. Those rules are disastrous for public health by transferring inspection duties to untrained plant employees and allowing increased line speeds. This all but ensures that tainted meat will be sold to consumers, increasing the threat of foodborne illness outbreaks. With today\'s decision, we are one step closer to ending this reckless policy change," <strong>said Ryan Talbott, staff attorney at Center for Food Safety.</strong></p>
<p>"This decision clears the path for our day in court to challenge the Trump administration\'s dreadful gutting of critical food safety law —laws that have been in place since the 1900s, catalyzed by The Jungle and Upton Sinclair. We hope that this sends a signal to the Biden administration that it needs to go back to the drawing board and ensure policies that will prioritize public health and safety over corporate profits," s<strong>aid Zach Corrigan, senior staff attorney at Food & Water Watch</strong></p>
<p>"Until now, slaughterhouses have been allowed to kill as many as 1,106 hogs per hour, or one hog every three seconds.  Incredibly, the new rules would open the floodgates—allowing slaughterhouses to recklessly kill hogs at whatever speeds they choose. We are relieved that the court recognizes the dangers this program poses to public health and animal welfare," <strong>said Humane Farming Association National Director Bradley Miller.</strong></p>',
        ),
        'file' => 
        array (
          0 => 'white-decision-mtd_38816.pdf',
          1 => '',
        ),
        'link' => 
        array (
          0 => '',
          1 => '',
        ),
        'lead_img' => 'web_830x437_media-usdahoginspection_46401_38970.jpg',
        'gallery' => 
        array (
          0 => 
          array (
            0 => 'web_830x437_media-usdahoginspection_46401_38970.jpg',
            1 => '',
            2 => '',
            3 => '',
            4 => '',
            5 => '',
            6 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'url' => '/press-releases/6260/lawsuit-challenging-trump-administrations-dirty-swine-slaughter-rules-allowed-to-proceed-in-federal-court',
      ),
      'bid' => 
      array (
        'page_link' => '/press-releases/6260/lawsuit-challenging-trump-administrations-dirty-swine-slaughter-rules-allowed-to-proceed-in-federal-court',
        'bitly' => '64v',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'lead_img' => 'web_830x437_media-usdahoginspection_46401_38970.jpg',
        'rich_snippet' => ' Washington D.C.—In a ruling yesterday, a federal court  allowed  a lawsuit contesting the Trump administration&#039;s rollback of food safety rules in swine slaughter plants to proceed. The court denied the government&#039;s motion to dismiss the case, saying .',
        'page' => 
        array (
          'id' => '6260',
          'SECTION_ID' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '0',
          'BLOCK_ID' => '0',
          'order' => '24',
          'visible' => '1',
          'feature' => '0',
          'hide' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Lawsuit Challenging Trump Administration\'s Dirty Swine Slaughter Rules Allowed to Proceed in Federal Court',
          'url' => 'lawsuit-challenging-trump-administrations-dirty-swine-slaughter-rules-allowed-to-proceed-in-federal-court',
          'bitly' => '64v',
          'lead_img' => 'web_830x437_media-usdahoginspection_46401_38970.jpg',
          'meta_title' => 'Lawsuit Challenging Trump Administration\'s Dirty Swine Slaughter Rules Allowed to Proceed in Federal Court',
          'meta_desc' => 'Lawsuit Challenging Trump Administration\'s Dirty Swine Slaughter Rules Allowed to Proceed in Federal Court     Washington D.C.—In a...',
          'meta_img' => 'web_830x437_media-usdahoginspection_46401_38954.jpg',
          'meta_json' => '',
          'update_meta_title' => '0',
          'update_meta_desc' => '0',
          'update_meta_img' => '1',
          'update_meta_json' => '0',
          'start_time' => '0',
          'end_time' => '0',
        ),
        'section' => 
        array (
          'id' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '486',
          'PAGE_ID' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Press Releases',
          'url' => 'press-releases',
          'hide' => '0',
          'order' => '1',
        ),
        'bid_380' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Title',
          'block_type' => 'Plain Text',
          'block_alias' => 'title',
          'post_id' => '62062',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 'Lawsuit Challenging Trump Administration\'s Dirty Swine Slaughter Rules Allowed to Proceed in Federal Court',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5959' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Subtitle',
          'block_type' => 'Plain Text',
          'block_alias' => 'subtitle',
          'post_id' => '63573',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5957' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Show Hero Image',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'hide_hero',
          'post_id' => '63574',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '1',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_381' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Date',
          'block_type' => 'Date',
          'block_alias' => 'date',
          'post_id' => '62063',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '2021-02-05',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_2294' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel1',
          'post_id' => '62064',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'custom_title' => '',
              'page_id' => '307',
              'name1' => 'Animal Factories',
              'section_name1' => 'Issues',
              'page_link' => '/issues/307/animal-factories',
              'lead_img' => 'chainreaction2socialpromoweb_90391.jpg',
              'rich_snippet' => '<p>In the last few decades, consolidation of food production has concentrated power in the hands of fewer and fewer corporations.  Many of today’s farms are actually large industrial facilities, not family farms with green pastures and red barns that most .',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_3612' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue 2',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel2',
          'post_id' => '62065',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'custom_title' => '',
              'page_id' => '308',
              'name1' => 'Food Safety',
              'section_name1' => 'Issues',
              'page_link' => '/issues/308/food-safety',
              'lead_img' => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
              'rich_snippet' => '<p>According to federal data, each year, one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. These figures are likely to be far higher, as most food illnesses go unreported. The most five common pathogens causing foodborne i.',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_3613' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue 3',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel3',
          'post_id' => '62066',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'custom_title' => '',
              'page_id' => '5897',
              'name1' => 'New Consumer Lawsuit Challenges USDA\'s Dirty and Dangerous New Swine Inspection System',
              'section_name1' => 'Press Releases',
              'page_link' => '/press-releases/5897/new-consumer-lawsuit-challenges-usdas-dirty-and-dangerous-new-swine-inspection-system',
              'lead_img' => 'web_830x437_media-usdahoginspection_46401.jpg',
              'rich_snippet' => '  Photo credit: Food and Water Watch  
   
  Washington D.C.— Today, Center for Food Safety (CFS), Food & Water Watch (FWW), and two supporting members  filed an action  against the U.S. Department of Agriculture for issuing New Swine Inspection System (NS.',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_382' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Description',
          'block_type' => 'Rich Text',
          'block_alias' => 'desc',
          'post_id' => '62067',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '<p style="text-align: left;">Washington D.C.—In a ruling yesterday, a federal court <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/white-decision-mtd_38816.pdf" target="_blank">allowed</a> a lawsuit contesting the Trump administration\'s rollback of food safety rules in swine slaughter plants to proceed. The court denied the government\'s motion to dismiss the case, saying that the groups had the legal standing to pursue their claims.</p>
<p>The plaintiffs—Center for Food Safety, Food & Water Watch, and Humane Farming Association—<a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/5897/new-consumer-lawsuit-challenges-usdas-dirty-and-dangerous-new-swine-inspection-system" target="_blank">filed their lawsuit</a> in early 2020 challenging U.S. Department of Agriculture\'s (USDA) "New Swine Inspection System" program. The organizations assert that the Trump administration\'s rules will harm consumers by eliminating statutory requirements that federal government inspectors perform critical inspection responsibilities, instead handing these over to slaughter plant employees. The lawsuit also challenged the rules\' lifting of limits on plants\' slaughter-line speed. The suit is one of three that have been lodged around the country challenging the legality of the swine-slaughter rules.</p>
<p>The court ruled that "[a]ccepting [their] allegations as true, the Court concludes there is a credible threat that [their] members face an increased risk of illness from consuming adulterated pork products because of the [new rules], sufficiently establishing standing based on potential future harm."</p>
<p> <strong>In response, the plaintiffs issued the following statements:</strong></p>
<p> "We are pleased that the court recognized the \'credible threat\' posed by USDA\'s new swine inspection rules. Those rules are disastrous for public health by transferring inspection duties to untrained plant employees and allowing increased line speeds. This all but ensures that tainted meat will be sold to consumers, increasing the threat of foodborne illness outbreaks. With today\'s decision, we are one step closer to ending this reckless policy change," <strong>said Ryan Talbott, staff attorney at Center for Food Safety.</strong></p>
<p>"This decision clears the path for our day in court to challenge the Trump administration\'s dreadful gutting of critical food safety law —laws that have been in place since the 1900s, catalyzed by The Jungle and Upton Sinclair. We hope that this sends a signal to the Biden administration that it needs to go back to the drawing board and ensure policies that will prioritize public health and safety over corporate profits," s<strong>aid Zach Corrigan, senior staff attorney at Food & Water Watch</strong></p>
<p>"Until now, slaughterhouses have been allowed to kill as many as 1,106 hogs per hour, or one hog every three seconds.  Incredibly, the new rules would open the floodgates—allowing slaughterhouses to recklessly kill hogs at whatever speeds they choose. We are relieved that the court recognizes the dangers this program poses to public health and animal welfare," <strong>said Humane Farming Association National Director Bradley Miller.</strong></p>',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_383' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'PDF File',
          'block_type' => 'File',
          'block_alias' => 'pdf',
          'post_id' => '62068',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 'white-decision-mtd_38816.pdf',
            1 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_1168' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'CFS Link',
          'block_type' => 'Link',
          'block_alias' => 'link',
          'post_id' => '62069',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_1169' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Image Gallery',
          'block_type' => 'Image Gallery',
          'block_alias' => 'images',
          'post_id' => '62077',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              0 => 'web_830x437_media-usdahoginspection_46401_38970.jpg',
              1 => '',
              2 => '',
              3 => '',
              4 => '',
              5 => '',
              6 => 'Lawsuit Challenging Trump Administration\'s Dirty Swine Slaughter Rules Allowed to Proceed in Federal Court',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_2291' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Category',
          'block_type' => 'Grouping',
          'block_alias' => 'cat',
          'post_id' => '62071',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4805' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Tweets',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'tweets',
          'post_id' => '62072',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4806' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Quotes',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'quotes',
          'post_id' => '62073',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4807' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Join CFS',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'join',
          'post_id' => '62074',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5592' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Hide',
          'block_type' => 'Hide - In \'page\' table',
          'block_alias' => '',
          'post_id' => '62075',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5835' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Scheduler',
          'block_type' => 'Schedule',
          'block_alias' => 'scheduler',
          'post_id' => '62076',
          'content' => 
          array (
            'id' => '159',
            'PAGE_ID' => '6260',
            'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
            'set_time' => '0',
            'start_time_hour' => 'NA',
            'start_time_minute' => '00',
            'start_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'end_time_hour' => 'NA',
            'end_time_minute' => '00',
            'end_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'start_month' => '02',
            'start_day' => '05',
            'start_year' => '2021',
            'end_month' => '02',
            'end_day' => '05',
            'end_year' => '2021',
            'occurs' => 'once',
            'repeat_every_int' => '1',
            'repeat_every_period' => 'year',
            'repeat_stop_after' => '1',
            'float_period' => 'first',
            'float_day_o_w' => 'sunday',
            'float_repeat_every_x_mo' => '1',
            'float_stop_after' => '1',
            'events' => 
            array (
              0 => 
              array (
                'id' => '2220',
                'SCHEDULE_ID' => '159',
                'PAGE_ID' => '6260',
                'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
                'date_start' => '2021-02-05 00:00:00',
                'date_end' => '2021-02-05 00:00:00',
                'has_start_time' => '0',
                'has_end_time' => '0',
                'occurs' => 'once',
                'start' => 'Friday, February 5, 2021',
                'end' => '',
              ),
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5955' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Unique Url',
          'block_type' => 'Unique Root URL',
          'block_alias' => 'unique_url',
          'post_id' => '63575',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
          ),
        ),
      ),
      'alias' => 
      array (
        'page_link' => '/press-releases/6260/lawsuit-challenging-trump-administrations-dirty-swine-slaughter-rules-allowed-to-proceed-in-federal-court',
        'bitly' => '64v',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'lead_img' => 'web_830x437_media-usdahoginspection_46401_38970.jpg',
        'rich_snippet' => ' Washington D.C.—In a ruling yesterday, a federal court  allowed  a lawsuit contesting the Trump administration&#039;s rollback of food safety rules in swine slaughter plants to proceed. The court denied the government&#039;s motion to dismiss the case, saying .',
        'page' => 
        array (
          'id' => '6260',
          'SECTION_ID' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '0',
          'BLOCK_ID' => '0',
          'order' => '24',
          'visible' => '1',
          'feature' => '0',
          'hide' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Lawsuit Challenging Trump Administration\'s Dirty Swine Slaughter Rules Allowed to Proceed in Federal Court',
          'url' => 'lawsuit-challenging-trump-administrations-dirty-swine-slaughter-rules-allowed-to-proceed-in-federal-court',
          'bitly' => '64v',
          'lead_img' => 'web_830x437_media-usdahoginspection_46401_38970.jpg',
          'meta_title' => 'Lawsuit Challenging Trump Administration\'s Dirty Swine Slaughter Rules Allowed to Proceed in Federal Court',
          'meta_desc' => 'Lawsuit Challenging Trump Administration\'s Dirty Swine Slaughter Rules Allowed to Proceed in Federal Court     Washington D.C.—In a...',
          'meta_img' => 'web_830x437_media-usdahoginspection_46401_38954.jpg',
          'meta_json' => '',
          'update_meta_title' => '0',
          'update_meta_desc' => '0',
          'update_meta_img' => '1',
          'update_meta_json' => '0',
          'start_time' => '0',
          'end_time' => '0',
        ),
        'section' => 
        array (
          'id' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '486',
          'PAGE_ID' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Press Releases',
          'url' => 'press-releases',
          'hide' => '0',
          'order' => '1',
        ),
        'bid_2291' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Category',
          'block_type' => 'Grouping',
          'block_alias' => 'cat',
          'post_id' => '62071',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5592' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Hide',
          'block_type' => 'Hide - In \'page\' table',
          'block_alias' => '',
          'post_id' => '62075',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'alias' => 
        array (
          'title' => 'Lawsuit Challenging Trump Administration\'s Dirty Swine Slaughter Rules Allowed to Proceed in Federal Court',
          'subtitle' => '',
          'hide_hero' => '1',
          'date' => '2021-02-05',
          'rel1' => 
          array (
            'custom_title' => '',
            'page_id' => '307',
            'name1' => 'Animal Factories',
            'section_name1' => 'Issues',
            'page_link' => '/issues/307/animal-factories',
            'lead_img' => 'chainreaction2socialpromoweb_90391.jpg',
            'rich_snippet' => ' In the last few decades, consolidation of food production has concentrated power in the hands of fewer and fewer corporations.  Many of today’s farms are actually large industrial facilities, not family farms with green pastures and red barns that most America.',
          ),
          'rel2' => 
          array (
            'custom_title' => '',
            'page_id' => '308',
            'name1' => 'Food Safety',
            'section_name1' => 'Issues',
            'page_link' => '/issues/308/food-safety',
            'lead_img' => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
            'rich_snippet' => ' According to federal data, each year, one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. These figures are likely to be far higher, as most food illnesses go unreported. The most five common pathogens causing foodborne ill.',
          ),
          'rel3' => 
          array (
            'custom_title' => '',
            'page_id' => '5897',
            'name1' => 'New Consumer Lawsuit Challenges USDA\'s Dirty and Dangerous New Swine Inspection System',
            'section_name1' => 'Press Releases',
            'page_link' => '/press-releases/5897/new-consumer-lawsuit-challenges-usdas-dirty-and-dangerous-new-swine-inspection-system',
            'lead_img' => 'web_830x437_media-usdahoginspection_46401.jpg',
            'rich_snippet' => '  Photo credit: Food and Water Watch  
  New Consumer Lawsuit Challenges USDA&#039;s Dirty and Dangerous New Swine Inspection System  
  Center for Food Safety and Food & Water Watch just filed a lawsuit to protect consumers of pork products  
  Washington D..',
          ),
          'desc' => '<p style="text-align: left;">Washington D.C.—In a ruling yesterday, a federal court <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/white-decision-mtd_38816.pdf" target="_blank">allowed</a> a lawsuit contesting the Trump administration\'s rollback of food safety rules in swine slaughter plants to proceed. The court denied the government\'s motion to dismiss the case, saying that the groups had the legal standing to pursue their claims.</p>
<p>The plaintiffs—Center for Food Safety, Food & Water Watch, and Humane Farming Association—<a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/5897/new-consumer-lawsuit-challenges-usdas-dirty-and-dangerous-new-swine-inspection-system" target="_blank">filed their lawsuit</a> in early 2020 challenging U.S. Department of Agriculture\'s (USDA) "New Swine Inspection System" program. The organizations assert that the Trump administration\'s rules will harm consumers by eliminating statutory requirements that federal government inspectors perform critical inspection responsibilities, instead handing these over to slaughter plant employees. The lawsuit also challenged the rules\' lifting of limits on plants\' slaughter-line speed. The suit is one of three that have been lodged around the country challenging the legality of the swine-slaughter rules.</p>
<p>The court ruled that "[a]ccepting [their] allegations as true, the Court concludes there is a credible threat that [their] members face an increased risk of illness from consuming adulterated pork products because of the [new rules], sufficiently establishing standing based on potential future harm."</p>
<p> <strong>In response, the plaintiffs issued the following statements:</strong></p>
<p> "We are pleased that the court recognized the \'credible threat\' posed by USDA\'s new swine inspection rules. Those rules are disastrous for public health by transferring inspection duties to untrained plant employees and allowing increased line speeds. This all but ensures that tainted meat will be sold to consumers, increasing the threat of foodborne illness outbreaks. With today\'s decision, we are one step closer to ending this reckless policy change," <strong>said Ryan Talbott, staff attorney at Center for Food Safety.</strong></p>
<p>"This decision clears the path for our day in court to challenge the Trump administration\'s dreadful gutting of critical food safety law —laws that have been in place since the 1900s, catalyzed by The Jungle and Upton Sinclair. We hope that this sends a signal to the Biden administration that it needs to go back to the drawing board and ensure policies that will prioritize public health and safety over corporate profits," s<strong>aid Zach Corrigan, senior staff attorney at Food & Water Watch</strong></p>
<p>"Until now, slaughterhouses have been allowed to kill as many as 1,106 hogs per hour, or one hog every three seconds.  Incredibly, the new rules would open the floodgates—allowing slaughterhouses to recklessly kill hogs at whatever speeds they choose. We are relieved that the court recognizes the dangers this program poses to public health and animal welfare," <strong>said Humane Farming Association National Director Bradley Miller.</strong></p>',
          'pdf' => 
          array (
            0 => 'white-decision-mtd_38816.pdf',
            1 => '',
          ),
          'link' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
          'images' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              0 => 'web_830x437_media-usdahoginspection_46401_38970.jpg',
              1 => '',
              2 => '',
              3 => '',
              4 => '',
              5 => '',
              6 => 'Lawsuit Challenging Trump Administration\'s Dirty Swine Slaughter Rules Allowed to Proceed in Federal Court',
              7 => 830,
              8 => 437,
            ),
          ),
          'tweets' => '0',
          'quotes' => '0',
          'join' => '0',
          'scheduler' => 
          array (
            'id' => '159',
            'PAGE_ID' => '6260',
            'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
            'set_time' => '0',
            'start_time_hour' => 'NA',
            'start_time_minute' => '00',
            'start_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'end_time_hour' => 'NA',
            'end_time_minute' => '00',
            'end_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'start_month' => '02',
            'start_day' => '05',
            'start_year' => '2021',
            'end_month' => '02',
            'end_day' => '05',
            'end_year' => '2021',
            'occurs' => 'once',
            'repeat_every_int' => '1',
            'repeat_every_period' => 'year',
            'repeat_stop_after' => '1',
            'float_period' => 'first',
            'float_day_o_w' => 'sunday',
            'float_repeat_every_x_mo' => '1',
            'float_stop_after' => '1',
            'events' => 
            array (
              0 => 
              array (
                'id' => '2220',
                'SCHEDULE_ID' => '159',
                'PAGE_ID' => '6260',
                'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
                'date_start' => '2021-02-05 00:00:00',
                'date_end' => '2021-02-05 00:00:00',
                'has_start_time' => '0',
                'has_end_time' => '0',
                'occurs' => 'once',
                'start' => 'Friday, February 5, 2021',
                'end' => '',
              ),
            ),
          ),
          'unique_url' => '',
        ),
      ),
    ),
  ),
  11 => 
  array (
    'id' => '6220',
    'SECTION_ID' => '129',
    'PARENT_ID' => '0',
    'BLOCK_ID' => '0',
    'order' => '77',
    'visible' => '1',
    'feature' => '0',
    'hide' => '0',
    'name1' => 'FDA\'s Outdated Lead Standards Put the Public\'s Health at Risk',
    'url' => 'fdas-outdated-lead-standards-put-the-publics-health-at-risk',
    'bitly' => '63q',
    'lead_img' => 'lead_41281.jpg',
    'meta_title' => 'FDA\'s Outdated Lead Standards Put the Public\'s Health at Risk',
    'meta_desc' => 'Health and environmental groups call for agency to take immediate action on lead exposure',
    'meta_img' => 'lead_41271.jpg',
    'meta_json' => '',
    'update_meta_title' => '0',
    'update_meta_desc' => '0',
    'update_meta_img' => '1',
    'update_meta_json' => '0',
    'start_time' => '0',
    'end_time' => '0',
    'content' => 
    array (
      'typ' => 
      array (
        'page_id' => '6220',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'text' => 
        array (
          0 => 'FDA\'s Outdated Lead Standards Put the Public\'s Health at Risk',
          1 => 'Health and environmental groups call for agency to take immediate action on lead exposure',
          2 => '',
        ),
        'checkbox' => 
        array (
          0 => '1',
          1 => '0',
          2 => '0',
          3 => '0',
        ),
        'date' => 
        array (
          0 => '2020-12-09',
        ),
        'relation' => 
        array (
          0 => 
          array (
            'custom' => 
            array (
              0 => '',
            ),
            'page_id' => '308',
            'basic' => 
            array (
              'page_id' => '308',
              'root_url' => 'issues',
              'root' => 'Issues',
              'text' => 
              array (
                0 => 'Food Safety',
                1 => '',
                2 => 'Food Safety',
                3 => 'From:CFSTrueFood+#foodsafety',
              ),
              'rich' => 
              array (
                0 => '<p>According to federal data, each year, one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. These figures are likely to be far higher, as most food illnesses go unreported. The most five common pathogens causing foodborne illnesses resulting in hospitalizations are: salmonella, norovirus, Campylobacter, toxoplasma gondii, and E. coli 0157.</p>
<p>Almost every week brings more news of food contamination or foodborne illness outbreak. What’s going on? Our industrialized food system is the root cause of many of these outbreaks.</p>
<p>Industrialization of the food supply</p>
<p>One likely cause is overcrowded conditions on factory farms, where animals get sick and pass the disease on to other animals. Another factor is our wide distribution system, in which contaminated food is transported across the nation. Also, we are increasingly relying on imported foods with unknown safety standards. (For example, 60 percent of our seafood is imported.) Adding to this perfect storm is government deregulation and inadequate funding for inspections and oversight.</p>
<p>Another critical food safety problem is the thousands of chemical additives Americans consume every day. Thanks to industry influence over the approval process, the long-term safety risks for most of these substances are unknown.</p>
<p>For example, for years science has pointed to chemical food dyes as a significant contributor to child behavioral problems. And yet the federal government still denies this connection. In addition, we’ve seen a huge increase in food allergies in children in recent years, but without much explanation of the causes. Clearly, more research is needed into how the industrialized food supply may be impacting our health in ways that are less obvious than foodborne illness.</p>
<p>Political influence</p>
<p>Nothing about food safety takes place in a political vacuum. For decades, the food industry has lobbied to ensure the status quo. And when we finally do get a rare policy victory, such as the passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act (passed in 2010), the game switches to “starving the beast” – limiting the funds for government to adequately carry out the legislative intent.</p>
<p>Powerful trade groups such as the American Meat Institute lobby against common sense policy improvements, such as expanding required testing for deadly bacteria in ground beef. Another important political factor is international trade. Other nations get upset when theU.S.government demands higher scrutiny of imports. In addition, the Food and Drug Administration, despite having jurisdiction over most of the food supply, is constantly under-funded, limiting inspection and enforcement actions; again, thanks to powerful lobbyists who like it that way.</p>
<p>What can we do about it?</p>
<p>President Obama has pledged a complete overhaul of our food system. The Center for Food Safety believes this will require elevating food safety within government to be a cabinet level agency. The mission of this new food agency must be to evaluate how best to regulate food production to prevent the greatest food safety hazards caused by large industrial agriculture and processed foods and while also protecting and supporting smaller, family, and diversified farms. But such an overhaul can only be successful by removing politics from food safety.</p>
<p>Additional Food Safety Resources</p>
<p><a href="http://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/cdc-and-food-safety.html" target="_blank">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.fsis.usda.gov/" target="_blank">United States Department of Agriculture</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.fda.gov/food/foodsafety/default.htm" target="_blank">Food and Drug Administration</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.foodsafety.gov/" target="_blank">FoodSafety.gov</a></p>',
              ),
              'lead_img' => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
              'gallery' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
                  1 => 'NEW REPORT: TPP Serves Up an Unsavory Dinner',
                  2 => '<p>If you’ve been listening to or reading the news at any point over the past year, it’s likely that you’ve heard about the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP. While the term may be familiar, the connection between TPP and what you find on your dinner plate may not be.</p>',
                  3 => 'http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/reports/4573/tpp-serves-up-an-unsavory-dinner',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'oilandwater_thinkbeforeyoupink_hero2_14465.jpg',
                  1 => 'Tell Bee Sweet Citrus and Wonderful Company to Stop Watering Our Food with Oil Wastewater!',
                  2 => '<p>The use of oil wastewater for food irrigation is an urgent public health issue because of the potentially hazardous chemicals associated with all oil extraction processes – including toxic chemicals linked to cancer. Tell Wonderful Company and Bee Sweet Citrus to stop watering our food with toxic oil wastewater!</p>',
                  3 => 'http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/1881/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=19536',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'istock_000009992043small_78906.jpg',
                  1 => 'Court Victory: Consumers Have a Right to Know About Their Food',
                  2 => '<p>The Washington D.C. Court of Appeals upheld the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) rule which requires information about where meat is raised and slaughtered. USDA drafted COOL rules in 2009 and finalized them in 2013.</p>',
                  3 => 'http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/3404/court-victory-consumers-have-a-right-to-know-about-their-food',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
              ),
              'images' => 
              array (
                0 => 'foodsafety_48189.png',
                1 => '',
                2 => 'foodsafety_68552.png',
                3 => '',
              ),
              'group' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '94',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '48',
                  'sub_group' => '0',
                  'name1' => 'Food Safety',
                  'url' => 'food-safety',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'order' => '4',
                ),
              ),
              'color' => 
              array (
                0 => '#f79676',
                1 => 'Food Safety Mauve',
              ),
              'section' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '219',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Food Safety & Food Recalls',
                  'url' => 'food-safety-and-food-recalls',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '158',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '329',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Industrialization of the Food Supply',
                  'url' => 'industrialization-of-the-food-supply',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '159',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '330',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Political Influence',
                  'url' => 'political-influence',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '160',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
              ),
              'checkbox' => 
              array (
                0 => '1',
                1 => '0',
                2 => '1',
              ),
              'url' => '/issues/308/food-safety',
            ),
          ),
          1 => 
          array (
            'custom' => 
            array (
              0 => '',
            ),
            'page_id' => '2708',
            'basic' => 
            array (
              'page_id' => '2708',
              'root_url' => 'media',
              'root' => 'Media',
              'text' => 
              array (
                0 => 'Center for Food Safety Urges Strong Protections from Arsenic in Food Supply',
              ),
              'date' => 
              array (
                0 => '2013-11-13',
              ),
              'relation' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'custom' => 
                  array (
                    0 => '',
                  ),
                  'page_id' => '308',
                ),
              ),
              'rich' => 
              array (
                0 => '<p><strong><em>CFS calls for “Cumulative Exposure” regulatory strategy for apple juice and other staple foods</em></strong></p>
<p>Late yesterday, Center for Food Safety (CFS) <a href="http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/2013-11-12-comments-on-apple-juice-action-levels--final_61746.pdf" target="_blank">strongly urged</a> the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to limit the public’s exposure to arsenic through a new regulatory strategy that recognizes the prevalence of arsenic in the food supply. Although individual foods containing arsenic may be safe to eat in moderation, they are often consumed in combination, thereby presenting a risk of “cumulative arsenic exposure” that could reach dangerous levels. &nbsp;Arsenic is commonly found in fruit juices, rice, seafood, infant formulas and meat.</p>
<p>In its <a href="http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/2013-11-12-comments-on-apple-juice-action-levels--final_61746.pdf" target="_blank">filing</a> addressing arsenic in apple juice, CFS argued that FDA’s proposed guidance is insufficient to address the “cumulative health hazards” that arsenic poses to consumers, asking the agency to regulate based on “cumulative arsenic exposure” rather than through product specific levels.&nbsp;</p>
<p>“Consumers face broad"‘source, long"‘term exposure to arsenic across the water and food supply. This is a serious threat to the health and safety of the American people,” said Paige Tomaselli, senior attorney for Center for Food Safety. “The FDA must act with the full force of law, setting binding regulations that respect the prevalence of arsenic in the food supply.”</p>
<p>“Consumers are likely to be exposed to arsenic from multiple sources, such as rice, water, and chicken; therefore strict regulation of <em>cumulative</em> exposure is vital to protecting public health and is already standard practice in other areas of food regulation,” added Tomaselli.</p>
<p><strong>The Dangers of Arsenic in Food</strong></p>
<p>The international community has already recognized the detrimental health effects of consuming arsenic through food.&nbsp; Children, infants, and fetuses are among those most vulnerable to arsenic’s toxic effects.</p>
<p>Both inorganic arsenic, a known human carcinogen, and organic arsenic are found across a variety of commonly consumed foods.&nbsp; New evidence shows that organic arsenic, previously believed to be benign, can convert to inorganic arsenic in the body after consumption, further heightening the need to limit all arsenic in the food supply.</p>
<p><strong>Arsenic in Apples</strong></p>
<p>With regard to apple juice, a <a href="http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2012/01/arsenic-in-your-juice/index.htm" target="_blank">2012 Consumer Reports study</a> that tested apple juice samples for arsenic revealed “total arsenic levels that exceeded federal drinking-water standards” set by the EPA and followed by FDA.&nbsp; The report noted that while levels of arsenic in various servings of apple juice may vary, children are consistently exposed due to the volume of apple juice they consume.</p>
<p><strong>Arsenic in Chicken</strong></p>
<p>A study released on May 10, 2013, by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future at the Bloomberg School of Public Health confirms that arsenic"‘containing compounds and inorganic arsenic are present in both raw and cooked chicken breast.&nbsp; Most of the arsenic in chicken meat can be traced back to the routine addition of arsenicals to animal feed.&nbsp;</p>
<p>In September 2013, in response to litigation initiated by CFS, <a href="http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/2620/fda-to-withdraw-approvals-of-arsenic-in-animal-feed" target="_blank">FDA announced</a> that it is in the process of voluntarily withdrawing three arsenic-based feed additives from the market.&nbsp; However, FDA has yet to take public action to formally withdraw approval for these three additives, and a fourth arsenic-based additive remains on the market pending further study by FDA.&nbsp; As a result, poultry continues to serve as a source of arsenic exposure.</p>',
              ),
              'file' => 
              array (
                0 => '',
                1 => '',
              ),
              'link' => 
              array (
                0 => '',
                1 => '',
              ),
              'lead_img' => 'istock_000006979618small_75981.jpg',
              'gallery' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'istock_000006979618small_75981.jpg',
                  1 => '',
                  2 => '',
                  3 => '',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
              ),
              'url' => '/press-releases/2708/center-for-food-safety-urges-strong-protections-from-arsenic-in-food-supply',
            ),
          ),
          2 => 
          array (
            'custom' => 
            array (
              0 => '',
            ),
            'page_id' => '2220',
            'basic' => 
            array (
              'page_id' => '2220',
              'root_url' => 'media',
              'root' => 'Media',
              'text' => 
              array (
                0 => 'New Study Links Arsenic Use, Chicken, and Increased Cancer Risk, Further Supporting CFS\'s Pending Lawsuit',
              ),
              'date' => 
              array (
                0 => '2013-05-14',
              ),
              'rich' => 
              array (
                0 => '<p><strong><em>Groups incorporate new study into lawsuit against FDA over arsenic use in animal feed</em></strong></p>
<p>In light of <a href="http://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/johns-hopkins-center-for-a-livable-future/news_events/announcement/2013/toxic_arsenic_chicken_meat.html">new findings</a> just published by the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, Center for Food Safety (CFS) has amended its <a href="http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/complaint-first-amended-filed-05132013_54022.pdf">complaint</a> filed May 1st, 2013 regarding the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) inadequate oversight of arsenic use in animal feed. &nbsp;The new study provides “strong evidence” that arsenic use in poultry production results in increased inorganic arsenic concentrations in chicken meat, a factor that experts warn could cause an increase in cancer rates.&nbsp; Such findings make CFS’s call for FDA to immediately withdraw its approvals of arsenic uses in animal feed all the more imperative.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/johns-hopkins-center-for-a-livable-future/news_events/announcement/2013/toxic_arsenic_chicken_meat.html">new study</a>, published on May 11, 2013, found that arsenic-containing compounds and inorganic arsenic (a known carcinogen) are present in both raw and cooked chicken breast.&nbsp; Over the course of two years, researchers analyzed retail chicken breast samples for arsenic concentrations.&nbsp; Their findings showed that inorganic arsenic concentrations were higher in conventional samples than other samples, and were significantly higher in cooked versus raw samples.&nbsp;</p>
<p>In retail packages of raw chicken, the study tested chicken breasts sold under conventional, organic, and conventional “antibiotic-free” labels.&nbsp; The arsenical Roxarsone, the most widely used arsenical in animal feed, was detected in half of the conventional chicken samples.&nbsp; In conventional “antibiotic-free” samples, only in 1 of 13 samples contained arsenicals, and in certified organic samples, none were found.&nbsp;</p>
<p>When applied to the United States population, the study suggests that industry-wide use of arsenical drugs will result in 8,661 additional cases of cancer over 70 years, or an average of 124 additional cancers per year.&nbsp; This does not account for consumers with higher than average rates of chicken consumption.&nbsp;</p>
<p>“Sacrificing human life for the meat industry’s bottom line is not acceptable,” said Paige Tomaselli, senior staff attorney with the Center for Food Safety.&nbsp; “FDA has a statutory duty to act, and the new study further confirms the risks of arsenic use.”</p>
<p>Arsenic is commonly added to poultry feed for the FDA-approved purposes of inducing faster weight gain on less feed, and creating the perceived appearance of a healthy color in meat from chickens, turkeys, and hogs. &nbsp;Yet studies increasingly link these practices to serious human health problems.&nbsp; CFS’s lawsuit seeks to force FDA to fulfill its mandate to better protect the public from arsenic.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/2161/fda-ignores-toxic-arsenic-in-animal-feed">Press release for original filing found here</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/complaint-first-amended-filed-05132013_54022.pdf">Amended complaint found here</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/fact-sheets/2165/factory-farms-arsenic">CFS’s factsheet on arsenic use in animal feed</a>.</p>',
              ),
              'file' => 
              array (
                0 => '',
                1 => '',
              ),
              'link' => 
              array (
                0 => '',
                1 => '',
              ),
              'lead_img' => 'istock_000020806826large_62656.jpg',
              'gallery' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'istock_000020806826large_62656.jpg',
                  1 => '',
                  2 => '',
                  3 => '',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
              ),
              'checkbox' => 
              array (
                0 => '0',
                1 => '0',
                2 => '0',
              ),
              'url' => '/press-releases/2220/new-study-links-arsenic-use-chicken-and-increased-cancer-risk-further-supporting-cfss-pending-lawsuit',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'rich' => 
        array (
          0 => '<p style="text-align: left;">Today, a group of organizations sent a <a href="http://blogs.edf.org/health/files/2020/12/Citizen-Petition-Lead-12-9-20.pdf" target="_blank">formal petition</a> to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) urging the agency to revise its outdated standards for lead in food to better protect the public, and especially children, from the impacts of lead exposure. Specifically, the petition calls on the agency to stop allowing lead to be added to materials that contact food, to update its guidance to better protect against the risk of lead exposure, and to tighten its limits for lead in bottled water. These are simple steps FDA can immediately take in the effort to reduce widespread exposure to lead, and the irreversible harm the heavy metal poses, in our food supply.  </p>
<p>The petition highlights three specific opportunities to reduce lead in food and beverages:</p>
<p>— <strong>Reduce the amount of lead allowed in bottled water</strong> from 5 to 1 parts per billion consistent with American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations.<br />— <strong>Ban lead in tin that coats food cans.</strong> An Environmental Defense Fund analysis of FDA data found lead detected in 98% of certain canned fruits compared to only 3% in fresh or frozen varieties — pointing to the canning process as the source of the heavy metal. FDA reported finding lead in almost half of canned food it sampled.<br />— <strong>Stop adding lead to brass or bronze used in equipment</strong> to dispense water or brew tea and coffee. There is ample evidence that this lead leaches into the beverages.  </p>
<p>This is a problem because there is no safe level of lead in the blood. Lead can harm a child\'s brain development, resulting in learning and behavioral problems, and it <a href="http://blogs.edf.org/health/2020/09/28/new-study-lead-reduction-prevented-up-to-99000-heart-disease-deaths-in-2014-alone/" target="_blank">can cause heart disease</a> in adults. While the levels in any one food may be low, the cumulative effect of lead - and other heavy metals - in the diet can be significant. Additionally, an EPA analysis has found that, for more than 70% of children in the US, the dominant source of lead exposure is from food. </p>
<p>Several studies in recent years, including from <a href="https://www.edf.org/media/fdas-outdated-lead-standards-put-publics-health-risk" target="_blank">EDF</a>, <a href="https://www.consumerreports.org/food-safety/heavy-metals-in-baby-food/" target="_blank">Consumer Reports</a>, and <a href="https://www.healthybabyfood.org/" target="_blank">Healthy Babies Bright Futures</a>, have highlighted the persistent problem of heavy metals in food - and particularly baby food. Though contamination from soil and water is a major source, lead can also enter food through processing and contact with materials containing the heavy metal. </p>
<p>Recognizing the harm posed by heavy metal exposure, <a href="http://blogs.edf.org/health/2018/04/25/fda-new-push-heavy-metals-food/" target="_blank">FDA established a working group</a> in May 2017 to evaluate lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury levels in food and prioritize reduction strategies. While the agency has taken several important steps since, it has yet to take the simple actions outlined in this petition - which would yield significant benefits by driving down lead levels in food. </p>
<p>The petition describes how FDA should prohibit lead as an additive to food contact articles (e.g. food packaging, processing or handling equipment, and cookware), update its guidance on lead limits in food and food ingredients and tighten its limit for lead in bottled water in keeping with the latest scientific evidence.</p>
<p>The petitioners are: Environmental Defense Fund, Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, Center for Environmental Health, Center for Food Safety, Childhood Lead Action Project, Clean Label Project, Consumer Reports, Defend Our Health, Environmental Working Group, Health Babies Bright Futures, and Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment. </p>
<p>The agency should immediately put the petition out for public comment. Under its rules, FDA must respond to the petition within 180 days.</p>
<p><strong>QUOTES:</strong></p>
<p>"With all that we know about the dangers of lead exposure – especially for children – FDA needs to move from analysis to action in its effort to reduce exposure to heavy metals,"<strong> said Tom Neltner, EDF\'s Chemicals Policy Director.</strong> "We know that lead gets into food; by stopping its addition to materials that contact food and tightening the bottled water standard, the agency can take meaningful action toward better protecting everyone from lead."</p>
<p>"We have known since the 1700s that these metals, when used as food additives, are poisons. Now, we know that even tiny amounts of these metals as food contact substances cause harm to developing brains and bodies. It is past time for the FDA to act," <strong>said Jaydee Hanson, Policy Director, Center for Food Safety.</strong></p>
<p>"All parents want to make the best choices for their children,"<strong> said Laura Brion, Executive Director of the Childhood Lead Action Project.</strong> "But what can they do if safe options aren\'t on the grocery store shelves? The FDA needs to do its job and get toxic lead out of our food and water."</p>
<p>"The American Academy of Pediatrics, the World Health Organization, the Centers of Disease Control, the Food & Drug Administration, and the Environmental Protection Agency ALL say there is no safe level of lead. Reforming our antiquated regulations around lead exposure is necessary to protect Americans and especially vulnerable populations," <strong>said Jaclyn Bowen MPH, MS, Executive Director of Clean Label Project.</strong></p>
<p>"It\'s long past time for the FDA to take action to address these completely unnecessary and avoidable sources of lead exposure," <strong>said Patrick MacRoy, Deputy Director of Defend our Health.</strong> "The cumulative burden of lead in our food and bottled water is harming the brains of our children while adding to the number of cardiovascular deaths in adults. Our petition requests changes that will reduce this burden that should have been implemented long ago."</p>
<p>"Even small amounts of lead harms the nervous system, especially for children," <strong>said EWG\'s Vice President for Science Investigations Olga Naidenko, PhD.</strong> "Exposure to lead causes lasting damage to the brain which is why it is essential to get lead out of food and food packaging. The FDA must take strong measures to make sure children are not exposed to lead from foods and beverages they love."</p>
<p>"While we\'ve known the lead is a poison for centuries, the more recent science has shown that even tiny amounts of lead can cause great harm, especially to the developing brain both before and after birth. The FDA needs to fully acknowledge the new science by modernizing their standards to protect pregnant women, their babies and everyone else," <strong>said Charlotte Brody, RN, National Director, Healthy Babies Bright Futures.</strong></p>
<p> </p>',
        ),
        'file' => 
        array (
          0 => '',
          1 => '',
        ),
        'link' => 
        array (
          0 => '',
          1 => '',
        ),
        'lead_img' => 'lead_41281.jpg',
        'gallery' => 
        array (
          0 => 
          array (
            0 => 'lead_41281.jpg',
            1 => '',
            2 => '',
            3 => '',
            4 => '',
            5 => '',
            6 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'group' => 
        array (
          0 => 
          array (
            'id' => '110',
            'PARENT_ID' => '0',
            'sub_group' => '0',
            'name1' => 'Press Releases Categories',
            'url' => 'press-releases-categories',
            'visible' => '1',
            'order' => '5',
          ),
          1 => 
          array (
            'id' => '118',
            'PARENT_ID' => '110',
            'sub_group' => '0',
            'name1' => 'Food Safety',
            'url' => 'food-safety',
            'visible' => '1',
            'order' => '11',
          ),
        ),
        'url' => '/press-releases/6220/fdas-outdated-lead-standards-put-the-publics-health-at-risk',
      ),
      'bid' => 
      array (
        'page_link' => '/press-releases/6220/fdas-outdated-lead-standards-put-the-publics-health-at-risk',
        'bitly' => '63q',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'lead_img' => 'lead_41281.jpg',
        'rich_snippet' => ' Today, a group of organizations sent a  formal petition  to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) urging the agency to revise its outdated standards for lead in food to better protect the public, and especially children, from the impacts of lead exposure. Speci.',
        'page' => 
        array (
          'id' => '6220',
          'SECTION_ID' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '0',
          'BLOCK_ID' => '0',
          'order' => '37',
          'visible' => '1',
          'feature' => '0',
          'hide' => '0',
          'name1' => 'FDA\'s Outdated Lead Standards Put the Public\'s Health at Risk',
          'url' => 'fdas-outdated-lead-standards-put-the-publics-health-at-risk',
          'bitly' => '63q',
          'lead_img' => 'lead_41281.jpg',
          'meta_title' => 'FDA\'s Outdated Lead Standards Put the Public\'s Health at Risk',
          'meta_desc' => 'Health and environmental groups call for agency to take immediate action on lead exposure',
          'meta_img' => 'lead_41271.jpg',
          'meta_json' => '',
          'update_meta_title' => '0',
          'update_meta_desc' => '0',
          'update_meta_img' => '1',
          'update_meta_json' => '0',
          'start_time' => '0',
          'end_time' => '0',
        ),
        'section' => 
        array (
          'id' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '486',
          'PAGE_ID' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Press Releases',
          'url' => 'press-releases',
          'hide' => '0',
          'order' => '1',
        ),
        'bid_380' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Title',
          'block_type' => 'Plain Text',
          'block_alias' => 'title',
          'post_id' => '61537',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 'FDA\'s Outdated Lead Standards Put the Public\'s Health at Risk',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5959' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Subtitle',
          'block_type' => 'Plain Text',
          'block_alias' => 'subtitle',
          'post_id' => '63766',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 'Health and environmental groups call for agency to take immediate action on lead exposure',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5957' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Show Hero Image',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'hide_hero',
          'post_id' => '62916',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '1',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_381' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Date',
          'block_type' => 'Date',
          'block_alias' => 'date',
          'post_id' => '61538',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '2020-12-09',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_2294' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel1',
          'post_id' => '61539',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'custom_title' => '',
              'page_id' => '308',
              'name1' => 'Food Safety',
              'section_name1' => 'Issues',
              'page_link' => '/issues/308/food-safety',
              'lead_img' => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
              'rich_snippet' => '<p>According to federal data, each year, one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. These figures are likely to be far higher, as most food illnesses go unreported. The most five common pathogens causing foodborne i.',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_3612' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue 2',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel2',
          'post_id' => '61540',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'custom_title' => '',
              'page_id' => '2708',
              'name1' => 'Center for Food Safety Urges Strong Protections from Arsenic in Food Supply',
              'section_name1' => 'Press Releases',
              'page_link' => '/press-releases/2708/center-for-food-safety-urges-strong-protections-from-arsenic-in-food-supply',
              'lead_img' => 'istock_000006979618small_75981.jpg',
              'rich_snippet' => '   CFS calls for “Cumulative Exposure” regulatory strategy for apple juice and other staple foods   
 Late yesterday, Center for Food Safety (CFS)  strongly urged  the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to limit the public’s exposure to arsenic through a ne.',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_3613' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue 3',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel3',
          'post_id' => '61541',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'custom_title' => '',
              'page_id' => '2220',
              'name1' => 'New Study Links Arsenic Use, Chicken, and Increased Cancer Risk, Further Supporting CFS\'s Pending Lawsuit',
              'section_name1' => 'Press Releases',
              'page_link' => '/press-releases/2220/new-study-links-arsenic-use-chicken-and-increased-cancer-risk-further-supporting-cfss-pending-lawsuit',
              'lead_img' => 'istock_000020806826large_62656.jpg',
              'rich_snippet' => '<p><strong><em>Groups incorporate new study into lawsuit against FDA over arsenic use in animal feed</em></strong></p>
<p>In light of <a href="http://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/johns-hopkins-center-for-a-livable-future/news_events/announcement/.',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_382' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Description',
          'block_type' => 'Rich Text',
          'block_alias' => 'desc',
          'post_id' => '61542',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '<p style="text-align: left;">Today, a group of organizations sent a <a href="http://blogs.edf.org/health/files/2020/12/Citizen-Petition-Lead-12-9-20.pdf" target="_blank">formal petition</a> to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) urging the agency to revise its outdated standards for lead in food to better protect the public, and especially children, from the impacts of lead exposure. Specifically, the petition calls on the agency to stop allowing lead to be added to materials that contact food, to update its guidance to better protect against the risk of lead exposure, and to tighten its limits for lead in bottled water. These are simple steps FDA can immediately take in the effort to reduce widespread exposure to lead, and the irreversible harm the heavy metal poses, in our food supply.  </p>
<p>The petition highlights three specific opportunities to reduce lead in food and beverages:</p>
<p>— <strong>Reduce the amount of lead allowed in bottled water</strong> from 5 to 1 parts per billion consistent with American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations.<br />— <strong>Ban lead in tin that coats food cans.</strong> An Environmental Defense Fund analysis of FDA data found lead detected in 98% of certain canned fruits compared to only 3% in fresh or frozen varieties — pointing to the canning process as the source of the heavy metal. FDA reported finding lead in almost half of canned food it sampled.<br />— <strong>Stop adding lead to brass or bronze used in equipment</strong> to dispense water or brew tea and coffee. There is ample evidence that this lead leaches into the beverages.  </p>
<p>This is a problem because there is no safe level of lead in the blood. Lead can harm a child\'s brain development, resulting in learning and behavioral problems, and it <a href="http://blogs.edf.org/health/2020/09/28/new-study-lead-reduction-prevented-up-to-99000-heart-disease-deaths-in-2014-alone/" target="_blank">can cause heart disease</a> in adults. While the levels in any one food may be low, the cumulative effect of lead - and other heavy metals - in the diet can be significant. Additionally, an EPA analysis has found that, for more than 70% of children in the US, the dominant source of lead exposure is from food. </p>
<p>Several studies in recent years, including from <a href="https://www.edf.org/media/fdas-outdated-lead-standards-put-publics-health-risk" target="_blank">EDF</a>, <a href="https://www.consumerreports.org/food-safety/heavy-metals-in-baby-food/" target="_blank">Consumer Reports</a>, and <a href="https://www.healthybabyfood.org/" target="_blank">Healthy Babies Bright Futures</a>, have highlighted the persistent problem of heavy metals in food - and particularly baby food. Though contamination from soil and water is a major source, lead can also enter food through processing and contact with materials containing the heavy metal. </p>
<p>Recognizing the harm posed by heavy metal exposure, <a href="http://blogs.edf.org/health/2018/04/25/fda-new-push-heavy-metals-food/" target="_blank">FDA established a working group</a> in May 2017 to evaluate lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury levels in food and prioritize reduction strategies. While the agency has taken several important steps since, it has yet to take the simple actions outlined in this petition - which would yield significant benefits by driving down lead levels in food. </p>
<p>The petition describes how FDA should prohibit lead as an additive to food contact articles (e.g. food packaging, processing or handling equipment, and cookware), update its guidance on lead limits in food and food ingredients and tighten its limit for lead in bottled water in keeping with the latest scientific evidence.</p>
<p>The petitioners are: Environmental Defense Fund, Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, Center for Environmental Health, Center for Food Safety, Childhood Lead Action Project, Clean Label Project, Consumer Reports, Defend Our Health, Environmental Working Group, Health Babies Bright Futures, and Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment. </p>
<p>The agency should immediately put the petition out for public comment. Under its rules, FDA must respond to the petition within 180 days.</p>
<p><strong>QUOTES:</strong></p>
<p>"With all that we know about the dangers of lead exposure – especially for children – FDA needs to move from analysis to action in its effort to reduce exposure to heavy metals,"<strong> said Tom Neltner, EDF\'s Chemicals Policy Director.</strong> "We know that lead gets into food; by stopping its addition to materials that contact food and tightening the bottled water standard, the agency can take meaningful action toward better protecting everyone from lead."</p>
<p>"We have known since the 1700s that these metals, when used as food additives, are poisons. Now, we know that even tiny amounts of these metals as food contact substances cause harm to developing brains and bodies. It is past time for the FDA to act," <strong>said Jaydee Hanson, Policy Director, Center for Food Safety.</strong></p>
<p>"All parents want to make the best choices for their children,"<strong> said Laura Brion, Executive Director of the Childhood Lead Action Project.</strong> "But what can they do if safe options aren\'t on the grocery store shelves? The FDA needs to do its job and get toxic lead out of our food and water."</p>
<p>"The American Academy of Pediatrics, the World Health Organization, the Centers of Disease Control, the Food & Drug Administration, and the Environmental Protection Agency ALL say there is no safe level of lead. Reforming our antiquated regulations around lead exposure is necessary to protect Americans and especially vulnerable populations," <strong>said Jaclyn Bowen MPH, MS, Executive Director of Clean Label Project.</strong></p>
<p>"It\'s long past time for the FDA to take action to address these completely unnecessary and avoidable sources of lead exposure," <strong>said Patrick MacRoy, Deputy Director of Defend our Health.</strong> "The cumulative burden of lead in our food and bottled water is harming the brains of our children while adding to the number of cardiovascular deaths in adults. Our petition requests changes that will reduce this burden that should have been implemented long ago."</p>
<p>"Even small amounts of lead harms the nervous system, especially for children," <strong>said EWG\'s Vice President for Science Investigations Olga Naidenko, PhD.</strong> "Exposure to lead causes lasting damage to the brain which is why it is essential to get lead out of food and food packaging. The FDA must take strong measures to make sure children are not exposed to lead from foods and beverages they love."</p>
<p>"While we\'ve known the lead is a poison for centuries, the more recent science has shown that even tiny amounts of lead can cause great harm, especially to the developing brain both before and after birth. The FDA needs to fully acknowledge the new science by modernizing their standards to protect pregnant women, their babies and everyone else," <strong>said Charlotte Brody, RN, National Director, Healthy Babies Bright Futures.</strong></p>
<p> </p>',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_383' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'PDF File',
          'block_type' => 'File',
          'block_alias' => 'pdf',
          'post_id' => '61543',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_1168' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'CFS Link',
          'block_type' => 'Link',
          'block_alias' => 'link',
          'post_id' => '61544',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_1169' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Image Gallery',
          'block_type' => 'Image Gallery',
          'block_alias' => 'images',
          'post_id' => '61552',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              0 => 'lead_41281.jpg',
              1 => '',
              2 => '',
              3 => '',
              4 => '',
              5 => '',
              6 => 'FDA\'s Outdated Lead Standards Put the Public\'s Health at Risk',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_2291' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Category',
          'block_type' => 'Grouping',
          'block_alias' => 'cat',
          'post_id' => '61546',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'id' => '118',
              'PARENT_ID' => '110',
              'sub_group' => '0',
              'name1' => 'Food Safety',
              'url' => 'food-safety',
              'visible' => '1',
              'order' => '11',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4805' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Tweets',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'tweets',
          'post_id' => '61547',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4806' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Quotes',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'quotes',
          'post_id' => '61548',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4807' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Join CFS',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'join',
          'post_id' => '61549',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5592' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Hide',
          'block_type' => 'Hide - In \'page\' table',
          'block_alias' => '',
          'post_id' => '61550',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5835' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Scheduler',
          'block_type' => 'Schedule',
          'block_alias' => 'scheduler',
          'post_id' => '61551',
          'content' => 
          array (
            'id' => '119',
            'PAGE_ID' => '6220',
            'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
            'set_time' => '0',
            'start_time_hour' => 'NA',
            'start_time_minute' => '00',
            'start_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'end_time_hour' => 'NA',
            'end_time_minute' => '00',
            'end_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'start_month' => '12',
            'start_day' => '09',
            'start_year' => '2020',
            'end_month' => '12',
            'end_day' => '09',
            'end_year' => '2020',
            'occurs' => 'once',
            'repeat_every_int' => '1',
            'repeat_every_period' => 'year',
            'repeat_stop_after' => '1',
            'float_period' => 'first',
            'float_day_o_w' => 'sunday',
            'float_repeat_every_x_mo' => '1',
            'float_stop_after' => '1',
            'events' => 
            array (
              0 => 
              array (
                'id' => '2319',
                'SCHEDULE_ID' => '119',
                'PAGE_ID' => '6220',
                'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
                'date_start' => '2020-12-09 00:00:00',
                'date_end' => '2020-12-09 00:00:00',
                'has_start_time' => '0',
                'has_end_time' => '0',
                'occurs' => 'once',
                'start' => 'Wednesday, December 9, 2020',
                'end' => '',
              ),
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5955' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Unique Url',
          'block_type' => 'Unique Root URL',
          'block_alias' => 'unique_url',
          'post_id' => '62917',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
          ),
        ),
      ),
      'alias' => 
      array (
        'page_link' => '/press-releases/6220/fdas-outdated-lead-standards-put-the-publics-health-at-risk',
        'bitly' => '63q',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'lead_img' => 'lead_41281.jpg',
        'rich_snippet' => ' Today, a group of organizations sent a  formal petition  to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) urging the agency to revise its outdated standards for lead in food to better protect the public, and especially children, from the impacts of lead exposure. Speci.',
        'page' => 
        array (
          'id' => '6220',
          'SECTION_ID' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '0',
          'BLOCK_ID' => '0',
          'order' => '37',
          'visible' => '1',
          'feature' => '0',
          'hide' => '0',
          'name1' => 'FDA\'s Outdated Lead Standards Put the Public\'s Health at Risk',
          'url' => 'fdas-outdated-lead-standards-put-the-publics-health-at-risk',
          'bitly' => '63q',
          'lead_img' => 'lead_41281.jpg',
          'meta_title' => 'FDA\'s Outdated Lead Standards Put the Public\'s Health at Risk',
          'meta_desc' => 'Health and environmental groups call for agency to take immediate action on lead exposure',
          'meta_img' => 'lead_41271.jpg',
          'meta_json' => '',
          'update_meta_title' => '0',
          'update_meta_desc' => '0',
          'update_meta_img' => '1',
          'update_meta_json' => '0',
          'start_time' => '0',
          'end_time' => '0',
        ),
        'section' => 
        array (
          'id' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '486',
          'PAGE_ID' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Press Releases',
          'url' => 'press-releases',
          'hide' => '0',
          'order' => '1',
        ),
        'bid_5592' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Hide',
          'block_type' => 'Hide - In \'page\' table',
          'block_alias' => '',
          'post_id' => '61550',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'alias' => 
        array (
          'title' => 'FDA\'s Outdated Lead Standards Put the Public\'s Health at Risk',
          'subtitle' => 'Health and environmental groups call for agency to take immediate action on lead exposure',
          'hide_hero' => '1',
          'date' => '2020-12-09',
          'rel1' => 
          array (
            'custom_title' => '',
            'page_id' => '308',
            'name1' => 'Food Safety',
            'section_name1' => 'Issues',
            'page_link' => '/issues/308/food-safety',
            'lead_img' => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
            'rich_snippet' => ' According to federal data, each year, one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. These figures are likely to be far higher, as most food illnesses go unreported. The most five common pathogens causing foodborne ill.',
          ),
          'rel2' => 
          array (
            'custom_title' => '',
            'page_id' => '2708',
            'name1' => 'Center for Food Safety Urges Strong Protections from Arsenic in Food Supply',
            'section_name1' => 'Press Releases',
            'page_link' => '/press-releases/2708/center-for-food-safety-urges-strong-protections-from-arsenic-in-food-supply',
            'lead_img' => 'istock_000006979618small_75981.jpg',
            'rich_snippet' => '   CFS calls for “Cumulative Exposure” regulatory strategy for apple juice and other staple foods   
 Late yesterday, Center for Food Safety (CFS)  strongly urged  the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to limit the public’s exposure to arsenic through a ne.',
          ),
          'rel3' => 
          array (
            'custom_title' => '',
            'page_id' => '2220',
            'name1' => 'New Study Links Arsenic Use, Chicken, and Increased Cancer Risk, Further Supporting CFS\'s Pending Lawsuit',
            'section_name1' => 'Press Releases',
            'page_link' => '/press-releases/2220/new-study-links-arsenic-use-chicken-and-increased-cancer-risk-further-supporting-cfss-pending-lawsuit',
            'lead_img' => 'istock_000020806826large_62656.jpg',
            'rich_snippet' => '   Groups incorporate new study into lawsuit against FDA over arsenic use in animal feed   
 In light of  new findings  just published by the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, Center for Food Safety (CFS) has amended its  complaint  filed May 1st, 2013 r.',
          ),
          'desc' => '<p style="text-align: left;">Today, a group of organizations sent a <a href="http://blogs.edf.org/health/files/2020/12/Citizen-Petition-Lead-12-9-20.pdf" target="_blank">formal petition</a> to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) urging the agency to revise its outdated standards for lead in food to better protect the public, and especially children, from the impacts of lead exposure. Specifically, the petition calls on the agency to stop allowing lead to be added to materials that contact food, to update its guidance to better protect against the risk of lead exposure, and to tighten its limits for lead in bottled water. These are simple steps FDA can immediately take in the effort to reduce widespread exposure to lead, and the irreversible harm the heavy metal poses, in our food supply.  </p>
<p>The petition highlights three specific opportunities to reduce lead in food and beverages:</p>
<p>— <strong>Reduce the amount of lead allowed in bottled water</strong> from 5 to 1 parts per billion consistent with American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations.<br />— <strong>Ban lead in tin that coats food cans.</strong> An Environmental Defense Fund analysis of FDA data found lead detected in 98% of certain canned fruits compared to only 3% in fresh or frozen varieties — pointing to the canning process as the source of the heavy metal. FDA reported finding lead in almost half of canned food it sampled.<br />— <strong>Stop adding lead to brass or bronze used in equipment</strong> to dispense water or brew tea and coffee. There is ample evidence that this lead leaches into the beverages.  </p>
<p>This is a problem because there is no safe level of lead in the blood. Lead can harm a child\'s brain development, resulting in learning and behavioral problems, and it <a href="http://blogs.edf.org/health/2020/09/28/new-study-lead-reduction-prevented-up-to-99000-heart-disease-deaths-in-2014-alone/" target="_blank">can cause heart disease</a> in adults. While the levels in any one food may be low, the cumulative effect of lead - and other heavy metals - in the diet can be significant. Additionally, an EPA analysis has found that, for more than 70% of children in the US, the dominant source of lead exposure is from food. </p>
<p>Several studies in recent years, including from <a href="https://www.edf.org/media/fdas-outdated-lead-standards-put-publics-health-risk" target="_blank">EDF</a>, <a href="https://www.consumerreports.org/food-safety/heavy-metals-in-baby-food/" target="_blank">Consumer Reports</a>, and <a href="https://www.healthybabyfood.org/" target="_blank">Healthy Babies Bright Futures</a>, have highlighted the persistent problem of heavy metals in food - and particularly baby food. Though contamination from soil and water is a major source, lead can also enter food through processing and contact with materials containing the heavy metal. </p>
<p>Recognizing the harm posed by heavy metal exposure, <a href="http://blogs.edf.org/health/2018/04/25/fda-new-push-heavy-metals-food/" target="_blank">FDA established a working group</a> in May 2017 to evaluate lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury levels in food and prioritize reduction strategies. While the agency has taken several important steps since, it has yet to take the simple actions outlined in this petition - which would yield significant benefits by driving down lead levels in food. </p>
<p>The petition describes how FDA should prohibit lead as an additive to food contact articles (e.g. food packaging, processing or handling equipment, and cookware), update its guidance on lead limits in food and food ingredients and tighten its limit for lead in bottled water in keeping with the latest scientific evidence.</p>
<p>The petitioners are: Environmental Defense Fund, Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, Center for Environmental Health, Center for Food Safety, Childhood Lead Action Project, Clean Label Project, Consumer Reports, Defend Our Health, Environmental Working Group, Health Babies Bright Futures, and Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment. </p>
<p>The agency should immediately put the petition out for public comment. Under its rules, FDA must respond to the petition within 180 days.</p>
<p><strong>QUOTES:</strong></p>
<p>"With all that we know about the dangers of lead exposure – especially for children – FDA needs to move from analysis to action in its effort to reduce exposure to heavy metals,"<strong> said Tom Neltner, EDF\'s Chemicals Policy Director.</strong> "We know that lead gets into food; by stopping its addition to materials that contact food and tightening the bottled water standard, the agency can take meaningful action toward better protecting everyone from lead."</p>
<p>"We have known since the 1700s that these metals, when used as food additives, are poisons. Now, we know that even tiny amounts of these metals as food contact substances cause harm to developing brains and bodies. It is past time for the FDA to act," <strong>said Jaydee Hanson, Policy Director, Center for Food Safety.</strong></p>
<p>"All parents want to make the best choices for their children,"<strong> said Laura Brion, Executive Director of the Childhood Lead Action Project.</strong> "But what can they do if safe options aren\'t on the grocery store shelves? The FDA needs to do its job and get toxic lead out of our food and water."</p>
<p>"The American Academy of Pediatrics, the World Health Organization, the Centers of Disease Control, the Food & Drug Administration, and the Environmental Protection Agency ALL say there is no safe level of lead. Reforming our antiquated regulations around lead exposure is necessary to protect Americans and especially vulnerable populations," <strong>said Jaclyn Bowen MPH, MS, Executive Director of Clean Label Project.</strong></p>
<p>"It\'s long past time for the FDA to take action to address these completely unnecessary and avoidable sources of lead exposure," <strong>said Patrick MacRoy, Deputy Director of Defend our Health.</strong> "The cumulative burden of lead in our food and bottled water is harming the brains of our children while adding to the number of cardiovascular deaths in adults. Our petition requests changes that will reduce this burden that should have been implemented long ago."</p>
<p>"Even small amounts of lead harms the nervous system, especially for children," <strong>said EWG\'s Vice President for Science Investigations Olga Naidenko, PhD.</strong> "Exposure to lead causes lasting damage to the brain which is why it is essential to get lead out of food and food packaging. The FDA must take strong measures to make sure children are not exposed to lead from foods and beverages they love."</p>
<p>"While we\'ve known the lead is a poison for centuries, the more recent science has shown that even tiny amounts of lead can cause great harm, especially to the developing brain both before and after birth. The FDA needs to fully acknowledge the new science by modernizing their standards to protect pregnant women, their babies and everyone else," <strong>said Charlotte Brody, RN, National Director, Healthy Babies Bright Futures.</strong></p>
<p> </p>',
          'pdf' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
          'link' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
          'images' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              0 => 'lead_41281.jpg',
              1 => '',
              2 => '',
              3 => '',
              4 => '',
              5 => '',
              6 => 'FDA\'s Outdated Lead Standards Put the Public\'s Health at Risk',
              7 => 1000,
              8 => 562,
            ),
          ),
          'cat' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'id' => '118',
              'PARENT_ID' => '110',
              'sub_group' => '0',
              'name1' => 'Food Safety',
              'url' => 'food-safety',
              'visible' => '1',
              'order' => '11',
            ),
          ),
          'tweets' => '0',
          'quotes' => '0',
          'join' => '0',
          'scheduler' => 
          array (
            'id' => '119',
            'PAGE_ID' => '6220',
            'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
            'set_time' => '0',
            'start_time_hour' => 'NA',
            'start_time_minute' => '00',
            'start_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'end_time_hour' => 'NA',
            'end_time_minute' => '00',
            'end_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'start_month' => '12',
            'start_day' => '09',
            'start_year' => '2020',
            'end_month' => '12',
            'end_day' => '09',
            'end_year' => '2020',
            'occurs' => 'once',
            'repeat_every_int' => '1',
            'repeat_every_period' => 'year',
            'repeat_stop_after' => '1',
            'float_period' => 'first',
            'float_day_o_w' => 'sunday',
            'float_repeat_every_x_mo' => '1',
            'float_stop_after' => '1',
            'events' => 
            array (
              0 => 
              array (
                'id' => '2319',
                'SCHEDULE_ID' => '119',
                'PAGE_ID' => '6220',
                'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
                'date_start' => '2020-12-09 00:00:00',
                'date_end' => '2020-12-09 00:00:00',
                'has_start_time' => '0',
                'has_end_time' => '0',
                'occurs' => 'once',
                'start' => 'Wednesday, December 9, 2020',
                'end' => '',
              ),
            ),
          ),
          'unique_url' => '',
        ),
      ),
    ),
  ),
  12 => 
  array (
    'id' => '6152',
    'SECTION_ID' => '129',
    'PARENT_ID' => '0',
    'BLOCK_ID' => '0',
    'order' => '95',
    'visible' => '1',
    'feature' => '0',
    'hide' => '0',
    'name1' => 'Lack of Key Considerations in FDA Food Chemical Safety Process Leaves Consumers at Risk of Chronic Diseases',
    'url' => 'lack-of-key-considerations-in-fda-food-chemical-safety-process-leaves-consumers-at-risk-of-chronic-diseases',
    'bitly' => '61s',
    'lead_img' => 'additives_12421.jpg',
    'meta_title' => 'Lack of Key Considerations in FDA Food Chemical Safety Process Leaves Consumers at Risk of Chronic Diseases',
    'meta_desc' => 'Lack of Key Considerations in FDA Food Chemical Safety Process Leaves Consumers at Risk of Chronic Diseases Agency and industry must evaluate...',
    'meta_img' => 'additives_12414.jpg',
    'meta_json' => '',
    'update_meta_title' => '0',
    'update_meta_desc' => '0',
    'update_meta_img' => '1',
    'update_meta_json' => '0',
    'start_time' => '0',
    'end_time' => '0',
    'content' => 
    array (
      'typ' => 
      array (
        'page_id' => '6152',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'text' => 
        array (
          0 => 'Lack of Key Considerations in FDA Food Chemical Safety Process Leaves Consumers at Risk of Chronic Diseases',
          1 => 'Agency and industry must evaluate cumulative health effects of classes of related food chemicals',
          2 => '',
        ),
        'checkbox' => 
        array (
          0 => '1',
          1 => '0',
          2 => '0',
          3 => '0',
        ),
        'date' => 
        array (
          0 => '2020-09-23',
        ),
        'relation' => 
        array (
          0 => 
          array (
            'custom' => 
            array (
              0 => '',
            ),
            'page_id' => '308',
            'basic' => 
            array (
              'page_id' => '308',
              'root_url' => 'issues',
              'root' => 'Issues',
              'text' => 
              array (
                0 => 'Food Safety',
                1 => '',
                2 => 'Food Safety',
                3 => 'From:CFSTrueFood+#foodsafety',
              ),
              'rich' => 
              array (
                0 => '<p>According to federal data, each year, one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. These figures are likely to be far higher, as most food illnesses go unreported. The most five common pathogens causing foodborne illnesses resulting in hospitalizations are: salmonella, norovirus, Campylobacter, toxoplasma gondii, and E. coli 0157.</p>
<p>Almost every week brings more news of food contamination or foodborne illness outbreak. What’s going on? Our industrialized food system is the root cause of many of these outbreaks.</p>
<p>Industrialization of the food supply</p>
<p>One likely cause is overcrowded conditions on factory farms, where animals get sick and pass the disease on to other animals. Another factor is our wide distribution system, in which contaminated food is transported across the nation. Also, we are increasingly relying on imported foods with unknown safety standards. (For example, 60 percent of our seafood is imported.) Adding to this perfect storm is government deregulation and inadequate funding for inspections and oversight.</p>
<p>Another critical food safety problem is the thousands of chemical additives Americans consume every day. Thanks to industry influence over the approval process, the long-term safety risks for most of these substances are unknown.</p>
<p>For example, for years science has pointed to chemical food dyes as a significant contributor to child behavioral problems. And yet the federal government still denies this connection. In addition, we’ve seen a huge increase in food allergies in children in recent years, but without much explanation of the causes. Clearly, more research is needed into how the industrialized food supply may be impacting our health in ways that are less obvious than foodborne illness.</p>
<p>Political influence</p>
<p>Nothing about food safety takes place in a political vacuum. For decades, the food industry has lobbied to ensure the status quo. And when we finally do get a rare policy victory, such as the passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act (passed in 2010), the game switches to “starving the beast” – limiting the funds for government to adequately carry out the legislative intent.</p>
<p>Powerful trade groups such as the American Meat Institute lobby against common sense policy improvements, such as expanding required testing for deadly bacteria in ground beef. Another important political factor is international trade. Other nations get upset when theU.S.government demands higher scrutiny of imports. In addition, the Food and Drug Administration, despite having jurisdiction over most of the food supply, is constantly under-funded, limiting inspection and enforcement actions; again, thanks to powerful lobbyists who like it that way.</p>
<p>What can we do about it?</p>
<p>President Obama has pledged a complete overhaul of our food system. The Center for Food Safety believes this will require elevating food safety within government to be a cabinet level agency. The mission of this new food agency must be to evaluate how best to regulate food production to prevent the greatest food safety hazards caused by large industrial agriculture and processed foods and while also protecting and supporting smaller, family, and diversified farms. But such an overhaul can only be successful by removing politics from food safety.</p>
<p>Additional Food Safety Resources</p>
<p><a href="http://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/cdc-and-food-safety.html" target="_blank">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.fsis.usda.gov/" target="_blank">United States Department of Agriculture</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.fda.gov/food/foodsafety/default.htm" target="_blank">Food and Drug Administration</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.foodsafety.gov/" target="_blank">FoodSafety.gov</a></p>',
              ),
              'lead_img' => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
              'gallery' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
                  1 => 'NEW REPORT: TPP Serves Up an Unsavory Dinner',
                  2 => '<p>If you’ve been listening to or reading the news at any point over the past year, it’s likely that you’ve heard about the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP. While the term may be familiar, the connection between TPP and what you find on your dinner plate may not be.</p>',
                  3 => 'http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/reports/4573/tpp-serves-up-an-unsavory-dinner',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'oilandwater_thinkbeforeyoupink_hero2_14465.jpg',
                  1 => 'Tell Bee Sweet Citrus and Wonderful Company to Stop Watering Our Food with Oil Wastewater!',
                  2 => '<p>The use of oil wastewater for food irrigation is an urgent public health issue because of the potentially hazardous chemicals associated with all oil extraction processes – including toxic chemicals linked to cancer. Tell Wonderful Company and Bee Sweet Citrus to stop watering our food with toxic oil wastewater!</p>',
                  3 => 'http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/1881/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=19536',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'istock_000009992043small_78906.jpg',
                  1 => 'Court Victory: Consumers Have a Right to Know About Their Food',
                  2 => '<p>The Washington D.C. Court of Appeals upheld the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) rule which requires information about where meat is raised and slaughtered. USDA drafted COOL rules in 2009 and finalized them in 2013.</p>',
                  3 => 'http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/3404/court-victory-consumers-have-a-right-to-know-about-their-food',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
              ),
              'images' => 
              array (
                0 => 'foodsafety_48189.png',
                1 => '',
                2 => 'foodsafety_68552.png',
                3 => '',
              ),
              'group' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '94',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '48',
                  'sub_group' => '0',
                  'name1' => 'Food Safety',
                  'url' => 'food-safety',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'order' => '4',
                ),
              ),
              'color' => 
              array (
                0 => '#f79676',
                1 => 'Food Safety Mauve',
              ),
              'section' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '219',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Food Safety & Food Recalls',
                  'url' => 'food-safety-and-food-recalls',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '158',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '329',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Industrialization of the Food Supply',
                  'url' => 'industrialization-of-the-food-supply',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '159',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '330',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Political Influence',
                  'url' => 'political-influence',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '160',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
              ),
              'checkbox' => 
              array (
                0 => '1',
                1 => '0',
                2 => '1',
              ),
              'url' => '/issues/308/food-safety',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'rich' => 
        array (
          0 => '<p style="text-align: left;"> </p>
<p>Washington, D.C.—Today, a group of health, environmental, and consumer organizations <a href="http://blogs.edf.org/health/files/2020/09/Additives-Cumulative-Effects-Citizen-Petition-FINAL-9_23_20.pdf" target="_blank">challenged</a> the Food and Drug Administration\'s (FDA) practice of not accounting for the cumulative health effect of chemicals in the diet when allowing new chemicals in food. Over 60 years ago, Congress passed a law requiring that FDA and industry do just that. Unfortunately, an Environmental Defense Fund investigation of nearly 900 safety determinations found that only one considered the requirement in a meaningful way.</p>
<p>In reviewing the correspondence between FDA and manufacturers, EDF found no evidence the agency raises concerns with this major shortcoming. The analysis also demonstrates that, when evaluating the safety of new additives, FDA and food manufacturers all too often consider one chemical at a time rather than as a class of related substances.</p>
<p>"For far too long, FDA has allowed the food industry to regulate itself, while ignoring consumers\' concerns," <strong>said Jaydee Hanson, Policy Director at Center for Food Safety.</strong> "Instead of requiring food manufacturers to notify FDA whenever new chemical substances are added to our food, FDA allows these manufacturers to self-certify in secret that their additives are safe. Not only does this prevent the public from knowing what is in their food, it prevents FDA from understanding the true cumulative effect of these chemicals on human health. This stands the regulatory process on its head."</p>
<p>"The collective failure by FDA and the food industry to follow the law may well have contributed to the dramatic increases we have seen in chronic diseases, including obesity, diabetes, and kidney disease in the US in recent decades," <strong>said Tom Neltner, Chemicals Policy Director for Environmental Defense Fund.</strong> "Every time we eat highly processed food, we are exposed to chemical additives, and – for the chemicals that cause similar toxic effects – that combined exposure can increase the harm to our health. FDA and industry can and must do better to ensure our food is safe."</p>
<p>"Pediatricians have been urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to make urgently needed improvements to the food additive regulatory process. Children are uniquely vulnerable to chemical exposures because they eat and drink more, relative to body weight, than adults do. For children, studies have suggested that some food additives can have potentially serious health consequences, such as interfering with hormones, impeding growth and development, and increasing the risk of childhood obesity. It is absolutely critical that the FDA evaluate the cumulative effects of food additives across the diet and the lifespan in order to best support children\'s healthy growth and development," <strong>stated American Academy of Pediatrics President Sara "Sally" Goza, MD, FAAP.</strong></p>
<p>"We are pleased to join this important petition calling on the FDA to protect the public\'s health by fully accounting for the cumulative health effects of the chemicals additives in our food. This call for commonsense protections is essential to preventing disease and improving the nation\'s health and wellbeing," <strong>said Georges C. Benjamin, MD, Executive Director, American Public Health Association.</strong></p>
<p>"Over 275,000 women are or will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year in the US, and most cases have nothing to do with family history. Science has shown that our exposure to toxic chemicals plays a big role; especially because we are constantly exposed to a mixture of chemicals that impact our health. So it\'s essential that the FDA fully follow and implement the law when it comes to something as basic and important as the safety of a mixture of chemicals in our food," <strong>said Lisette van Vliet, Senior Policy Coordinator, Breast Cancer Prevention Partners.</strong></p>
<p>"The food safety regulatory framework in America is largely focused on acute exposure to pathogens and microbiological contaminants. Long-term exposure to chemicals of concern including additives can take years, even decades, to manifest chronic disease. We are long overdue to evaluate the cumulative role that additives in food and consumer products play in chronic disease and adapt federal regulatory policies accordingly," <strong>stated Jaclyn Bowen MPH, MS food and consumer product safety systems engineer and executive director of Clean Label Project.</strong></p>
<p>"FDA is falling short of its mandate to protect consumers so long as it disregards the cumulative effect of food chemicals," <strong>said Thomas Gremillion, Director of Food Policy for Consumer Federation of America.</strong> "The actions called for by this petition are long overdue."  </p>
<p>"Most people are unknowingly exposed to numerous chemicals in food that may have serious adverse effects on their health,"<strong> said Michael Hansen, PhD, senior scientist for Consumer Reports.</strong> "Before approving any new chemical in food, the FDA needs to thoroughly evaluate whether it poses a threat to public health when combined with other related substances already allowed in food." </p>
<p>"The reality is we are not exposed to a single food additive or contaminant in isolation, so it does not make sense to evaluate their potential effects in isolation. Real-world dietary exposures frequently include a cocktail of endocrine-disrupting and other harmful chemicals that are either deliberately added or leach from food packaging," <strong>said Heather Patisaul, PhD, Chair of the Endocrine Society\'s Advocacy and Public Outreach Core Committee.</strong> "To effectively protect our health, we need to consider how the chemicals in our food affect hormonal, neurological and other systems in combination, particularly when evaluating new additives with similar properties."</p>
<p>"When watching what their kids eat, parents know to pay attention to the total amount of sugar from sweets, not just look at an individual candies," <strong>said Patrick MacRoy, Deputy Director at the Environmental Health Strategy Center.</strong> "Yet, when it comes to toxic chemicals in our food, the FDA has been doing the equivalent of counting how many Skittles we eat, while ignoring that we also ate a box of M&Ms and a snickers bar or two. It\'s past time for the agency to follow the law and look at the impact of chemicals that are acting in concert to harm our health."</p>
<p>"For more than 60 years the FDA has brazenly ignored its legal obligations and best scientific practices,"<strong> said Melanie Benesh, EWG legislative attorney.</strong> "We\'re exposed to multiple chemicals through our food—many of which have been linked to serious health problems like cancer, yet the agency insists on collecting data one chemical at a time. It\'s appalling that the FDA continues to neglect the cumulative effects of exposure to these chemicals as rates of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and other serious health issues continue to rise among Americans."</p>
<p>"The impact of chemicals in our food can add up to harm, especially for pregnant women and their babies. The FDA understands this, but have failed to take proper action to keep our families safe. We urge the FDA to take action to ensure that the cumulative effects of toxic chemicals do not negatively impact moms and babies," <strong>said Charlotte Brody, RN, National Director, Healthy Babies Bright Futures</strong></p>
<p>"While not as immediate as adverse drug interactions or food poisoning, the long-term, combined impact of food chemicals on our health can be significant", <strong>said Maricel Maffini, a consultant to EDF.</strong> "For example, several food additives and contaminants in common foods – including nitrates, perchlorate, and thiocyanate – all harm the thyroid\'s ability to use iodine to make a hormone essential to brain development. Exposure to these related chemicals from various foods should be considered together, as a class, to reduce the risk for pregnant women and young children, as the chemicals all harm fetal and infant brain development in the same way."</p>
<p>The citizen <a href="http://blogs.edf.org/health/files/2020/09/Additives-Cumulative-Effects-Citizen-Petition-FINAL-9_23_20.pdf" target="_blank">petition</a> outlines the necessary steps for FDA to take to ensure that the cumulative effect of a new substance and related substances already in the diet has been adequately evaluated before the new additive is allowed in our food. Petitioners are asking that the agency update its rules, issue guidance to industry to explain what is needed to conduct a complete safety determination which includes accounting for cumulative effects, and revise its forms for industry to submit notices and petitions.</p>
<p><strong>The petitioners are:</strong> American Academy of Pediatrics, American Public Health Association, Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, Center for Food Safety, Clean Label Project, Consumer Federation of America, Consumer Reports, Endocrine Society, Environmental Defense Fund, Environmental Health Strategy Center, Environmental Working Group, and Healthy Babies Bright Futures.</p>
<p>The petitioners ask that the agency immediately put the petition out for public comment. Under its rules, FDA must respond to the petition within 180 days.</p>',
        ),
        'file' => 
        array (
          0 => '',
          1 => '',
        ),
        'link' => 
        array (
          0 => '',
          1 => '',
        ),
        'lead_img' => 'additives_12421.jpg',
        'gallery' => 
        array (
          0 => 
          array (
            0 => 'additives_12421.jpg',
            1 => '',
            2 => '',
            3 => '',
            4 => '',
            5 => '',
            6 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'group' => 
        array (
          0 => 
          array (
            'id' => '110',
            'PARENT_ID' => '0',
            'sub_group' => '0',
            'name1' => 'Press Releases Categories',
            'url' => 'press-releases-categories',
            'visible' => '1',
            'order' => '5',
          ),
          1 => 
          array (
            'id' => '118',
            'PARENT_ID' => '110',
            'sub_group' => '0',
            'name1' => 'Food Safety',
            'url' => 'food-safety',
            'visible' => '1',
            'order' => '11',
          ),
        ),
        'url' => '/press-releases/6152/lack-of-key-considerations-in-fda-food-chemical-safety-process-leaves-consumers-at-risk-of-chronic-diseases',
      ),
      'bid' => 
      array (
        'page_link' => '/press-releases/6152/lack-of-key-considerations-in-fda-food-chemical-safety-process-leaves-consumers-at-risk-of-chronic-diseases',
        'bitly' => '61s',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'lead_img' => 'additives_12421.jpg',
        'rich_snippet' => '   
 Washington, D.C.—Today, a group of health, environmental, and consumer organizations  challenged  the Food and Drug Administration&#039;s (FDA) practice of not accounting for the cumulative health effect of chemicals in the diet when allowing new chemical.',
        'page' => 
        array (
          'id' => '6152',
          'SECTION_ID' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '0',
          'BLOCK_ID' => '0',
          'order' => '55',
          'visible' => '1',
          'feature' => '0',
          'hide' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Lack of Key Considerations in FDA Food Chemical Safety Process Leaves Consumers at Risk of Chronic Diseases',
          'url' => 'lack-of-key-considerations-in-fda-food-chemical-safety-process-leaves-consumers-at-risk-of-chronic-diseases',
          'bitly' => '61s',
          'lead_img' => 'additives_12421.jpg',
          'meta_title' => 'Lack of Key Considerations in FDA Food Chemical Safety Process Leaves Consumers at Risk of Chronic Diseases',
          'meta_desc' => 'Lack of Key Considerations in FDA Food Chemical Safety Process Leaves Consumers at Risk of Chronic Diseases Agency and industry must evaluate...',
          'meta_img' => 'additives_12414.jpg',
          'meta_json' => '',
          'update_meta_title' => '0',
          'update_meta_desc' => '0',
          'update_meta_img' => '1',
          'update_meta_json' => '0',
          'start_time' => '0',
          'end_time' => '0',
        ),
        'section' => 
        array (
          'id' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '486',
          'PAGE_ID' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Press Releases',
          'url' => 'press-releases',
          'hide' => '0',
          'order' => '1',
        ),
        'bid_380' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Title',
          'block_type' => 'Plain Text',
          'block_alias' => 'title',
          'post_id' => '60560',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 'Lack of Key Considerations in FDA Food Chemical Safety Process Leaves Consumers at Risk of Chronic Diseases',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5959' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Subtitle',
          'block_type' => 'Plain Text',
          'block_alias' => 'subtitle',
          'post_id' => '63812',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 'Agency and industry must evaluate cumulative health effects of classes of related food chemicals',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5957' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Show Hero Image',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'hide_hero',
          'post_id' => '63813',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '1',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_381' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Date',
          'block_type' => 'Date',
          'block_alias' => 'date',
          'post_id' => '60561',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '2020-09-23',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_2294' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel1',
          'post_id' => '60562',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'custom_title' => '',
              'page_id' => '308',
              'name1' => 'Food Safety',
              'section_name1' => 'Issues',
              'page_link' => '/issues/308/food-safety',
              'lead_img' => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
              'rich_snippet' => '<p>According to federal data, each year, one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. These figures are likely to be far higher, as most food illnesses go unreported. The most five common pathogens causing foodborne i.',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_3612' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue 2',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel2',
          'post_id' => '60563',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_3613' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue 3',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel3',
          'post_id' => '60564',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_382' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Description',
          'block_type' => 'Rich Text',
          'block_alias' => 'desc',
          'post_id' => '60565',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '<p style="text-align: left;"> </p>
<p>Washington, D.C.—Today, a group of health, environmental, and consumer organizations <a href="http://blogs.edf.org/health/files/2020/09/Additives-Cumulative-Effects-Citizen-Petition-FINAL-9_23_20.pdf" target="_blank">challenged</a> the Food and Drug Administration\'s (FDA) practice of not accounting for the cumulative health effect of chemicals in the diet when allowing new chemicals in food. Over 60 years ago, Congress passed a law requiring that FDA and industry do just that. Unfortunately, an Environmental Defense Fund investigation of nearly 900 safety determinations found that only one considered the requirement in a meaningful way.</p>
<p>In reviewing the correspondence between FDA and manufacturers, EDF found no evidence the agency raises concerns with this major shortcoming. The analysis also demonstrates that, when evaluating the safety of new additives, FDA and food manufacturers all too often consider one chemical at a time rather than as a class of related substances.</p>
<p>"For far too long, FDA has allowed the food industry to regulate itself, while ignoring consumers\' concerns," <strong>said Jaydee Hanson, Policy Director at Center for Food Safety.</strong> "Instead of requiring food manufacturers to notify FDA whenever new chemical substances are added to our food, FDA allows these manufacturers to self-certify in secret that their additives are safe. Not only does this prevent the public from knowing what is in their food, it prevents FDA from understanding the true cumulative effect of these chemicals on human health. This stands the regulatory process on its head."</p>
<p>"The collective failure by FDA and the food industry to follow the law may well have contributed to the dramatic increases we have seen in chronic diseases, including obesity, diabetes, and kidney disease in the US in recent decades," <strong>said Tom Neltner, Chemicals Policy Director for Environmental Defense Fund.</strong> "Every time we eat highly processed food, we are exposed to chemical additives, and – for the chemicals that cause similar toxic effects – that combined exposure can increase the harm to our health. FDA and industry can and must do better to ensure our food is safe."</p>
<p>"Pediatricians have been urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to make urgently needed improvements to the food additive regulatory process. Children are uniquely vulnerable to chemical exposures because they eat and drink more, relative to body weight, than adults do. For children, studies have suggested that some food additives can have potentially serious health consequences, such as interfering with hormones, impeding growth and development, and increasing the risk of childhood obesity. It is absolutely critical that the FDA evaluate the cumulative effects of food additives across the diet and the lifespan in order to best support children\'s healthy growth and development," <strong>stated American Academy of Pediatrics President Sara "Sally" Goza, MD, FAAP.</strong></p>
<p>"We are pleased to join this important petition calling on the FDA to protect the public\'s health by fully accounting for the cumulative health effects of the chemicals additives in our food. This call for commonsense protections is essential to preventing disease and improving the nation\'s health and wellbeing," <strong>said Georges C. Benjamin, MD, Executive Director, American Public Health Association.</strong></p>
<p>"Over 275,000 women are or will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year in the US, and most cases have nothing to do with family history. Science has shown that our exposure to toxic chemicals plays a big role; especially because we are constantly exposed to a mixture of chemicals that impact our health. So it\'s essential that the FDA fully follow and implement the law when it comes to something as basic and important as the safety of a mixture of chemicals in our food," <strong>said Lisette van Vliet, Senior Policy Coordinator, Breast Cancer Prevention Partners.</strong></p>
<p>"The food safety regulatory framework in America is largely focused on acute exposure to pathogens and microbiological contaminants. Long-term exposure to chemicals of concern including additives can take years, even decades, to manifest chronic disease. We are long overdue to evaluate the cumulative role that additives in food and consumer products play in chronic disease and adapt federal regulatory policies accordingly," <strong>stated Jaclyn Bowen MPH, MS food and consumer product safety systems engineer and executive director of Clean Label Project.</strong></p>
<p>"FDA is falling short of its mandate to protect consumers so long as it disregards the cumulative effect of food chemicals," <strong>said Thomas Gremillion, Director of Food Policy for Consumer Federation of America.</strong> "The actions called for by this petition are long overdue."  </p>
<p>"Most people are unknowingly exposed to numerous chemicals in food that may have serious adverse effects on their health,"<strong> said Michael Hansen, PhD, senior scientist for Consumer Reports.</strong> "Before approving any new chemical in food, the FDA needs to thoroughly evaluate whether it poses a threat to public health when combined with other related substances already allowed in food." </p>
<p>"The reality is we are not exposed to a single food additive or contaminant in isolation, so it does not make sense to evaluate their potential effects in isolation. Real-world dietary exposures frequently include a cocktail of endocrine-disrupting and other harmful chemicals that are either deliberately added or leach from food packaging," <strong>said Heather Patisaul, PhD, Chair of the Endocrine Society\'s Advocacy and Public Outreach Core Committee.</strong> "To effectively protect our health, we need to consider how the chemicals in our food affect hormonal, neurological and other systems in combination, particularly when evaluating new additives with similar properties."</p>
<p>"When watching what their kids eat, parents know to pay attention to the total amount of sugar from sweets, not just look at an individual candies," <strong>said Patrick MacRoy, Deputy Director at the Environmental Health Strategy Center.</strong> "Yet, when it comes to toxic chemicals in our food, the FDA has been doing the equivalent of counting how many Skittles we eat, while ignoring that we also ate a box of M&Ms and a snickers bar or two. It\'s past time for the agency to follow the law and look at the impact of chemicals that are acting in concert to harm our health."</p>
<p>"For more than 60 years the FDA has brazenly ignored its legal obligations and best scientific practices,"<strong> said Melanie Benesh, EWG legislative attorney.</strong> "We\'re exposed to multiple chemicals through our food—many of which have been linked to serious health problems like cancer, yet the agency insists on collecting data one chemical at a time. It\'s appalling that the FDA continues to neglect the cumulative effects of exposure to these chemicals as rates of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and other serious health issues continue to rise among Americans."</p>
<p>"The impact of chemicals in our food can add up to harm, especially for pregnant women and their babies. The FDA understands this, but have failed to take proper action to keep our families safe. We urge the FDA to take action to ensure that the cumulative effects of toxic chemicals do not negatively impact moms and babies," <strong>said Charlotte Brody, RN, National Director, Healthy Babies Bright Futures</strong></p>
<p>"While not as immediate as adverse drug interactions or food poisoning, the long-term, combined impact of food chemicals on our health can be significant", <strong>said Maricel Maffini, a consultant to EDF.</strong> "For example, several food additives and contaminants in common foods – including nitrates, perchlorate, and thiocyanate – all harm the thyroid\'s ability to use iodine to make a hormone essential to brain development. Exposure to these related chemicals from various foods should be considered together, as a class, to reduce the risk for pregnant women and young children, as the chemicals all harm fetal and infant brain development in the same way."</p>
<p>The citizen <a href="http://blogs.edf.org/health/files/2020/09/Additives-Cumulative-Effects-Citizen-Petition-FINAL-9_23_20.pdf" target="_blank">petition</a> outlines the necessary steps for FDA to take to ensure that the cumulative effect of a new substance and related substances already in the diet has been adequately evaluated before the new additive is allowed in our food. Petitioners are asking that the agency update its rules, issue guidance to industry to explain what is needed to conduct a complete safety determination which includes accounting for cumulative effects, and revise its forms for industry to submit notices and petitions.</p>
<p><strong>The petitioners are:</strong> American Academy of Pediatrics, American Public Health Association, Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, Center for Food Safety, Clean Label Project, Consumer Federation of America, Consumer Reports, Endocrine Society, Environmental Defense Fund, Environmental Health Strategy Center, Environmental Working Group, and Healthy Babies Bright Futures.</p>
<p>The petitioners ask that the agency immediately put the petition out for public comment. Under its rules, FDA must respond to the petition within 180 days.</p>',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_383' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'PDF File',
          'block_type' => 'File',
          'block_alias' => 'pdf',
          'post_id' => '60566',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_1168' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'CFS Link',
          'block_type' => 'Link',
          'block_alias' => 'link',
          'post_id' => '60567',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_1169' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Image Gallery',
          'block_type' => 'Image Gallery',
          'block_alias' => 'images',
          'post_id' => '60575',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              0 => 'additives_12421.jpg',
              1 => '',
              2 => '',
              3 => '',
              4 => '',
              5 => '',
              6 => 'Lack of Key Considerations in FDA Food Chemical Safety Process Leaves Consumers at Risk of Chronic Diseases',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_2291' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Category',
          'block_type' => 'Grouping',
          'block_alias' => 'cat',
          'post_id' => '60569',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'id' => '118',
              'PARENT_ID' => '110',
              'sub_group' => '0',
              'name1' => 'Food Safety',
              'url' => 'food-safety',
              'visible' => '1',
              'order' => '11',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4805' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Tweets',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'tweets',
          'post_id' => '60570',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4806' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Quotes',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'quotes',
          'post_id' => '60571',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4807' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Join CFS',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'join',
          'post_id' => '60572',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5592' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Hide',
          'block_type' => 'Hide - In \'page\' table',
          'block_alias' => '',
          'post_id' => '60573',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5835' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Scheduler',
          'block_type' => 'Schedule',
          'block_alias' => 'scheduler',
          'post_id' => '60574',
          'content' => 
          array (
            'id' => '75',
            'PAGE_ID' => '6152',
            'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
            'set_time' => '1',
            'start_time_hour' => '',
            'start_time_minute' => '00',
            'start_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'end_time_hour' => '7',
            'end_time_minute' => '00',
            'end_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'start_month' => '09',
            'start_day' => '22',
            'start_year' => '2020',
            'end_month' => '09',
            'end_day' => '23',
            'end_year' => '2020',
            'occurs' => 'once',
            'repeat_every_int' => '1',
            'repeat_every_period' => 'year',
            'repeat_stop_after' => '1',
            'float_period' => 'first',
            'float_day_o_w' => 'sunday',
            'float_repeat_every_x_mo' => '1',
            'float_stop_after' => '1',
            'events' => 
            array (
              0 => 
              array (
                'id' => '2336',
                'SCHEDULE_ID' => '75',
                'PAGE_ID' => '6152',
                'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
                'date_start' => '2020-09-22 00:00:00',
                'date_end' => '2020-09-23 07:00:00',
                'has_start_time' => '0',
                'has_end_time' => '1',
                'occurs' => 'once',
                'start' => 'Tuesday, September 22, 2020',
                'end' => 'Wednesday, September 23, 2020, 7:00am',
              ),
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5955' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Unique Url',
          'block_type' => 'Unique Root URL',
          'block_alias' => 'unique_url',
          'post_id' => '63814',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
          ),
        ),
      ),
      'alias' => 
      array (
        'page_link' => '/press-releases/6152/lack-of-key-considerations-in-fda-food-chemical-safety-process-leaves-consumers-at-risk-of-chronic-diseases',
        'bitly' => '61s',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'lead_img' => 'additives_12421.jpg',
        'rich_snippet' => '   
 Washington, D.C.—Today, a group of health, environmental, and consumer organizations  challenged  the Food and Drug Administration&#039;s (FDA) practice of not accounting for the cumulative health effect of chemicals in the diet when allowing new chemical.',
        'page' => 
        array (
          'id' => '6152',
          'SECTION_ID' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '0',
          'BLOCK_ID' => '0',
          'order' => '55',
          'visible' => '1',
          'feature' => '0',
          'hide' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Lack of Key Considerations in FDA Food Chemical Safety Process Leaves Consumers at Risk of Chronic Diseases',
          'url' => 'lack-of-key-considerations-in-fda-food-chemical-safety-process-leaves-consumers-at-risk-of-chronic-diseases',
          'bitly' => '61s',
          'lead_img' => 'additives_12421.jpg',
          'meta_title' => 'Lack of Key Considerations in FDA Food Chemical Safety Process Leaves Consumers at Risk of Chronic Diseases',
          'meta_desc' => 'Lack of Key Considerations in FDA Food Chemical Safety Process Leaves Consumers at Risk of Chronic Diseases Agency and industry must evaluate...',
          'meta_img' => 'additives_12414.jpg',
          'meta_json' => '',
          'update_meta_title' => '0',
          'update_meta_desc' => '0',
          'update_meta_img' => '1',
          'update_meta_json' => '0',
          'start_time' => '0',
          'end_time' => '0',
        ),
        'section' => 
        array (
          'id' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '486',
          'PAGE_ID' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Press Releases',
          'url' => 'press-releases',
          'hide' => '0',
          'order' => '1',
        ),
        'bid_3612' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue 2',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel2',
          'post_id' => '60563',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_3613' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue 3',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel3',
          'post_id' => '60564',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5592' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Hide',
          'block_type' => 'Hide - In \'page\' table',
          'block_alias' => '',
          'post_id' => '60573',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'alias' => 
        array (
          'title' => 'Lack of Key Considerations in FDA Food Chemical Safety Process Leaves Consumers at Risk of Chronic Diseases',
          'subtitle' => 'Agency and industry must evaluate cumulative health effects of classes of related food chemicals',
          'hide_hero' => '1',
          'date' => '2020-09-23',
          'rel1' => 
          array (
            'custom_title' => '',
            'page_id' => '308',
            'name1' => 'Food Safety',
            'section_name1' => 'Issues',
            'page_link' => '/issues/308/food-safety',
            'lead_img' => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
            'rich_snippet' => ' According to federal data, each year, one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. These figures are likely to be far higher, as most food illnesses go unreported. The most five common pathogens causing foodborne ill.',
          ),
          'desc' => '<p style="text-align: left;"> </p>
<p>Washington, D.C.—Today, a group of health, environmental, and consumer organizations <a href="http://blogs.edf.org/health/files/2020/09/Additives-Cumulative-Effects-Citizen-Petition-FINAL-9_23_20.pdf" target="_blank">challenged</a> the Food and Drug Administration\'s (FDA) practice of not accounting for the cumulative health effect of chemicals in the diet when allowing new chemicals in food. Over 60 years ago, Congress passed a law requiring that FDA and industry do just that. Unfortunately, an Environmental Defense Fund investigation of nearly 900 safety determinations found that only one considered the requirement in a meaningful way.</p>
<p>In reviewing the correspondence between FDA and manufacturers, EDF found no evidence the agency raises concerns with this major shortcoming. The analysis also demonstrates that, when evaluating the safety of new additives, FDA and food manufacturers all too often consider one chemical at a time rather than as a class of related substances.</p>
<p>"For far too long, FDA has allowed the food industry to regulate itself, while ignoring consumers\' concerns," <strong>said Jaydee Hanson, Policy Director at Center for Food Safety.</strong> "Instead of requiring food manufacturers to notify FDA whenever new chemical substances are added to our food, FDA allows these manufacturers to self-certify in secret that their additives are safe. Not only does this prevent the public from knowing what is in their food, it prevents FDA from understanding the true cumulative effect of these chemicals on human health. This stands the regulatory process on its head."</p>
<p>"The collective failure by FDA and the food industry to follow the law may well have contributed to the dramatic increases we have seen in chronic diseases, including obesity, diabetes, and kidney disease in the US in recent decades," <strong>said Tom Neltner, Chemicals Policy Director for Environmental Defense Fund.</strong> "Every time we eat highly processed food, we are exposed to chemical additives, and – for the chemicals that cause similar toxic effects – that combined exposure can increase the harm to our health. FDA and industry can and must do better to ensure our food is safe."</p>
<p>"Pediatricians have been urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to make urgently needed improvements to the food additive regulatory process. Children are uniquely vulnerable to chemical exposures because they eat and drink more, relative to body weight, than adults do. For children, studies have suggested that some food additives can have potentially serious health consequences, such as interfering with hormones, impeding growth and development, and increasing the risk of childhood obesity. It is absolutely critical that the FDA evaluate the cumulative effects of food additives across the diet and the lifespan in order to best support children\'s healthy growth and development," <strong>stated American Academy of Pediatrics President Sara "Sally" Goza, MD, FAAP.</strong></p>
<p>"We are pleased to join this important petition calling on the FDA to protect the public\'s health by fully accounting for the cumulative health effects of the chemicals additives in our food. This call for commonsense protections is essential to preventing disease and improving the nation\'s health and wellbeing," <strong>said Georges C. Benjamin, MD, Executive Director, American Public Health Association.</strong></p>
<p>"Over 275,000 women are or will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year in the US, and most cases have nothing to do with family history. Science has shown that our exposure to toxic chemicals plays a big role; especially because we are constantly exposed to a mixture of chemicals that impact our health. So it\'s essential that the FDA fully follow and implement the law when it comes to something as basic and important as the safety of a mixture of chemicals in our food," <strong>said Lisette van Vliet, Senior Policy Coordinator, Breast Cancer Prevention Partners.</strong></p>
<p>"The food safety regulatory framework in America is largely focused on acute exposure to pathogens and microbiological contaminants. Long-term exposure to chemicals of concern including additives can take years, even decades, to manifest chronic disease. We are long overdue to evaluate the cumulative role that additives in food and consumer products play in chronic disease and adapt federal regulatory policies accordingly," <strong>stated Jaclyn Bowen MPH, MS food and consumer product safety systems engineer and executive director of Clean Label Project.</strong></p>
<p>"FDA is falling short of its mandate to protect consumers so long as it disregards the cumulative effect of food chemicals," <strong>said Thomas Gremillion, Director of Food Policy for Consumer Federation of America.</strong> "The actions called for by this petition are long overdue."  </p>
<p>"Most people are unknowingly exposed to numerous chemicals in food that may have serious adverse effects on their health,"<strong> said Michael Hansen, PhD, senior scientist for Consumer Reports.</strong> "Before approving any new chemical in food, the FDA needs to thoroughly evaluate whether it poses a threat to public health when combined with other related substances already allowed in food." </p>
<p>"The reality is we are not exposed to a single food additive or contaminant in isolation, so it does not make sense to evaluate their potential effects in isolation. Real-world dietary exposures frequently include a cocktail of endocrine-disrupting and other harmful chemicals that are either deliberately added or leach from food packaging," <strong>said Heather Patisaul, PhD, Chair of the Endocrine Society\'s Advocacy and Public Outreach Core Committee.</strong> "To effectively protect our health, we need to consider how the chemicals in our food affect hormonal, neurological and other systems in combination, particularly when evaluating new additives with similar properties."</p>
<p>"When watching what their kids eat, parents know to pay attention to the total amount of sugar from sweets, not just look at an individual candies," <strong>said Patrick MacRoy, Deputy Director at the Environmental Health Strategy Center.</strong> "Yet, when it comes to toxic chemicals in our food, the FDA has been doing the equivalent of counting how many Skittles we eat, while ignoring that we also ate a box of M&Ms and a snickers bar or two. It\'s past time for the agency to follow the law and look at the impact of chemicals that are acting in concert to harm our health."</p>
<p>"For more than 60 years the FDA has brazenly ignored its legal obligations and best scientific practices,"<strong> said Melanie Benesh, EWG legislative attorney.</strong> "We\'re exposed to multiple chemicals through our food—many of which have been linked to serious health problems like cancer, yet the agency insists on collecting data one chemical at a time. It\'s appalling that the FDA continues to neglect the cumulative effects of exposure to these chemicals as rates of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and other serious health issues continue to rise among Americans."</p>
<p>"The impact of chemicals in our food can add up to harm, especially for pregnant women and their babies. The FDA understands this, but have failed to take proper action to keep our families safe. We urge the FDA to take action to ensure that the cumulative effects of toxic chemicals do not negatively impact moms and babies," <strong>said Charlotte Brody, RN, National Director, Healthy Babies Bright Futures</strong></p>
<p>"While not as immediate as adverse drug interactions or food poisoning, the long-term, combined impact of food chemicals on our health can be significant", <strong>said Maricel Maffini, a consultant to EDF.</strong> "For example, several food additives and contaminants in common foods – including nitrates, perchlorate, and thiocyanate – all harm the thyroid\'s ability to use iodine to make a hormone essential to brain development. Exposure to these related chemicals from various foods should be considered together, as a class, to reduce the risk for pregnant women and young children, as the chemicals all harm fetal and infant brain development in the same way."</p>
<p>The citizen <a href="http://blogs.edf.org/health/files/2020/09/Additives-Cumulative-Effects-Citizen-Petition-FINAL-9_23_20.pdf" target="_blank">petition</a> outlines the necessary steps for FDA to take to ensure that the cumulative effect of a new substance and related substances already in the diet has been adequately evaluated before the new additive is allowed in our food. Petitioners are asking that the agency update its rules, issue guidance to industry to explain what is needed to conduct a complete safety determination which includes accounting for cumulative effects, and revise its forms for industry to submit notices and petitions.</p>
<p><strong>The petitioners are:</strong> American Academy of Pediatrics, American Public Health Association, Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, Center for Food Safety, Clean Label Project, Consumer Federation of America, Consumer Reports, Endocrine Society, Environmental Defense Fund, Environmental Health Strategy Center, Environmental Working Group, and Healthy Babies Bright Futures.</p>
<p>The petitioners ask that the agency immediately put the petition out for public comment. Under its rules, FDA must respond to the petition within 180 days.</p>',
          'pdf' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
          'link' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
          'images' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              0 => 'additives_12421.jpg',
              1 => '',
              2 => '',
              3 => '',
              4 => '',
              5 => '',
              6 => 'Lack of Key Considerations in FDA Food Chemical Safety Process Leaves Consumers at Risk of Chronic Diseases',
              7 => 1000,
              8 => 562,
            ),
          ),
          'cat' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'id' => '118',
              'PARENT_ID' => '110',
              'sub_group' => '0',
              'name1' => 'Food Safety',
              'url' => 'food-safety',
              'visible' => '1',
              'order' => '11',
            ),
          ),
          'tweets' => '0',
          'quotes' => '0',
          'join' => '0',
          'scheduler' => 
          array (
            'id' => '75',
            'PAGE_ID' => '6152',
            'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
            'set_time' => '1',
            'start_time_hour' => '',
            'start_time_minute' => '00',
            'start_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'end_time_hour' => '7',
            'end_time_minute' => '00',
            'end_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'start_month' => '09',
            'start_day' => '22',
            'start_year' => '2020',
            'end_month' => '09',
            'end_day' => '23',
            'end_year' => '2020',
            'occurs' => 'once',
            'repeat_every_int' => '1',
            'repeat_every_period' => 'year',
            'repeat_stop_after' => '1',
            'float_period' => 'first',
            'float_day_o_w' => 'sunday',
            'float_repeat_every_x_mo' => '1',
            'float_stop_after' => '1',
            'events' => 
            array (
              0 => 
              array (
                'id' => '2336',
                'SCHEDULE_ID' => '75',
                'PAGE_ID' => '6152',
                'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
                'date_start' => '2020-09-22 00:00:00',
                'date_end' => '2020-09-23 07:00:00',
                'has_start_time' => '0',
                'has_end_time' => '1',
                'occurs' => 'once',
                'start' => 'Tuesday, September 22, 2020',
                'end' => 'Wednesday, September 23, 2020, 7:00am',
              ),
            ),
          ),
          'unique_url' => '',
        ),
      ),
    ),
  ),
  13 => 
  array (
    'id' => '6149',
    'SECTION_ID' => '129',
    'PARENT_ID' => '0',
    'BLOCK_ID' => '0',
    'order' => '97',
    'visible' => '1',
    'feature' => '0',
    'hide' => '0',
    'name1' => 'Victory! FDA Announces Major New Food Safety Protections Pursuant to Legal Settlement with Center for Food Safety',
    'url' => 'victory-fda-announces-major-new-food-safety-protections-pursuant-to-legal-settlement-with-center-for-food-safety',
    'bitly' => '61p',
    'lead_img' => 'fsma_18173.png',
    'meta_title' => 'Victory! FDA Announces Major New Food Safety Protections Pursuant to Legal Settlement with Center for Food Safety',
    'meta_desc' => 'Victory! FDA Announces Major New Food Safety Protections Pursuant to Legal Settlement with Center for Food Safety FDA announces proposed rule to...',
    'meta_img' => 'vict_18434.png',
    'meta_json' => '',
    'update_meta_title' => '0',
    'update_meta_desc' => '0',
    'update_meta_img' => '1',
    'update_meta_json' => '0',
    'start_time' => '0',
    'end_time' => '0',
    'content' => 
    array (
      'typ' => 
      array (
        'page_id' => '6149',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'text' => 
        array (
          0 => 'Victory! FDA Announces Major New Food Safety Protections Pursuant to Legal Settlement with Center for Food Safety',
          1 => 'FDA announces proposed rule to establish additional traceability methods for certain foods as required y FSMA',
          2 => '',
        ),
        'checkbox' => 
        array (
          0 => '1',
          1 => '0',
          2 => '0',
          3 => '0',
        ),
        'date' => 
        array (
          0 => '2020-09-21',
        ),
        'relation' => 
        array (
          0 => 
          array (
            'custom' => 
            array (
              0 => '',
            ),
            'page_id' => '5921',
            'basic' => 
            array (
              'page_id' => '5921',
              'root_url' => 'media',
              'root' => 'Media',
              'text' => 
              array (
                0 => 'Center for Food Safety Lawsuit Requires FDA to Establish Laboratory Accreditation Program by New Deadline',
                1 => 'Program intended to help FDA rapidly detect and respond to foodborne illness outbreaks',
                2 => '',
              ),
              'checkbox' => 
              array (
                0 => '1',
                1 => '0',
                2 => '0',
                3 => '0',
              ),
              'date' => 
              array (
                0 => '2020-02-11',
              ),
              'relation' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'custom' => 
                  array (
                    0 => '',
                  ),
                  'page_id' => '5857',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  'custom' => 
                  array (
                    0 => '',
                  ),
                  'page_id' => '5621',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  'custom' => 
                  array (
                    0 => '',
                  ),
                  'page_id' => '5430',
                ),
              ),
              'rich' => 
              array (
                0 => '<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Center for Food Safety Lawsuit Requires FDA to Establish Laboratory Accreditation Program by New Deadline</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><em>Program intended to help FDA rapidly detect and respond to foodborne illness outbreaks</em></p>
<p>Washington, D.C.—Pursuant to a Center for Food Safety (CFS) lawsuit and now-final <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/2020-02-11--doc-31-order-consent-decree_70062.pdf" target="_blank">settlement</a>, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has agreed to establish a new program for the testing of food by accredited laboratories. The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) required FDA to establish the laboratory accreditation program by January 2013. After years of delay, CFS sued FDA in August 2019 for failing to establish the new program for food testing. The settlement requires the agency to establish the laboratory accreditation program by February 2022.</p>
<p>"This is a big win for consumers and public health," said Ryan Talbott, CFS staff attorney. "Establishing this program will increase the number of labs that are accredited to conduct food safety testing and will better equip FDA to reduce the threat of foodborne illness. This settlement ensures FDA will finally establish this critical program by a hard deadline."</p>
<p>Congress enacted FSMA in a bipartisan effort because foodborne illness is a serious epidemic in the United States. An estimated one in six Americans, or 48 million people, become ill from foodborne diseases each year according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Approximately 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die every year based on exposure to pathogens present in the food supply. The annual cost to the U.S. economy in medical bills and productivity losses alone is over <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26038894" target="_blank">$93 billion</a>.</p>
<p>FSMA requires a range of measures to address the foodborne illness epidemic, including the establishment of a new laboratory accreditation program. This program is critical for FDA to ensure that food testing laboratories meet high-quality standards and that food producers and processors are complying with other FSMA provisions. Congress required FDA to establish the laboratory accreditation program by January 2013. Yet more than six years after this deadline, and <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/fact-sheets/5428/foodborne-illness-outbreaks-since-enactment-of-fsma-on-january-4th-2011" target="_blank">countless numbers of food safety illness episodes later</a>—including a 2018 E. coli outbreak linked to romaine lettuce that resulted in five deaths and 210 sickened people in 36 states—FDA has failed to designate any high-risk foods.</p>
<p>"After years of delay, FDA must now follow through and establish this much needed laboratory accreditation program," said Jaydee Hanson, CFS policy director. "Increasing and integrating the number of labs conducting food testing will better ensure compliance with FSMA\'s preventive controls and help FDA to rapidly detect and respond to foodborne illness outbreaks when they do occur." </p>
<p>Background</p>
<p>This is the third successful case that CFS has brought against FDA to enforce FSMA\'s requirements. <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/blog/2179/putting-the-food-safety-back-in-the-food-safety-modernization-act" target="_blank">In 2012-2014</a>, CFS <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/issues/308/food-safety/press-releases/2430/federal-court-again-sides-with-center-for-food-safety-in-food-safety-case" target="_blank">successfully litigated</a> the <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/723/center-for-food-safety-lawsuit-targets-fda-omb-on-stalled-food-safety-act" target="_blank">first-ever FSMA lawsuit</a>, over FDA\'s failure to comply with FSMA\'s requirements that FDA promulgate and issue seven different major food safety rules, the basic rules that oversee all areas of the food system under FSMA, including food production, transport, and imports. <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/blog/2954/protecting-public-health-one-case-at-a-time" target="_blank">That case resulted</a> in FDA\'s enactment of those core regulations based on new <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/2919/victory-your-food-will-be-safer-thanks-to-center-for-food-safety-lawsuit" target="_blank">Court-set deadlines</a>. In 2018-2019, CFS <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/5621/center-for-food-safety-lawsuit-requires-fda-to-address-foodborne-illness-outbreaks-by-new-deadlines" target="_blank">successfully litigated</a> its second FSMA lawsuit over FDA\'s failure to designate and establish reporting requirements for foods that are at "high-risk" of foodborne illness outbreaks. That case resulted in FDA agreeing to designate "high-risk" foods by September 2020 and establish reporting requirements for those foods by November 2022.</p>',
              ),
              'file' => 
              array (
                0 => '',
                1 => '',
              ),
              'link' => 
              array (
                0 => '',
                1 => '',
              ),
              'lead_img' => 'fsma_69925.jpg',
              'gallery' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'fsma_69925.jpg',
                  1 => '',
                  2 => '',
                  3 => '',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
              ),
              'url' => '/press-releases/5921/center-for-food-safety-lawsuit-requires-fda-to-establish-laboratory-accreditation-program-by-new-deadline',
            ),
          ),
          1 => 
          array (
            'custom' => 
            array (
              0 => '',
            ),
            'page_id' => '5621',
            'basic' => 
            array (
              'page_id' => '5621',
              'root_url' => 'media',
              'root' => 'Media',
              'text' => 
              array (
                0 => 'Center for Food Safety Lawsuit Requires FDA to Address Foodborne Illness Outbreaks by New Deadlines',
              ),
              'date' => 
              array (
                0 => '2019-06-07',
              ),
              'relation' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'custom' => 
                  array (
                    0 => '',
                  ),
                  'page_id' => '5430',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  'custom' => 
                  array (
                    0 => '',
                  ),
                  'page_id' => '2325',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  'custom' => 
                  array (
                    0 => '',
                  ),
                  'page_id' => '308',
                ),
              ),
              'rich' => 
              array (
                0 => '<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Center for Food Safety Lawsuit Requires FDA to Address Foodborne Illness Outbreaks by New Deadlines</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Settlement Requires Agency to Classify and Establish New Reporting Requirements for "High-Risk" Foods</em></p>
<p><strong>Washington, D.C.—</strong>Pursuant to a Center for Food Safety (CFS) lawsuit and <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/2019-06-07--doc-33-1--consent-decree_35775.pdf" target="_blank">now-final settlement</a>, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has agreed to complete important and long-overdue food safety rules implementing the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). FSMA required FDA to designate and establish new reporting requirements for foods that are at "high-risk" of foodborne illness outbreaks. CFS sued FDA in October 2018 for failing to complete the high-risk food designations and reporting requirements. The settlement requires the agency to designate "high-risk" foods by September 2020 and establish reporting requirements for those foods by November 2022.</p>
<p>"This is a major victory for public health," <strong>said Ryan Talbott, CFS staff attorney.</strong> "FDA has sat on its hands for years, neglecting to make these high-risk designations, while outbreaks caused by <em>Salmonella, E. coli</em>, and other pathogens have sicken and killed people. This settlement ensures FDA will finally take these much-needed actions to reduce the threat of foodborne illness."</p>
<p>An estimated one in six Americans, or 48 million people, become ill from foodborne diseases each year according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Approximately 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die every year based on exposure to pathogens present in the food supply. The annual cost to the U.S. economy in medical bills and productivity losses alone is over <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26038894" target="_blank">$93 billion</a>.</p>
<p>FSMA requires a range of preventive measures to reduce foodborne hazards, including the designation of "high-risk" foods that are more susceptible to being a source for foodborne illness outbreaks and additional reporting requirements for them. Congress required FDA to designate high-risk foods by January 2012 and to propose recordkeeping requirements for facilities that handle those foods by January 2013. Yet more than five years after these deadlines, and <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/fact-sheets/5428/foodborne-illness-outbreaks-since-enactment-of-fsma-on-january-4th-2011" target="_blank">countless numbers of food safety illness episodes later</a>—including last year\'s <em>E. coli</em> outbreak linked to romaine lettuce that resulted in five deaths and 210 sickened people in 36 states—FDA has failed to designate any high-risk foods.</p>
<p>"After years of stalling, FDA can no longer delay enacting the FSMA high-risk food regulations," <strong>said Jaydee Hanson, CFS policy director.</strong> "FDA needs to designate what these high-risk foods are and how they should be reported so that we can build a safer food system that prevents as many of these foodborne illness outbreaks as possible." </p>
<p><strong>Background</strong></p>
<p>This is the second successful case that CFS has brought against FDA to enforce FSMA\'s requirements. In <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/blog/2179/putting-the-food-safety-back-in-the-food-safety-modernization-act" target="_blank">2012-2014</a>, CFS <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/issues/308/food-safety/press-releases/2430/federal-court-again-sides-with-center-for-food-safety-in-food-safety-case" target="_blank">successfully litigated</a> the <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/723/center-for-food-safety-lawsuit-targets-fda-omb-on-stalled-food-safety-act" target="_blank">first-ever FSMA lawsuit</a>, over FDA\'s failure to comply with FSMA\'s requirements that FDA promulgate and issue seven different major food safety rules, the basic rules that oversee all areas of the food system under FSMA, including food production, transport, and imports. <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/blog/2954/protecting-public-health-one-case-at-a-time" target="_blank">That case resulted</a> in FDA\'s enactment of those core regulations based on new <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/2919/victory-your-food-will-be-safer-thanks-to-center-for-food-safety-lawsuit" target="_blank">Court-set deadlines</a>.</p>',
              ),
              'file' => 
              array (
                0 => '2019-06-07--doc-33-1--consent-decree_35775.pdf',
                1 => '',
              ),
              'link' => 
              array (
                0 => '',
                1 => '',
              ),
              'lead_img' => 'child-hero_51524_35578.jpg',
              'gallery' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'child-hero_51524_35578.jpg',
                  1 => '',
                  2 => '',
                  3 => '',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
              ),
              'checkbox' => 
              array (
                0 => '0',
                1 => '0',
                2 => '0',
              ),
              'url' => '/press-releases/5621/center-for-food-safety-lawsuit-requires-fda-to-address-foodborne-illness-outbreaks-by-new-deadlines',
            ),
          ),
          2 => 
          array (
            'custom' => 
            array (
              0 => '',
            ),
            'page_id' => '308',
            'basic' => 
            array (
              'page_id' => '308',
              'root_url' => 'issues',
              'root' => 'Issues',
              'text' => 
              array (
                0 => 'Food Safety',
                1 => '',
                2 => 'Food Safety',
                3 => 'From:CFSTrueFood+#foodsafety',
              ),
              'rich' => 
              array (
                0 => '<p>According to federal data, each year, one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. These figures are likely to be far higher, as most food illnesses go unreported. The most five common pathogens causing foodborne illnesses resulting in hospitalizations are: salmonella, norovirus, Campylobacter, toxoplasma gondii, and E. coli 0157.</p>
<p>Almost every week brings more news of food contamination or foodborne illness outbreak. What’s going on? Our industrialized food system is the root cause of many of these outbreaks.</p>
<p>Industrialization of the food supply</p>
<p>One likely cause is overcrowded conditions on factory farms, where animals get sick and pass the disease on to other animals. Another factor is our wide distribution system, in which contaminated food is transported across the nation. Also, we are increasingly relying on imported foods with unknown safety standards. (For example, 60 percent of our seafood is imported.) Adding to this perfect storm is government deregulation and inadequate funding for inspections and oversight.</p>
<p>Another critical food safety problem is the thousands of chemical additives Americans consume every day. Thanks to industry influence over the approval process, the long-term safety risks for most of these substances are unknown.</p>
<p>For example, for years science has pointed to chemical food dyes as a significant contributor to child behavioral problems. And yet the federal government still denies this connection. In addition, we’ve seen a huge increase in food allergies in children in recent years, but without much explanation of the causes. Clearly, more research is needed into how the industrialized food supply may be impacting our health in ways that are less obvious than foodborne illness.</p>
<p>Political influence</p>
<p>Nothing about food safety takes place in a political vacuum. For decades, the food industry has lobbied to ensure the status quo. And when we finally do get a rare policy victory, such as the passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act (passed in 2010), the game switches to “starving the beast” – limiting the funds for government to adequately carry out the legislative intent.</p>
<p>Powerful trade groups such as the American Meat Institute lobby against common sense policy improvements, such as expanding required testing for deadly bacteria in ground beef. Another important political factor is international trade. Other nations get upset when theU.S.government demands higher scrutiny of imports. In addition, the Food and Drug Administration, despite having jurisdiction over most of the food supply, is constantly under-funded, limiting inspection and enforcement actions; again, thanks to powerful lobbyists who like it that way.</p>
<p>What can we do about it?</p>
<p>President Obama has pledged a complete overhaul of our food system. The Center for Food Safety believes this will require elevating food safety within government to be a cabinet level agency. The mission of this new food agency must be to evaluate how best to regulate food production to prevent the greatest food safety hazards caused by large industrial agriculture and processed foods and while also protecting and supporting smaller, family, and diversified farms. But such an overhaul can only be successful by removing politics from food safety.</p>
<p>Additional Food Safety Resources</p>
<p><a href="http://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/cdc-and-food-safety.html" target="_blank">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.fsis.usda.gov/" target="_blank">United States Department of Agriculture</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.fda.gov/food/foodsafety/default.htm" target="_blank">Food and Drug Administration</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.foodsafety.gov/" target="_blank">FoodSafety.gov</a></p>',
              ),
              'lead_img' => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
              'gallery' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
                  1 => 'NEW REPORT: TPP Serves Up an Unsavory Dinner',
                  2 => '<p>If you’ve been listening to or reading the news at any point over the past year, it’s likely that you’ve heard about the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP. While the term may be familiar, the connection between TPP and what you find on your dinner plate may not be.</p>',
                  3 => 'http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/reports/4573/tpp-serves-up-an-unsavory-dinner',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'oilandwater_thinkbeforeyoupink_hero2_14465.jpg',
                  1 => 'Tell Bee Sweet Citrus and Wonderful Company to Stop Watering Our Food with Oil Wastewater!',
                  2 => '<p>The use of oil wastewater for food irrigation is an urgent public health issue because of the potentially hazardous chemicals associated with all oil extraction processes – including toxic chemicals linked to cancer. Tell Wonderful Company and Bee Sweet Citrus to stop watering our food with toxic oil wastewater!</p>',
                  3 => 'http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/1881/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=19536',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'istock_000009992043small_78906.jpg',
                  1 => 'Court Victory: Consumers Have a Right to Know About Their Food',
                  2 => '<p>The Washington D.C. Court of Appeals upheld the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) rule which requires information about where meat is raised and slaughtered. USDA drafted COOL rules in 2009 and finalized them in 2013.</p>',
                  3 => 'http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/3404/court-victory-consumers-have-a-right-to-know-about-their-food',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
              ),
              'images' => 
              array (
                0 => 'foodsafety_48189.png',
                1 => '',
                2 => 'foodsafety_68552.png',
                3 => '',
              ),
              'group' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '94',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '48',
                  'sub_group' => '0',
                  'name1' => 'Food Safety',
                  'url' => 'food-safety',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'order' => '4',
                ),
              ),
              'color' => 
              array (
                0 => '#f79676',
                1 => 'Food Safety Mauve',
              ),
              'section' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '219',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Food Safety & Food Recalls',
                  'url' => 'food-safety-and-food-recalls',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '158',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '329',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Industrialization of the Food Supply',
                  'url' => 'industrialization-of-the-food-supply',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '159',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '330',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Political Influence',
                  'url' => 'political-influence',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '160',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
              ),
              'checkbox' => 
              array (
                0 => '1',
                1 => '0',
                2 => '1',
              ),
              'url' => '/issues/308/food-safety',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'rich' => 
        array (
          0 => '<p style="text-align: left;"> </p>
<p>Washington, D.C.—Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) <a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/cfsan-constituent-updates/fda-announces-fsma-food-traceability-proposed-rule-major-milestone-new-era-smarter-food-safety" target="_blank">announced</a> a proposed rule to establish additional traceability recordkeeping requirements for certain foods that are considered "high-risk" sources of foodborne illness outbreaks, such as leafy greens, fresh cut fruits and vegetables, some types of fish, shell eggs, nut butters, and more. The proposed rule follows <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/blog/5622/taking-foodborne-illness-off-the-menu" target="_blank">the now-final settlement</a> in Center for Food Safety\'s (CFS) litigation requiring FDA to meet the deadlines and reporting requirements as mandated by the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) of 2011.</p>
<p>Congress enacted FSMA in a bipartisan effort to combat the growing foodborne illness epidemic in the U.S. CFS originally <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/5430/food-safety-groups-sue-fda-over-failure-to-address-foodborne-illness-outbreaks" target="_blank">filed the case in 2018</a> as the second of three successful cases that CFS brought against FDA for <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/fsma-foodborne-illness_18344.pdf" target="_blank">failing to meet congressional deadlines</a> in FSMA.</p>
<p><strong>Statement from Ryan Talbott, Staff Attorney at Center for Food Safety:</strong></p>
<p>"We are pleased FDA has now released this important rule, as required by the Court order and settlement in our litigation to compel compliance with FSMA. It should not have taken litigation for FDA to publish this proposed rule but now that it is out, we will be analyzing the merits of the proposal closely and continue to ensure the agency follows the law in finalizing the rule."</p>',
        ),
        'file' => 
        array (
          0 => '',
          1 => '',
        ),
        'link' => 
        array (
          0 => '',
          1 => '',
        ),
        'lead_img' => 'fsma_18173.png',
        'gallery' => 
        array (
          0 => 
          array (
            0 => 'fsma_18173.png',
            1 => '',
            2 => '',
            3 => '',
            4 => '',
            5 => '',
            6 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'group' => 
        array (
          0 => 
          array (
            'id' => '110',
            'PARENT_ID' => '0',
            'sub_group' => '0',
            'name1' => 'Press Releases Categories',
            'url' => 'press-releases-categories',
            'visible' => '1',
            'order' => '5',
          ),
          1 => 
          array (
            'id' => '118',
            'PARENT_ID' => '110',
            'sub_group' => '0',
            'name1' => 'Food Safety',
            'url' => 'food-safety',
            'visible' => '1',
            'order' => '11',
          ),
        ),
        'url' => '/press-releases/6149/victory-fda-announces-major-new-food-safety-protections-pursuant-to-legal-settlement-with-center-for-food-safety',
      ),
      'bid' => 
      array (
        'page_link' => '/press-releases/6149/victory-fda-announces-major-new-food-safety-protections-pursuant-to-legal-settlement-with-center-for-food-safety',
        'bitly' => '61p',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'lead_img' => 'fsma_18173.png',
        'rich_snippet' => '   
 Washington, D.C.—Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)  announced  a proposed rule to establish additional traceability recordkeeping requirements for certain foods that are considered "high-risk" sources of foodborne illness outbre.',
        'page' => 
        array (
          'id' => '6149',
          'SECTION_ID' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '0',
          'BLOCK_ID' => '0',
          'order' => '57',
          'visible' => '1',
          'feature' => '0',
          'hide' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Victory! FDA Announces Major New Food Safety Protections Pursuant to Legal Settlement with Center for Food Safety',
          'url' => 'victory-fda-announces-major-new-food-safety-protections-pursuant-to-legal-settlement-with-center-for-food-safety',
          'bitly' => '61p',
          'lead_img' => 'fsma_18173.png',
          'meta_title' => 'Victory! FDA Announces Major New Food Safety Protections Pursuant to Legal Settlement with Center for Food Safety',
          'meta_desc' => 'Victory! FDA Announces Major New Food Safety Protections Pursuant to Legal Settlement with Center for Food Safety FDA announces proposed rule to...',
          'meta_img' => 'vict_18434.png',
          'meta_json' => '',
          'update_meta_title' => '0',
          'update_meta_desc' => '0',
          'update_meta_img' => '1',
          'update_meta_json' => '0',
          'start_time' => '0',
          'end_time' => '0',
        ),
        'section' => 
        array (
          'id' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '486',
          'PAGE_ID' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Press Releases',
          'url' => 'press-releases',
          'hide' => '0',
          'order' => '1',
        ),
        'bid_380' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Title',
          'block_type' => 'Plain Text',
          'block_alias' => 'title',
          'post_id' => '60510',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 'Victory! FDA Announces Major New Food Safety Protections Pursuant to Legal Settlement with Center for Food Safety',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5959' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Subtitle',
          'block_type' => 'Plain Text',
          'block_alias' => 'subtitle',
          'post_id' => '63818',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 'FDA announces proposed rule to establish additional traceability methods for certain foods as required y FSMA',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5957' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Show Hero Image',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'hide_hero',
          'post_id' => '63819',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '1',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_381' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Date',
          'block_type' => 'Date',
          'block_alias' => 'date',
          'post_id' => '60511',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '2020-09-21',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_2294' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel1',
          'post_id' => '60512',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'custom_title' => '',
              'page_id' => '5921',
              'name1' => 'Center for Food Safety Lawsuit Requires FDA to Establish Laboratory Accreditation Program by New Deadline',
              'section_name1' => 'Press Releases',
              'page_link' => '/press-releases/5921/center-for-food-safety-lawsuit-requires-fda-to-establish-laboratory-accreditation-program-by-new-deadline',
              'lead_img' => 'fsma_69925.jpg',
              'rich_snippet' => '  Center for Food Safety Lawsuit Requires FDA to Establish Laboratory Accreditation Program by New Deadline  
  Program intended to help FDA rapidly detect and respond to foodborne illness outbreaks  
 Washington, D.C.—Pursuant to a Center for Food Safety (CFS).',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_3612' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue 2',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel2',
          'post_id' => '60513',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'custom_title' => '',
              'page_id' => '5621',
              'name1' => 'Center for Food Safety Lawsuit Requires FDA to Address Foodborne Illness Outbreaks by New Deadlines',
              'section_name1' => 'Press Releases',
              'page_link' => '/press-releases/5621/center-for-food-safety-lawsuit-requires-fda-to-address-foodborne-illness-outbreaks-by-new-deadlines',
              'lead_img' => 'child-hero_51524_35578.jpg',
              'rich_snippet' => '  Center for Food Safety Lawsuit Requires FDA to Address Foodborne Illness Outbreaks by New Deadlines  
  Settlement Requires Agency to Classify and Establish New Reporting Requirements for "High-Risk" Foods  
  Washington, D.C.— Pursuant to a Center .',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_3613' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue 3',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel3',
          'post_id' => '60514',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'custom_title' => '',
              'page_id' => '308',
              'name1' => 'Food Safety',
              'section_name1' => 'Issues',
              'page_link' => '/issues/308/food-safety',
              'lead_img' => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
              'rich_snippet' => '<p>According to federal data, each year, one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. These figures are likely to be far higher, as most food illnesses go unreported. The most five common pathogens causing foodborne i.',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_382' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Description',
          'block_type' => 'Rich Text',
          'block_alias' => 'desc',
          'post_id' => '60515',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '<p style="text-align: left;"> </p>
<p>Washington, D.C.—Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) <a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/cfsan-constituent-updates/fda-announces-fsma-food-traceability-proposed-rule-major-milestone-new-era-smarter-food-safety" target="_blank">announced</a> a proposed rule to establish additional traceability recordkeeping requirements for certain foods that are considered "high-risk" sources of foodborne illness outbreaks, such as leafy greens, fresh cut fruits and vegetables, some types of fish, shell eggs, nut butters, and more. The proposed rule follows <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/blog/5622/taking-foodborne-illness-off-the-menu" target="_blank">the now-final settlement</a> in Center for Food Safety\'s (CFS) litigation requiring FDA to meet the deadlines and reporting requirements as mandated by the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) of 2011.</p>
<p>Congress enacted FSMA in a bipartisan effort to combat the growing foodborne illness epidemic in the U.S. CFS originally <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/5430/food-safety-groups-sue-fda-over-failure-to-address-foodborne-illness-outbreaks" target="_blank">filed the case in 2018</a> as the second of three successful cases that CFS brought against FDA for <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/fsma-foodborne-illness_18344.pdf" target="_blank">failing to meet congressional deadlines</a> in FSMA.</p>
<p><strong>Statement from Ryan Talbott, Staff Attorney at Center for Food Safety:</strong></p>
<p>"We are pleased FDA has now released this important rule, as required by the Court order and settlement in our litigation to compel compliance with FSMA. It should not have taken litigation for FDA to publish this proposed rule but now that it is out, we will be analyzing the merits of the proposal closely and continue to ensure the agency follows the law in finalizing the rule."</p>',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_383' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'PDF File',
          'block_type' => 'File',
          'block_alias' => 'pdf',
          'post_id' => '60516',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_1168' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'CFS Link',
          'block_type' => 'Link',
          'block_alias' => 'link',
          'post_id' => '60517',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_1169' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Image Gallery',
          'block_type' => 'Image Gallery',
          'block_alias' => 'images',
          'post_id' => '60525',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              0 => 'fsma_18173.png',
              1 => '',
              2 => '',
              3 => '',
              4 => '',
              5 => '',
              6 => 'Victory! FDA Announces Major New Food Safety Protections Pursuant to Legal Settlement with Center for Food Safety',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_2291' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Category',
          'block_type' => 'Grouping',
          'block_alias' => 'cat',
          'post_id' => '60519',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'id' => '118',
              'PARENT_ID' => '110',
              'sub_group' => '0',
              'name1' => 'Food Safety',
              'url' => 'food-safety',
              'visible' => '1',
              'order' => '11',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4805' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Tweets',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'tweets',
          'post_id' => '60520',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4806' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Quotes',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'quotes',
          'post_id' => '60521',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4807' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Join CFS',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'join',
          'post_id' => '60522',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5592' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Hide',
          'block_type' => 'Hide - In \'page\' table',
          'block_alias' => '',
          'post_id' => '60523',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5835' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Scheduler',
          'block_type' => 'Schedule',
          'block_alias' => 'scheduler',
          'post_id' => '60524',
          'content' => 
          array (
            'id' => '73',
            'PAGE_ID' => '6149',
            'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
            'set_time' => '0',
            'start_time_hour' => 'NA',
            'start_time_minute' => '00',
            'start_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'end_time_hour' => 'NA',
            'end_time_minute' => '00',
            'end_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'start_month' => '09',
            'start_day' => '21',
            'start_year' => '2020',
            'end_month' => '09',
            'end_day' => '21',
            'end_year' => '2020',
            'occurs' => 'once',
            'repeat_every_int' => '1',
            'repeat_every_period' => 'year',
            'repeat_stop_after' => '1',
            'float_period' => 'first',
            'float_day_o_w' => 'sunday',
            'float_repeat_every_x_mo' => '1',
            'float_stop_after' => '1',
            'events' => 
            array (
              0 => 
              array (
                'id' => '2338',
                'SCHEDULE_ID' => '73',
                'PAGE_ID' => '6149',
                'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
                'date_start' => '2020-09-21 00:00:00',
                'date_end' => '2020-09-21 00:00:00',
                'has_start_time' => '0',
                'has_end_time' => '0',
                'occurs' => 'once',
                'start' => 'Monday, September 21, 2020',
                'end' => '',
              ),
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5955' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Unique Url',
          'block_type' => 'Unique Root URL',
          'block_alias' => 'unique_url',
          'post_id' => '63820',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
          ),
        ),
      ),
      'alias' => 
      array (
        'page_link' => '/press-releases/6149/victory-fda-announces-major-new-food-safety-protections-pursuant-to-legal-settlement-with-center-for-food-safety',
        'bitly' => '61p',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'lead_img' => 'fsma_18173.png',
        'rich_snippet' => '   
 Washington, D.C.—Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)  announced  a proposed rule to establish additional traceability recordkeeping requirements for certain foods that are considered "high-risk" sources of foodborne illness outbre.',
        'page' => 
        array (
          'id' => '6149',
          'SECTION_ID' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '0',
          'BLOCK_ID' => '0',
          'order' => '57',
          'visible' => '1',
          'feature' => '0',
          'hide' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Victory! FDA Announces Major New Food Safety Protections Pursuant to Legal Settlement with Center for Food Safety',
          'url' => 'victory-fda-announces-major-new-food-safety-protections-pursuant-to-legal-settlement-with-center-for-food-safety',
          'bitly' => '61p',
          'lead_img' => 'fsma_18173.png',
          'meta_title' => 'Victory! FDA Announces Major New Food Safety Protections Pursuant to Legal Settlement with Center for Food Safety',
          'meta_desc' => 'Victory! FDA Announces Major New Food Safety Protections Pursuant to Legal Settlement with Center for Food Safety FDA announces proposed rule to...',
          'meta_img' => 'vict_18434.png',
          'meta_json' => '',
          'update_meta_title' => '0',
          'update_meta_desc' => '0',
          'update_meta_img' => '1',
          'update_meta_json' => '0',
          'start_time' => '0',
          'end_time' => '0',
        ),
        'section' => 
        array (
          'id' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '486',
          'PAGE_ID' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Press Releases',
          'url' => 'press-releases',
          'hide' => '0',
          'order' => '1',
        ),
        'bid_5592' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Hide',
          'block_type' => 'Hide - In \'page\' table',
          'block_alias' => '',
          'post_id' => '60523',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'alias' => 
        array (
          'title' => 'Victory! FDA Announces Major New Food Safety Protections Pursuant to Legal Settlement with Center for Food Safety',
          'subtitle' => 'FDA announces proposed rule to establish additional traceability methods for certain foods as required y FSMA',
          'hide_hero' => '1',
          'date' => '2020-09-21',
          'rel1' => 
          array (
            'custom_title' => '',
            'page_id' => '5921',
            'name1' => 'Center for Food Safety Lawsuit Requires FDA to Establish Laboratory Accreditation Program by New Deadline',
            'section_name1' => 'Press Releases',
            'page_link' => '/press-releases/5921/center-for-food-safety-lawsuit-requires-fda-to-establish-laboratory-accreditation-program-by-new-deadline',
            'lead_img' => 'fsma_69925.jpg',
            'rich_snippet' => '  Center for Food Safety Lawsuit Requires FDA to Establish Laboratory Accreditation Program by New Deadline  
  Program intended to help FDA rapidly detect and respond to foodborne illness outbreaks  
 Washington, D.C.—Pursuant to a Center for Food Safety (CFS).',
          ),
          'rel2' => 
          array (
            'custom_title' => '',
            'page_id' => '5621',
            'name1' => 'Center for Food Safety Lawsuit Requires FDA to Address Foodborne Illness Outbreaks by New Deadlines',
            'section_name1' => 'Press Releases',
            'page_link' => '/press-releases/5621/center-for-food-safety-lawsuit-requires-fda-to-address-foodborne-illness-outbreaks-by-new-deadlines',
            'lead_img' => 'child-hero_51524_35578.jpg',
            'rich_snippet' => '  Center for Food Safety Lawsuit Requires FDA to Address Foodborne Illness Outbreaks by New Deadlines  
  Settlement Requires Agency to Classify and Establish New Reporting Requirements for "High-Risk" Foods  
  Washington, D.C.— Pursuant to a Center .',
          ),
          'rel3' => 
          array (
            'custom_title' => '',
            'page_id' => '308',
            'name1' => 'Food Safety',
            'section_name1' => 'Issues',
            'page_link' => '/issues/308/food-safety',
            'lead_img' => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
            'rich_snippet' => ' According to federal data, each year, one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. These figures are likely to be far higher, as most food illnesses go unreported. The most five common pathogens causing foodborne ill.',
          ),
          'desc' => '<p style="text-align: left;"> </p>
<p>Washington, D.C.—Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) <a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/cfsan-constituent-updates/fda-announces-fsma-food-traceability-proposed-rule-major-milestone-new-era-smarter-food-safety" target="_blank">announced</a> a proposed rule to establish additional traceability recordkeeping requirements for certain foods that are considered "high-risk" sources of foodborne illness outbreaks, such as leafy greens, fresh cut fruits and vegetables, some types of fish, shell eggs, nut butters, and more. The proposed rule follows <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/blog/5622/taking-foodborne-illness-off-the-menu" target="_blank">the now-final settlement</a> in Center for Food Safety\'s (CFS) litigation requiring FDA to meet the deadlines and reporting requirements as mandated by the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) of 2011.</p>
<p>Congress enacted FSMA in a bipartisan effort to combat the growing foodborne illness epidemic in the U.S. CFS originally <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/5430/food-safety-groups-sue-fda-over-failure-to-address-foodborne-illness-outbreaks" target="_blank">filed the case in 2018</a> as the second of three successful cases that CFS brought against FDA for <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/fsma-foodborne-illness_18344.pdf" target="_blank">failing to meet congressional deadlines</a> in FSMA.</p>
<p><strong>Statement from Ryan Talbott, Staff Attorney at Center for Food Safety:</strong></p>
<p>"We are pleased FDA has now released this important rule, as required by the Court order and settlement in our litigation to compel compliance with FSMA. It should not have taken litigation for FDA to publish this proposed rule but now that it is out, we will be analyzing the merits of the proposal closely and continue to ensure the agency follows the law in finalizing the rule."</p>',
          'pdf' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
          'link' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
          'images' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              0 => 'fsma_18173.png',
              1 => '',
              2 => '',
              3 => '',
              4 => '',
              5 => '',
              6 => 'Victory! FDA Announces Major New Food Safety Protections Pursuant to Legal Settlement with Center for Food Safety',
              7 => 1000,
              8 => 562,
            ),
          ),
          'cat' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'id' => '118',
              'PARENT_ID' => '110',
              'sub_group' => '0',
              'name1' => 'Food Safety',
              'url' => 'food-safety',
              'visible' => '1',
              'order' => '11',
            ),
          ),
          'tweets' => '0',
          'quotes' => '0',
          'join' => '0',
          'scheduler' => 
          array (
            'id' => '73',
            'PAGE_ID' => '6149',
            'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
            'set_time' => '0',
            'start_time_hour' => 'NA',
            'start_time_minute' => '00',
            'start_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'end_time_hour' => 'NA',
            'end_time_minute' => '00',
            'end_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'start_month' => '09',
            'start_day' => '21',
            'start_year' => '2020',
            'end_month' => '09',
            'end_day' => '21',
            'end_year' => '2020',
            'occurs' => 'once',
            'repeat_every_int' => '1',
            'repeat_every_period' => 'year',
            'repeat_stop_after' => '1',
            'float_period' => 'first',
            'float_day_o_w' => 'sunday',
            'float_repeat_every_x_mo' => '1',
            'float_stop_after' => '1',
            'events' => 
            array (
              0 => 
              array (
                'id' => '2338',
                'SCHEDULE_ID' => '73',
                'PAGE_ID' => '6149',
                'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
                'date_start' => '2020-09-21 00:00:00',
                'date_end' => '2020-09-21 00:00:00',
                'has_start_time' => '0',
                'has_end_time' => '0',
                'occurs' => 'once',
                'start' => 'Monday, September 21, 2020',
                'end' => '',
              ),
            ),
          ),
          'unique_url' => '',
        ),
      ),
    ),
  ),
  14 => 
  array (
    'id' => '5975',
    'SECTION_ID' => '129',
    'PARENT_ID' => '0',
    'BLOCK_ID' => '0',
    'order' => '128',
    'visible' => '1',
    'feature' => '0',
    'hide' => '0',
    'name1' => 'New Swine Rules So Dangerous They Could Spur Another Zoonotic Pandemic',
    'url' => 'new-swine-rules-so-dangerous-they-could-spur-another-zoonotic-pandemic',
    'bitly' => '5vq',
    'lead_img' => 'swinecarc_07001.jpg',
    'meta_title' => 'Center for Food Safety | Press Releases |  | New Swine Rules So Dangerous They Could Spur Another Zoonotic Pandemic',
    'meta_desc' => 'Washington, D.C. —Newly received data released today shows that the U.S. Department of Agriculture\'s (USDA) new rules for swine slaughter...',
    'meta_img' => 'swinecarc_06992.jpg',
    'meta_json' => '',
    'update_meta_title' => '1',
    'update_meta_desc' => '1',
    'update_meta_img' => '1',
    'update_meta_json' => '0',
    'start_time' => '0',
    'end_time' => '0',
    'content' => 
    array (
      'typ' => 
      array (
        'page_id' => '5975',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'text' => 
        array (
          0 => 'New Swine Rules So Dangerous They Could Spur Another Zoonotic Pandemic',
          1 => 'Analysis of newly released data reveals the New Swine Inspection Systems eliminates critical animal and carcass inspection',
          2 => '',
        ),
        'checkbox' => 
        array (
          0 => '1',
          1 => '0',
          2 => '0',
          3 => '0',
        ),
        'date' => 
        array (
          0 => '2020-04-06',
        ),
        'relation' => 
        array (
          0 => 
          array (
            'custom' => 
            array (
              0 => '',
            ),
            'page_id' => '307',
            'basic' => 
            array (
              'page_id' => '307',
              'root_url' => 'issues',
              'root' => 'Issues',
              'text' => 
              array (
                0 => 'Animal Factories',
                1 => '',
                2 => 'Animal Factories',
                3 => 'From:CFSTrueFood+CAFO+facttory farms+animal factories',
              ),
              'rich' => 
              array (
                0 => '<p>In the last few decades, consolidation of food production has concentrated power in the hands of fewer and fewer corporations.&nbsp; Many of today’s farms are actually large industrial facilities, not family farms with green pastures and red barns that most Americans imagine. &nbsp;The operation of these consolidated operations have little to no regard for the environment, animal welfare or food safety, and they often put the health of consumers and rural communities at risk for the sake of profit.</p>',
              ),
              'lead_img' => 'chainreaction2socialpromoweb_90391.jpg',
              'gallery' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'chainreaction2socialpromoweb_90391.jpg',
                  1 => 'Fast Food Companies Make Progress in Addressing Antibiotic Resistance Crisis',
                  2 => '<p>Today, groups including Center for Food Safety released Chain Reaction II, the 2nd annual report ranking the top 25 U.S. restaurant chains on their antibiotics policies. Find out who passed, who failed, and what you can do to urge companies to step up to the plate on antibiotics use.</p>',
                  3 => 'http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/4001/idaho-ag-gag-law-overturned-ruled-unconstitutional-in-federal-court',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
              ),
              'images' => 
              array (
                0 => 'cafos_48232.png',
                1 => '',
                2 => 'mud_96426c_38739.jpg',
                3 => '',
              ),
              'color' => 
              array (
                0 => '#85594a',
                1 => 'Factory Farms Brown',
              ),
              'section' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '224',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '307',
                  'name1' => 'About Animal Factories',
                  'url' => 'about-animal-factories',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '13',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '507',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '307',
                  'name1' => 'Animal Factories and Animal Welfare',
                  'url' => 'animal-factories-and-animal-welfare',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '22',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '225',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '307',
                  'name1' => 'Animal Factories and Public Health',
                  'url' => 'animal-factories-and-public-health',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '29',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                3 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '226',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '307',
                  'name1' => 'Animal Factories and Environmental Pollution',
                  'url' => 'animal-factories-and-environmental-pollution',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '37',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                4 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '227',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '307',
                  'name1' => 'Animal Factories and Corporate Control',
                  'url' => 'animal-factories-and-corporate-control',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '45',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                5 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '551',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '307',
                  'name1' => 'Ag-Gag Laws in the U.S.',
                  'url' => 'ag-gag-laws-in-the-us',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '49',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                6 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '526',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '307',
                  'name1' => 'Opt Out of Industrial Meat',
                  'url' => 'opt-out-of-industrial-meat',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '51',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                7 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '544',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '307',
                  'name1' => 'Tell Tillamook to Dump Dirty Dairy!',
                  'url' => 'tell-tillamook-to-dump-dirty-dairy',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '56',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => 'http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/actions/5745/be-the-truth-tillamook-say-goodbye-to-mega-dairies',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                8 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '443',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '307',
                  'name1' => 'State Legislative Map',
                  'url' => 'state-legislative-map',
                  'visible' => '0',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '60',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => 'http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/1881/p/salsa/web/common/public/content?content_item_KEY=14020',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                9 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '392',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '307',
                  'name1' => 'Animal Factories Map',
                  'url' => 'animal-factories-map',
                  'visible' => '0',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '63',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
              ),
              'checkbox' => 
              array (
                0 => '1',
                1 => '0',
                2 => '1',
              ),
              'url' => '/issues/307/animal-factories',
            ),
          ),
          1 => 
          array (
            'custom' => 
            array (
              0 => '',
            ),
            'page_id' => '308',
            'basic' => 
            array (
              'page_id' => '308',
              'root_url' => 'issues',
              'root' => 'Issues',
              'text' => 
              array (
                0 => 'Food Safety',
                1 => '',
                2 => 'Food Safety',
                3 => 'From:CFSTrueFood+#foodsafety',
              ),
              'rich' => 
              array (
                0 => '<p>According to federal data, each year, one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. These figures are likely to be far higher, as most food illnesses go unreported. The most five common pathogens causing foodborne illnesses resulting in hospitalizations are: salmonella, norovirus, Campylobacter, toxoplasma gondii, and E. coli 0157.</p>
<p>Almost every week brings more news of food contamination or foodborne illness outbreak. What’s going on? Our industrialized food system is the root cause of many of these outbreaks.</p>
<p>Industrialization of the food supply</p>
<p>One likely cause is overcrowded conditions on factory farms, where animals get sick and pass the disease on to other animals. Another factor is our wide distribution system, in which contaminated food is transported across the nation. Also, we are increasingly relying on imported foods with unknown safety standards. (For example, 60 percent of our seafood is imported.) Adding to this perfect storm is government deregulation and inadequate funding for inspections and oversight.</p>
<p>Another critical food safety problem is the thousands of chemical additives Americans consume every day. Thanks to industry influence over the approval process, the long-term safety risks for most of these substances are unknown.</p>
<p>For example, for years science has pointed to chemical food dyes as a significant contributor to child behavioral problems. And yet the federal government still denies this connection. In addition, we’ve seen a huge increase in food allergies in children in recent years, but without much explanation of the causes. Clearly, more research is needed into how the industrialized food supply may be impacting our health in ways that are less obvious than foodborne illness.</p>
<p>Political influence</p>
<p>Nothing about food safety takes place in a political vacuum. For decades, the food industry has lobbied to ensure the status quo. And when we finally do get a rare policy victory, such as the passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act (passed in 2010), the game switches to “starving the beast” – limiting the funds for government to adequately carry out the legislative intent.</p>
<p>Powerful trade groups such as the American Meat Institute lobby against common sense policy improvements, such as expanding required testing for deadly bacteria in ground beef. Another important political factor is international trade. Other nations get upset when theU.S.government demands higher scrutiny of imports. In addition, the Food and Drug Administration, despite having jurisdiction over most of the food supply, is constantly under-funded, limiting inspection and enforcement actions; again, thanks to powerful lobbyists who like it that way.</p>
<p>What can we do about it?</p>
<p>President Obama has pledged a complete overhaul of our food system. The Center for Food Safety believes this will require elevating food safety within government to be a cabinet level agency. The mission of this new food agency must be to evaluate how best to regulate food production to prevent the greatest food safety hazards caused by large industrial agriculture and processed foods and while also protecting and supporting smaller, family, and diversified farms. But such an overhaul can only be successful by removing politics from food safety.</p>
<p>Additional Food Safety Resources</p>
<p><a href="http://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/cdc-and-food-safety.html" target="_blank">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.fsis.usda.gov/" target="_blank">United States Department of Agriculture</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.fda.gov/food/foodsafety/default.htm" target="_blank">Food and Drug Administration</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.foodsafety.gov/" target="_blank">FoodSafety.gov</a></p>',
              ),
              'lead_img' => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
              'gallery' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
                  1 => 'NEW REPORT: TPP Serves Up an Unsavory Dinner',
                  2 => '<p>If you’ve been listening to or reading the news at any point over the past year, it’s likely that you’ve heard about the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP. While the term may be familiar, the connection between TPP and what you find on your dinner plate may not be.</p>',
                  3 => 'http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/reports/4573/tpp-serves-up-an-unsavory-dinner',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'oilandwater_thinkbeforeyoupink_hero2_14465.jpg',
                  1 => 'Tell Bee Sweet Citrus and Wonderful Company to Stop Watering Our Food with Oil Wastewater!',
                  2 => '<p>The use of oil wastewater for food irrigation is an urgent public health issue because of the potentially hazardous chemicals associated with all oil extraction processes – including toxic chemicals linked to cancer. Tell Wonderful Company and Bee Sweet Citrus to stop watering our food with toxic oil wastewater!</p>',
                  3 => 'http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/1881/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=19536',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'istock_000009992043small_78906.jpg',
                  1 => 'Court Victory: Consumers Have a Right to Know About Their Food',
                  2 => '<p>The Washington D.C. Court of Appeals upheld the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) rule which requires information about where meat is raised and slaughtered. USDA drafted COOL rules in 2009 and finalized them in 2013.</p>',
                  3 => 'http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/3404/court-victory-consumers-have-a-right-to-know-about-their-food',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
              ),
              'images' => 
              array (
                0 => 'foodsafety_48189.png',
                1 => '',
                2 => 'foodsafety_68552.png',
                3 => '',
              ),
              'group' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '94',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '48',
                  'sub_group' => '0',
                  'name1' => 'Food Safety',
                  'url' => 'food-safety',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'order' => '4',
                ),
              ),
              'color' => 
              array (
                0 => '#f79676',
                1 => 'Food Safety Mauve',
              ),
              'section' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '219',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Food Safety & Food Recalls',
                  'url' => 'food-safety-and-food-recalls',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '158',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '329',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Industrialization of the Food Supply',
                  'url' => 'industrialization-of-the-food-supply',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '159',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '330',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Political Influence',
                  'url' => 'political-influence',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '160',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
              ),
              'checkbox' => 
              array (
                0 => '1',
                1 => '0',
                2 => '1',
              ),
              'url' => '/issues/308/food-safety',
            ),
          ),
          2 => 
          array (
            'custom' => 
            array (
              0 => '',
            ),
            'page_id' => '5897',
            'basic' => 
            array (
              'page_id' => '5897',
              'root_url' => 'media',
              'root' => 'Media',
              'text' => 
              array (
                0 => 'New Consumer Lawsuit Challenges USDA\'s Dirty and Dangerous New Swine Inspection System',
                1 => 'Center for Food Safety and Food & Water Watch just filed a lawsuit to protect consumers of pork products',
                2 => '',
              ),
              'checkbox' => 
              array (
                0 => '1',
                1 => '0',
                2 => '0',
                3 => '0',
              ),
              'date' => 
              array (
                0 => '2020-01-13',
              ),
              'relation' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'custom' => 
                  array (
                    0 => '',
                  ),
                  'page_id' => '307',
                ),
              ),
              'rich' => 
              array (
                0 => '<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Photo credit: Food and Water Watch</em></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"> </p>
<p><strong>Washington D.C.—</strong>Today, Center for Food Safety (CFS), Food & Water Watch (FWW), and two supporting members <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/2020-01-13-nsis-complaint_45448.pdf" target="_blank">filed an action</a> against the U.S. Department of Agriculture for issuing New Swine Inspection System (NSIS) rules that undermine pork-safety inspection in slaughter plants.</p>
<p>The NSIS rules are a draconian reversal to the swine slaughter inspection system that has existed in the United States since 1906. Prior federal law required that meat inspectors critically examine each and every animal for conditions (as dangerous as septicemia and salmonella) before and after slaughter.</p>
<p>The new rules prevent such inspection and hand over these responsibilities to the slaughter companies themselves. They also surrender federal control over removing contamination from carcasses to slaughter companies without any minimum training requirements for slaughter-plant employees.</p>
<p>At the same time, the NSIS rules lifted prior limits on slaughter-line speeds that were in place to prevent foodborne illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths. Even with these line-speed limits, contaminated pork may cause as many as 1.5 million cases of foodborne illnesses, 7,000 hospitalizations, and 200 deaths in the United States each year. </p>
<p>The lawsuit claims NSIS rules cannot stand and must be permanently stopped. USDA is acting beyond its authority in essentially leaving inspection up to slaughter companies. These new rules are contrary to the Federal Meat Inspection Act.</p>
<p>"Reducing the number of trained federal inspectors and increasing line speeds is a recipe for disaster," <strong>said Ryan Talbott, Staff Attorney for CFS.</strong> "USDA has an obligation to protect the health and welfare of consumers. USDA cannot do that when it takes a back seat and lets the slaughter plants largely regulate themselves."  </p>
<p>"There is no gray area here. The new rules curtail the ability of federal inspectors to detect serious food-safety problems and expose those who consume such pork products to serious health threats like salmonella," <strong>said Zach Corrigan, Senior Staff Attorney, Food & Water Watch.</strong> "It\'s easy to read between the lines with these new rules: the USDA is letting the wolf guard the hog-house. Food safety is one of the most important protections in our country and gifting the slaughter industry self-regulation powers will mean pork eaters in this country will be facing higher threats of disease."</p>
<p>This is the fourth action challenging the NSIS rules. FWW has filed a separate lawsuit for the agency\'s violation of the Freedom of Information Act and concealing of information related to the rules. The newest complaint is the first to challenge the rules because of the harm posed to consumers. The 69-page complaint details in more than 358 paragraphs how the agency has delegated critical inspection activities to the slaughter companies themselves and how this will harm public health. Two other groups have challenged the rules because of the harm posed to plant employees and to the animals because they will result in inhumane treatment. </p>
<p>View the complaint <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/2020-01-13-nsis-complaint_45448.pdf">here</a>.</p>
<p> </p>',
              ),
              'file' => 
              array (
                0 => '',
                1 => '',
              ),
              'link' => 
              array (
                0 => '',
                1 => '',
              ),
              'lead_img' => 'web_830x437_media-usdahoginspection_46401.jpg',
              'gallery' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'web_830x437_media-usdahoginspection_46401.jpg',
                  1 => '',
                  2 => '',
                  3 => '',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
              ),
              'url' => '/press-releases/5897/new-consumer-lawsuit-challenges-usdas-dirty-and-dangerous-new-swine-inspection-system',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'rich' => 
        array (
          0 => '<center>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Washington, D.C.</strong>—Newly received data released today shows that the U.S. Department of Agriculture\'s (USDA) new rules for swine slaughter plants, or the "New Swine Inspection System (NSIS)," dramatically curtail federal government inspection of animals and carcasses showing signs of diseases and other food safety or public health related conditions, including potentially those showing signs of diseases that can move from animals to people, such as coronaviruses. </p>
</center>
<p>Food & Water Watch\'s analysis of data obtained as a result of a federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit shows that USDA veterinarians were able to evaluate 3.5 times fewer potentially diseased animals and carcasses in plants that piloted USDA\'s NSIS rules, compared to plants that were operating under normal inspection, during the select years in the plants for which data was available.   </p>
<p>The newly released data contradicts USDA assurances that long-standing inspection requirements would be unaffected by the new NSIS rules, which allow slaughter plant workers to first determine which animals are fit for slaughter, which carcasses are fit for commerce, and to set their own line speeds. The Federal Meat Inspection Act, first passed in 1906, mandates that government inspectors evaluate each animal arriving at a slaughter plant and every carcass after the animal is slaughtered. If not immediately condemned, federal inspectors tag those showing signs of disease and other abnormal conditions for further evaluation by a government veterinarian before they can proceed. This protects public health.   </p>
<p>Food & Water Watch\'s data and analysis show that the NSIS system dramatically limits the numbers of swine that can be inspected by trained federal veterinarians, and instead leaves this evaluation in the hands of untrained or under-trained slaughter-plant employees. Meanwhile, the NSIS system allows plant employees to ship animals that are exhibiting signs of dangerous disease elsewhere, thus allowing animals containing spreadable disease to slip through the cracks.</p>
<p>"Self-regulation when it comes to animal movement, slaughter, and meat inspection is bad news. This data shows just how bad it really is. While people across the country are fighting against a dangerous pandemic believed to have come first from animals, USDA is eliminating necessary safeguards against the spread of infectious diseases from swine," <strong>said Zach Corrigan, Senior Staff Attorney, Food & Water Watch.</strong> "USDA is endangering public health. They should shut down NSIS immediately."</p>
<p>USDA rules, finalized in October 2019, are now being implemented in slaughter plants around the country, as companies were supposed to decide whether to participate no later than last week. USDA has so far rejected requests to stop plant transitions to the dangerous new system in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.</p>
<p>"If this moment teaches us anything, it is that deregulating public health standards can have disastrous consequences. The reason we have federal regulation of meat is because the industry failed to protect public health a century ago," <strong>said Ryan Talbott, Staff Attorney, Center for Food Safety.</strong> "USDA\'s decision to walk away from its obligation to protect the public is shameful and will almost certainly result in more people getting sick and dying."</p>
<p>The new data was made public in an amended complaint, filed on Monday, April 6, 2020. The complaint added the Humane Farming Association to the Center For Food Safety and Food & Water Watch\'s ongoing suit challenging USDA\'s new rules.   </p>
<p>"Until now, federal regulations have allowed slaughterhouses to kill as many as one pig every three seconds," <strong>said Bradley Miller, National Director, Humane Farming Association.</strong> "Apparently that\'s not fast enough for the pork industry. The Trump Administration has given the nation\'s largest hog slaughterhouses a green light to operate at unrestricted speeds, killing and inspecting pigs as fast, and as recklessly, as they want."</p>
<p>NSIS is the subject of three separate lawsuits filed by worker safety, animal welfare and environmental, and food safety advocates</p>
<p>Read the full analysis <a href="https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/sites/default/files/fww_-_new_numbers_analysis_final_final.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>
<p>Read the full amended complaint <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/nsis-hog-slaughter-first-amended-complaint_05708.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>
<p> </p>',
        ),
        'file' => 
        array (
          0 => '',
          1 => '',
        ),
        'link' => 
        array (
          0 => '',
          1 => '',
        ),
        'lead_img' => 'swinecarc_07001.jpg',
        'gallery' => 
        array (
          0 => 
          array (
            0 => 'swinecarc_07001.jpg',
            1 => '',
            2 => '',
            3 => '',
            4 => '',
            5 => '',
            6 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'url' => '/press-releases/5975/new-swine-rules-so-dangerous-they-could-spur-another-zoonotic-pandemic',
      ),
      'bid' => 
      array (
        'page_link' => '/press-releases/5975/new-swine-rules-so-dangerous-they-could-spur-another-zoonotic-pandemic',
        'bitly' => '5vq',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'lead_img' => 'swinecarc_07001.jpg',
        'rich_snippet' => ' 
  Washington, D.C. —Newly received data released today shows that the U.S. Department of Agriculture&#039;s (USDA) new rules for swine slaughter plants, or the "New Swine Inspection System (NSIS)," dramatically curtail federal government inspection .',
        'page' => 
        array (
          'id' => '5975',
          'SECTION_ID' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '0',
          'BLOCK_ID' => '0',
          'order' => '88',
          'visible' => '1',
          'feature' => '0',
          'hide' => '0',
          'name1' => 'New Swine Rules So Dangerous They Could Spur Another Zoonotic Pandemic',
          'url' => 'new-swine-rules-so-dangerous-they-could-spur-another-zoonotic-pandemic',
          'bitly' => '5vq',
          'lead_img' => 'swinecarc_07001.jpg',
          'meta_title' => 'Center for Food Safety | Press Releases |  | New Swine Rules So Dangerous They Could Spur Another Zoonotic Pandemic',
          'meta_desc' => 'Washington, D.C. —Newly received data released today shows that the U.S. Department of Agriculture\'s (USDA) new rules for swine slaughter...',
          'meta_img' => 'swinecarc_06992.jpg',
          'meta_json' => '',
          'update_meta_title' => '1',
          'update_meta_desc' => '1',
          'update_meta_img' => '1',
          'update_meta_json' => '0',
          'start_time' => '0',
          'end_time' => '0',
        ),
        'section' => 
        array (
          'id' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '486',
          'PAGE_ID' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Press Releases',
          'url' => 'press-releases',
          'hide' => '0',
          'order' => '1',
        ),
        'bid_380' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Title',
          'block_type' => 'Plain Text',
          'block_alias' => 'title',
          'post_id' => '58008',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 'New Swine Rules So Dangerous They Could Spur Another Zoonotic Pandemic',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5959' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Subtitle',
          'block_type' => 'Plain Text',
          'block_alias' => 'subtitle',
          'post_id' => '63922',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 'Analysis of newly released data reveals the New Swine Inspection Systems eliminates critical animal and carcass inspection',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5957' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Show Hero Image',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'hide_hero',
          'post_id' => '63923',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '1',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_381' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Date',
          'block_type' => 'Date',
          'block_alias' => 'date',
          'post_id' => '58009',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '2020-04-06',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_2294' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel1',
          'post_id' => '58010',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'custom_title' => '',
              'page_id' => '307',
              'name1' => 'Animal Factories',
              'section_name1' => 'Issues',
              'page_link' => '/issues/307/animal-factories',
              'lead_img' => 'chainreaction2socialpromoweb_90391.jpg',
              'rich_snippet' => '<p>In the last few decades, consolidation of food production has concentrated power in the hands of fewer and fewer corporations.  Many of today’s farms are actually large industrial facilities, not family farms with green pastures and red barns that most .',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_3612' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue 2',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel2',
          'post_id' => '58011',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'custom_title' => '',
              'page_id' => '308',
              'name1' => 'Food Safety',
              'section_name1' => 'Issues',
              'page_link' => '/issues/308/food-safety',
              'lead_img' => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
              'rich_snippet' => '<p>According to federal data, each year, one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. These figures are likely to be far higher, as most food illnesses go unreported. The most five common pathogens causing foodborne i.',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_3613' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue 3',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel3',
          'post_id' => '58012',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'custom_title' => '',
              'page_id' => '5897',
              'name1' => 'New Consumer Lawsuit Challenges USDA\'s Dirty and Dangerous New Swine Inspection System',
              'section_name1' => 'Press Releases',
              'page_link' => '/press-releases/5897/new-consumer-lawsuit-challenges-usdas-dirty-and-dangerous-new-swine-inspection-system',
              'lead_img' => 'web_830x437_media-usdahoginspection_46401.jpg',
              'rich_snippet' => '  Photo credit: Food and Water Watch  
   
  Washington D.C.— Today, Center for Food Safety (CFS), Food & Water Watch (FWW), and two supporting members  filed an action  against the U.S. Department of Agriculture for issuing New Swine Inspection System (NS.',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_382' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Description',
          'block_type' => 'Rich Text',
          'block_alias' => 'desc',
          'post_id' => '58013',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '<center>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Washington, D.C.</strong>—Newly received data released today shows that the U.S. Department of Agriculture\'s (USDA) new rules for swine slaughter plants, or the "New Swine Inspection System (NSIS)," dramatically curtail federal government inspection of animals and carcasses showing signs of diseases and other food safety or public health related conditions, including potentially those showing signs of diseases that can move from animals to people, such as coronaviruses. </p>
</center>
<p>Food & Water Watch\'s analysis of data obtained as a result of a federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit shows that USDA veterinarians were able to evaluate 3.5 times fewer potentially diseased animals and carcasses in plants that piloted USDA\'s NSIS rules, compared to plants that were operating under normal inspection, during the select years in the plants for which data was available.   </p>
<p>The newly released data contradicts USDA assurances that long-standing inspection requirements would be unaffected by the new NSIS rules, which allow slaughter plant workers to first determine which animals are fit for slaughter, which carcasses are fit for commerce, and to set their own line speeds. The Federal Meat Inspection Act, first passed in 1906, mandates that government inspectors evaluate each animal arriving at a slaughter plant and every carcass after the animal is slaughtered. If not immediately condemned, federal inspectors tag those showing signs of disease and other abnormal conditions for further evaluation by a government veterinarian before they can proceed. This protects public health.   </p>
<p>Food & Water Watch\'s data and analysis show that the NSIS system dramatically limits the numbers of swine that can be inspected by trained federal veterinarians, and instead leaves this evaluation in the hands of untrained or under-trained slaughter-plant employees. Meanwhile, the NSIS system allows plant employees to ship animals that are exhibiting signs of dangerous disease elsewhere, thus allowing animals containing spreadable disease to slip through the cracks.</p>
<p>"Self-regulation when it comes to animal movement, slaughter, and meat inspection is bad news. This data shows just how bad it really is. While people across the country are fighting against a dangerous pandemic believed to have come first from animals, USDA is eliminating necessary safeguards against the spread of infectious diseases from swine," <strong>said Zach Corrigan, Senior Staff Attorney, Food & Water Watch.</strong> "USDA is endangering public health. They should shut down NSIS immediately."</p>
<p>USDA rules, finalized in October 2019, are now being implemented in slaughter plants around the country, as companies were supposed to decide whether to participate no later than last week. USDA has so far rejected requests to stop plant transitions to the dangerous new system in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.</p>
<p>"If this moment teaches us anything, it is that deregulating public health standards can have disastrous consequences. The reason we have federal regulation of meat is because the industry failed to protect public health a century ago," <strong>said Ryan Talbott, Staff Attorney, Center for Food Safety.</strong> "USDA\'s decision to walk away from its obligation to protect the public is shameful and will almost certainly result in more people getting sick and dying."</p>
<p>The new data was made public in an amended complaint, filed on Monday, April 6, 2020. The complaint added the Humane Farming Association to the Center For Food Safety and Food & Water Watch\'s ongoing suit challenging USDA\'s new rules.   </p>
<p>"Until now, federal regulations have allowed slaughterhouses to kill as many as one pig every three seconds," <strong>said Bradley Miller, National Director, Humane Farming Association.</strong> "Apparently that\'s not fast enough for the pork industry. The Trump Administration has given the nation\'s largest hog slaughterhouses a green light to operate at unrestricted speeds, killing and inspecting pigs as fast, and as recklessly, as they want."</p>
<p>NSIS is the subject of three separate lawsuits filed by worker safety, animal welfare and environmental, and food safety advocates</p>
<p>Read the full analysis <a href="https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/sites/default/files/fww_-_new_numbers_analysis_final_final.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>
<p>Read the full amended complaint <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/nsis-hog-slaughter-first-amended-complaint_05708.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>
<p> </p>',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_383' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'PDF File',
          'block_type' => 'File',
          'block_alias' => 'pdf',
          'post_id' => '58014',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_1168' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'CFS Link',
          'block_type' => 'Link',
          'block_alias' => 'link',
          'post_id' => '58015',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_1169' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Image Gallery',
          'block_type' => 'Image Gallery',
          'block_alias' => 'images',
          'post_id' => '58022',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              0 => 'swinecarc_07001.jpg',
              1 => '',
              2 => '',
              3 => '',
              4 => '',
              5 => '',
              6 => 'New Swine Rules So Dangerous They Could Spur Another Zoonotic Pandemic',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_2291' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Category',
          'block_type' => 'Grouping',
          'block_alias' => 'cat',
          'post_id' => '58017',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4805' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Tweets',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'tweets',
          'post_id' => '58018',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4806' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Quotes',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'quotes',
          'post_id' => '58019',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4807' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Join CFS',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'join',
          'post_id' => '58020',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5592' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Hide',
          'block_type' => 'Hide - In \'page\' table',
          'block_alias' => '',
          'post_id' => '58021',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5835' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Scheduler',
          'block_type' => 'Schedule',
          'block_alias' => 'scheduler',
          'post_id' => '63924',
          'content' => 
          array (
            'id' => '288',
            'PAGE_ID' => '5975',
            'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
            'set_time' => '0',
            'start_time_hour' => 'NA',
            'start_time_minute' => '00',
            'start_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'end_time_hour' => 'NA',
            'end_time_minute' => '00',
            'end_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'start_month' => '06',
            'start_day' => '03',
            'start_year' => '2021',
            'end_month' => '06',
            'end_day' => '03',
            'end_year' => '2021',
            'occurs' => 'once',
            'repeat_every_int' => '1',
            'repeat_every_period' => 'year',
            'repeat_stop_after' => '1',
            'float_period' => 'first',
            'float_day_o_w' => 'sunday',
            'float_repeat_every_x_mo' => '1',
            'float_stop_after' => '1',
            'events' => 
            array (
              0 => 
              array (
                'id' => '2370',
                'SCHEDULE_ID' => '288',
                'PAGE_ID' => '5975',
                'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
                'date_start' => '2021-06-03 00:00:00',
                'date_end' => '2021-06-03 00:00:00',
                'has_start_time' => '0',
                'has_end_time' => '0',
                'occurs' => 'once',
                'start' => 'Thursday, June 3, 2021',
                'end' => '',
              ),
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5955' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Unique Url',
          'block_type' => 'Unique Root URL',
          'block_alias' => 'unique_url',
          'post_id' => '63925',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
          ),
        ),
      ),
      'alias' => 
      array (
        'page_link' => '/press-releases/5975/new-swine-rules-so-dangerous-they-could-spur-another-zoonotic-pandemic',
        'bitly' => '5vq',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'lead_img' => 'swinecarc_07001.jpg',
        'rich_snippet' => ' 
  Washington, D.C. —Newly received data released today shows that the U.S. Department of Agriculture&#039;s (USDA) new rules for swine slaughter plants, or the "New Swine Inspection System (NSIS)," dramatically curtail federal government inspection .',
        'page' => 
        array (
          'id' => '5975',
          'SECTION_ID' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '0',
          'BLOCK_ID' => '0',
          'order' => '88',
          'visible' => '1',
          'feature' => '0',
          'hide' => '0',
          'name1' => 'New Swine Rules So Dangerous They Could Spur Another Zoonotic Pandemic',
          'url' => 'new-swine-rules-so-dangerous-they-could-spur-another-zoonotic-pandemic',
          'bitly' => '5vq',
          'lead_img' => 'swinecarc_07001.jpg',
          'meta_title' => 'Center for Food Safety | Press Releases |  | New Swine Rules So Dangerous They Could Spur Another Zoonotic Pandemic',
          'meta_desc' => 'Washington, D.C. —Newly received data released today shows that the U.S. Department of Agriculture\'s (USDA) new rules for swine slaughter...',
          'meta_img' => 'swinecarc_06992.jpg',
          'meta_json' => '',
          'update_meta_title' => '1',
          'update_meta_desc' => '1',
          'update_meta_img' => '1',
          'update_meta_json' => '0',
          'start_time' => '0',
          'end_time' => '0',
        ),
        'section' => 
        array (
          'id' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '486',
          'PAGE_ID' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Press Releases',
          'url' => 'press-releases',
          'hide' => '0',
          'order' => '1',
        ),
        'bid_2291' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Category',
          'block_type' => 'Grouping',
          'block_alias' => 'cat',
          'post_id' => '58017',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5592' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Hide',
          'block_type' => 'Hide - In \'page\' table',
          'block_alias' => '',
          'post_id' => '58021',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'alias' => 
        array (
          'title' => 'New Swine Rules So Dangerous They Could Spur Another Zoonotic Pandemic',
          'subtitle' => 'Analysis of newly released data reveals the New Swine Inspection Systems eliminates critical animal and carcass inspection',
          'hide_hero' => '1',
          'date' => '2020-04-06',
          'rel1' => 
          array (
            'custom_title' => '',
            'page_id' => '307',
            'name1' => 'Animal Factories',
            'section_name1' => 'Issues',
            'page_link' => '/issues/307/animal-factories',
            'lead_img' => 'chainreaction2socialpromoweb_90391.jpg',
            'rich_snippet' => ' In the last few decades, consolidation of food production has concentrated power in the hands of fewer and fewer corporations.  Many of today’s farms are actually large industrial facilities, not family farms with green pastures and red barns that most America.',
          ),
          'rel2' => 
          array (
            'custom_title' => '',
            'page_id' => '308',
            'name1' => 'Food Safety',
            'section_name1' => 'Issues',
            'page_link' => '/issues/308/food-safety',
            'lead_img' => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
            'rich_snippet' => ' According to federal data, each year, one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. These figures are likely to be far higher, as most food illnesses go unreported. The most five common pathogens causing foodborne ill.',
          ),
          'rel3' => 
          array (
            'custom_title' => '',
            'page_id' => '5897',
            'name1' => 'New Consumer Lawsuit Challenges USDA\'s Dirty and Dangerous New Swine Inspection System',
            'section_name1' => 'Press Releases',
            'page_link' => '/press-releases/5897/new-consumer-lawsuit-challenges-usdas-dirty-and-dangerous-new-swine-inspection-system',
            'lead_img' => 'web_830x437_media-usdahoginspection_46401.jpg',
            'rich_snippet' => '  Photo credit: Food and Water Watch  
  New Consumer Lawsuit Challenges USDA&#039;s Dirty and Dangerous New Swine Inspection System  
  Center for Food Safety and Food & Water Watch just filed a lawsuit to protect consumers of pork products  
  Washington D..',
          ),
          'desc' => '<center>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Washington, D.C.</strong>—Newly received data released today shows that the U.S. Department of Agriculture\'s (USDA) new rules for swine slaughter plants, or the "New Swine Inspection System (NSIS)," dramatically curtail federal government inspection of animals and carcasses showing signs of diseases and other food safety or public health related conditions, including potentially those showing signs of diseases that can move from animals to people, such as coronaviruses. </p>
</center>
<p>Food & Water Watch\'s analysis of data obtained as a result of a federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit shows that USDA veterinarians were able to evaluate 3.5 times fewer potentially diseased animals and carcasses in plants that piloted USDA\'s NSIS rules, compared to plants that were operating under normal inspection, during the select years in the plants for which data was available.   </p>
<p>The newly released data contradicts USDA assurances that long-standing inspection requirements would be unaffected by the new NSIS rules, which allow slaughter plant workers to first determine which animals are fit for slaughter, which carcasses are fit for commerce, and to set their own line speeds. The Federal Meat Inspection Act, first passed in 1906, mandates that government inspectors evaluate each animal arriving at a slaughter plant and every carcass after the animal is slaughtered. If not immediately condemned, federal inspectors tag those showing signs of disease and other abnormal conditions for further evaluation by a government veterinarian before they can proceed. This protects public health.   </p>
<p>Food & Water Watch\'s data and analysis show that the NSIS system dramatically limits the numbers of swine that can be inspected by trained federal veterinarians, and instead leaves this evaluation in the hands of untrained or under-trained slaughter-plant employees. Meanwhile, the NSIS system allows plant employees to ship animals that are exhibiting signs of dangerous disease elsewhere, thus allowing animals containing spreadable disease to slip through the cracks.</p>
<p>"Self-regulation when it comes to animal movement, slaughter, and meat inspection is bad news. This data shows just how bad it really is. While people across the country are fighting against a dangerous pandemic believed to have come first from animals, USDA is eliminating necessary safeguards against the spread of infectious diseases from swine," <strong>said Zach Corrigan, Senior Staff Attorney, Food & Water Watch.</strong> "USDA is endangering public health. They should shut down NSIS immediately."</p>
<p>USDA rules, finalized in October 2019, are now being implemented in slaughter plants around the country, as companies were supposed to decide whether to participate no later than last week. USDA has so far rejected requests to stop plant transitions to the dangerous new system in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.</p>
<p>"If this moment teaches us anything, it is that deregulating public health standards can have disastrous consequences. The reason we have federal regulation of meat is because the industry failed to protect public health a century ago," <strong>said Ryan Talbott, Staff Attorney, Center for Food Safety.</strong> "USDA\'s decision to walk away from its obligation to protect the public is shameful and will almost certainly result in more people getting sick and dying."</p>
<p>The new data was made public in an amended complaint, filed on Monday, April 6, 2020. The complaint added the Humane Farming Association to the Center For Food Safety and Food & Water Watch\'s ongoing suit challenging USDA\'s new rules.   </p>
<p>"Until now, federal regulations have allowed slaughterhouses to kill as many as one pig every three seconds," <strong>said Bradley Miller, National Director, Humane Farming Association.</strong> "Apparently that\'s not fast enough for the pork industry. The Trump Administration has given the nation\'s largest hog slaughterhouses a green light to operate at unrestricted speeds, killing and inspecting pigs as fast, and as recklessly, as they want."</p>
<p>NSIS is the subject of three separate lawsuits filed by worker safety, animal welfare and environmental, and food safety advocates</p>
<p>Read the full analysis <a href="https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/sites/default/files/fww_-_new_numbers_analysis_final_final.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>
<p>Read the full amended complaint <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/nsis-hog-slaughter-first-amended-complaint_05708.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>
<p> </p>',
          'pdf' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
          'link' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
          'images' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              0 => 'swinecarc_07001.jpg',
              1 => '',
              2 => '',
              3 => '',
              4 => '',
              5 => '',
              6 => 'New Swine Rules So Dangerous They Could Spur Another Zoonotic Pandemic',
              7 => 1200,
              8 => 627,
            ),
          ),
          'tweets' => '0',
          'quotes' => '0',
          'join' => '0',
          'scheduler' => 
          array (
            'id' => '288',
            'PAGE_ID' => '5975',
            'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
            'set_time' => '0',
            'start_time_hour' => 'NA',
            'start_time_minute' => '00',
            'start_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'end_time_hour' => 'NA',
            'end_time_minute' => '00',
            'end_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'start_month' => '06',
            'start_day' => '03',
            'start_year' => '2021',
            'end_month' => '06',
            'end_day' => '03',
            'end_year' => '2021',
            'occurs' => 'once',
            'repeat_every_int' => '1',
            'repeat_every_period' => 'year',
            'repeat_stop_after' => '1',
            'float_period' => 'first',
            'float_day_o_w' => 'sunday',
            'float_repeat_every_x_mo' => '1',
            'float_stop_after' => '1',
            'events' => 
            array (
              0 => 
              array (
                'id' => '2370',
                'SCHEDULE_ID' => '288',
                'PAGE_ID' => '5975',
                'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
                'date_start' => '2021-06-03 00:00:00',
                'date_end' => '2021-06-03 00:00:00',
                'has_start_time' => '0',
                'has_end_time' => '0',
                'occurs' => 'once',
                'start' => 'Thursday, June 3, 2021',
                'end' => '',
              ),
            ),
          ),
          'unique_url' => '',
        ),
      ),
    ),
  ),
  15 => 
  array (
    'id' => '5961',
    'SECTION_ID' => '129',
    'PARENT_ID' => '0',
    'BLOCK_ID' => '0',
    'order' => '131',
    'visible' => '1',
    'feature' => '0',
    'hide' => '0',
    'name1' => 'Center for Food Safety Filed Lawsuit Against FDA Challenging Decision to Approve Genetically Engineered Soy Protein Found in the Impossible Burger',
    'url' => 'center-for-food-safety-filed-lawsuit-against-fda-challenging-decision-to-approve-genetically-engineered-soy-protein-found-in-the-impossible-burger',
    'bitly' => 'http://bit.ly/38V0bUV',
    'lead_img' => 'impburger_84514.jpg',
    'meta_title' => 'Center for Food Safety | Press Releases |  | Center for Food Safety Filed Lawsuit Against FDA Challenging Decision to Approve Ge',
    'meta_desc' => '  (Washington, D.C.)  Yesterday, Center for Food Safety (CFS) filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its...',
    'meta_img' => 'impossible_55442.jpg',
    'meta_json' => '',
    'update_meta_title' => '1',
    'update_meta_desc' => '1',
    'update_meta_img' => '1',
    'update_meta_json' => '0',
    'start_time' => '0',
    'end_time' => '0',
    'content' => 
    array (
      'typ' => 
      array (
        'page_id' => '5961',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'text' => 
        array (
          0 => 'Center for Food Safety Filed Lawsuit Against FDA Challenging Decision to Approve Genetically Engineered Soy Protein Found in the Impossible Burger',
          1 => 'FDA\'s Decision Not Based on "Convincing Evidence" that Regulation Requires',
          2 => '',
        ),
        'checkbox' => 
        array (
          0 => '1',
          1 => '0',
          2 => '0',
          3 => '0',
        ),
        'date' => 
        array (
          0 => '2020-03-18',
        ),
        'relation' => 
        array (
          0 => 
          array (
            'custom' => 
            array (
              0 => '',
            ),
            'page_id' => '308',
            'basic' => 
            array (
              'page_id' => '308',
              'root_url' => 'issues',
              'root' => 'Issues',
              'text' => 
              array (
                0 => 'Food Safety',
                1 => '',
                2 => 'Food Safety',
                3 => 'From:CFSTrueFood+#foodsafety',
              ),
              'rich' => 
              array (
                0 => '<p>According to federal data, each year, one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. These figures are likely to be far higher, as most food illnesses go unreported. The most five common pathogens causing foodborne illnesses resulting in hospitalizations are: salmonella, norovirus, Campylobacter, toxoplasma gondii, and E. coli 0157.</p>
<p>Almost every week brings more news of food contamination or foodborne illness outbreak. What’s going on? Our industrialized food system is the root cause of many of these outbreaks.</p>
<p>Industrialization of the food supply</p>
<p>One likely cause is overcrowded conditions on factory farms, where animals get sick and pass the disease on to other animals. Another factor is our wide distribution system, in which contaminated food is transported across the nation. Also, we are increasingly relying on imported foods with unknown safety standards. (For example, 60 percent of our seafood is imported.) Adding to this perfect storm is government deregulation and inadequate funding for inspections and oversight.</p>
<p>Another critical food safety problem is the thousands of chemical additives Americans consume every day. Thanks to industry influence over the approval process, the long-term safety risks for most of these substances are unknown.</p>
<p>For example, for years science has pointed to chemical food dyes as a significant contributor to child behavioral problems. And yet the federal government still denies this connection. In addition, we’ve seen a huge increase in food allergies in children in recent years, but without much explanation of the causes. Clearly, more research is needed into how the industrialized food supply may be impacting our health in ways that are less obvious than foodborne illness.</p>
<p>Political influence</p>
<p>Nothing about food safety takes place in a political vacuum. For decades, the food industry has lobbied to ensure the status quo. And when we finally do get a rare policy victory, such as the passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act (passed in 2010), the game switches to “starving the beast” – limiting the funds for government to adequately carry out the legislative intent.</p>
<p>Powerful trade groups such as the American Meat Institute lobby against common sense policy improvements, such as expanding required testing for deadly bacteria in ground beef. Another important political factor is international trade. Other nations get upset when theU.S.government demands higher scrutiny of imports. In addition, the Food and Drug Administration, despite having jurisdiction over most of the food supply, is constantly under-funded, limiting inspection and enforcement actions; again, thanks to powerful lobbyists who like it that way.</p>
<p>What can we do about it?</p>
<p>President Obama has pledged a complete overhaul of our food system. The Center for Food Safety believes this will require elevating food safety within government to be a cabinet level agency. The mission of this new food agency must be to evaluate how best to regulate food production to prevent the greatest food safety hazards caused by large industrial agriculture and processed foods and while also protecting and supporting smaller, family, and diversified farms. But such an overhaul can only be successful by removing politics from food safety.</p>
<p>Additional Food Safety Resources</p>
<p><a href="http://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/cdc-and-food-safety.html" target="_blank">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.fsis.usda.gov/" target="_blank">United States Department of Agriculture</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.fda.gov/food/foodsafety/default.htm" target="_blank">Food and Drug Administration</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.foodsafety.gov/" target="_blank">FoodSafety.gov</a></p>',
              ),
              'lead_img' => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
              'gallery' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
                  1 => 'NEW REPORT: TPP Serves Up an Unsavory Dinner',
                  2 => '<p>If you’ve been listening to or reading the news at any point over the past year, it’s likely that you’ve heard about the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP. While the term may be familiar, the connection between TPP and what you find on your dinner plate may not be.</p>',
                  3 => 'http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/reports/4573/tpp-serves-up-an-unsavory-dinner',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'oilandwater_thinkbeforeyoupink_hero2_14465.jpg',
                  1 => 'Tell Bee Sweet Citrus and Wonderful Company to Stop Watering Our Food with Oil Wastewater!',
                  2 => '<p>The use of oil wastewater for food irrigation is an urgent public health issue because of the potentially hazardous chemicals associated with all oil extraction processes – including toxic chemicals linked to cancer. Tell Wonderful Company and Bee Sweet Citrus to stop watering our food with toxic oil wastewater!</p>',
                  3 => 'http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/1881/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=19536',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'istock_000009992043small_78906.jpg',
                  1 => 'Court Victory: Consumers Have a Right to Know About Their Food',
                  2 => '<p>The Washington D.C. Court of Appeals upheld the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) rule which requires information about where meat is raised and slaughtered. USDA drafted COOL rules in 2009 and finalized them in 2013.</p>',
                  3 => 'http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/3404/court-victory-consumers-have-a-right-to-know-about-their-food',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
              ),
              'images' => 
              array (
                0 => 'foodsafety_48189.png',
                1 => '',
                2 => 'foodsafety_68552.png',
                3 => '',
              ),
              'group' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '94',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '48',
                  'sub_group' => '0',
                  'name1' => 'Food Safety',
                  'url' => 'food-safety',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'order' => '4',
                ),
              ),
              'color' => 
              array (
                0 => '#f79676',
                1 => 'Food Safety Mauve',
              ),
              'section' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '219',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Food Safety & Food Recalls',
                  'url' => 'food-safety-and-food-recalls',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '158',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '329',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Industrialization of the Food Supply',
                  'url' => 'industrialization-of-the-food-supply',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '159',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '330',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Political Influence',
                  'url' => 'political-influence',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '160',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
              ),
              'checkbox' => 
              array (
                0 => '1',
                1 => '0',
                2 => '1',
              ),
              'url' => '/issues/308/food-safety',
            ),
          ),
          1 => 
          array (
            'custom' => 
            array (
              0 => '',
            ),
            'page_id' => '311',
            'basic' => 
            array (
              'page_id' => '311',
              'root_url' => 'issues',
              'root' => 'Issues',
              'text' => 
              array (
                0 => 'GE Foods',
                1 => '',
                2 => 'Genetically Engineered Crops',
                3 => 'From:CFSTrueFood+#GMO',
              ),
              'rich' => 
              array (
                0 => '<p>The genetic engineering of plants and animals is looming as one of the greatest and most intractable environmental challenges of the 21st Century. Already, this novel technology has invaded our grocery stores and our kitchen pantries by fundamentally altering some of our most important staple food crops.</p>
<p>By being able to take the genetic material from one organism and insert it into the permanent genetic code of another, biotechnologists have engineered numerous novel creations, such as potatoes with bacteria genes, “super” pigs with human growth genes, fish with cattle growth genes, tomatoes with flounder genes, and thousands of other plants, animals and insects. At an alarming rate, these creations are now being patented and released into the environment.</p>
<p>Currently, up to 85 percent of U.S. corn is genetically engineered as are 91 percent of soybeans and 88 percent of cotton (cottonseed oil is often used in food products). According to industry, up to 95% of sugar beets are now GE. It has been estimated that upwards of 70 percent of processed foods on supermarket shelves–from soda to soup, crackers to condiments–contain genetically engineered ingredients.</p>
<p>A number of studies over the past decade have revealed that genetically engineered foods can pose serious risks to humans, domesticated animals, wildlife and the environment. Human health effects can include higher risks of toxicity, allergenicity, antibiotic resistance, immune-suppression and cancer. As for environmental impacts, the use of genetic engineering in agriculture will lead to uncontrolled biological pollution, threatening numerous microbial, plant and animal species with extinction, and the potential contamination of all non-genetically engineered life forms with novel and possibly hazardous genetic material.</p>
<p>Despite these long-term and wide-ranging risks, Congress has yet to pass a single law intended to manage them responsibly. This despite the fact that our regulatory agencies have failed to adequately address the human health or environmental impacts of genetic engineering. On the federal level, eight agencies attempt to regulate biotechnology using 12 different statutes or laws that were written long before genetically engineered food, animals and insects became a reality. The result has been a regulatory tangle, where any regulation even exists, as existing laws are grossly manipulated to manage threats they were never intended to regulate. Among many bizarre examples of these regulatory anomalies is the current attempt by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to regulate genetically engineered fish as “new animal drugs.” Yet, at the same time, the FDA claims it has no jurisdiction over genetically engineered pet fish like the Glofish.</p>
<p>The haphazard and negligent agency regulation of biotechnology has been a disaster for consumers and the environment. Unsuspecting consumers by the tens of millions are being allowed to purchase and consume unlabeled genetically engineered foods, despite a finding by FDA scientists that these foods could pose serious risks. And new genetically engineered crops are being approved by federal agencies despite admissions that they will contaminate native and conventional plants and pose other significant new environmental threats. In short, there has been a complete abdication of any responsible legislative or regulatory oversight of genetically engineered foods. Clearly, now is a critical time to challenge the government’s negligence in managing the human health and environmental threats from biotechnology.</p>
<p>CFS seeks to&nbsp;halt the approval, commercialization or release of any new genetically engineered crops until they have been thoroughly tested and found safe for human health and the environment. CFS maintains that any foods that already contain genetically engineered ingredients must be clearly labeled. Additionally, CFS advocates the containment and reduction of existing genetically engineered crops.</p>',
              ),
              'lead_img' => 'airplane-465619_1920_33778_51645.jpg',
              'gallery' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'airplane-465619_1920_33778_51645.jpg',
                  1 => 'After Cursory Review, EPA Proposes Dramatic Expansion of Toxic Pesticide Blend Enlist Duo',
                  2 => '<p>The Environmental Protection Agency has reapproved and proposed a dramatic expansion of the use of the toxic pesticide Enlist Duo after only a cursory review of troubling data showing the two chemicals in the pesticide combine to have “synergistic” effects that are potentially harmful to endangered species and the environment. If approved the pesticide cocktail could be used on corn, soy and cotton in 35 states — up from 16 states where the product was previously approved for just corn and soy.</p>',
                  3 => 'http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/4559/after-cursory-review-epa-proposes-dramatic-expansionof-toxic-pesticide-blend-enlist-duo',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'jacksonvictory_59877.jpg',
                  1 => 'Victory! Judge Upholds Jackson Countyâ€™s Ban on Genetically Engineered Crops',
                  2 => '<p>Family farmers and other supporters of Jackson County’s precedent-setting ban on genetically engineered (GE) crop cultivation are celebrating a federal court ruling upholding the legality of Jackson County’s ordinance. The ruling released this afternoon by Federal District Court Magistrate Judge Mark Clarke was a resounding victory for Our Family Farms Coalition (OFFC) and Center for Food Safety (CFS), which intervened in the case to defend the ban along with two local family farmers. &nbsp;Lawyers with Center for Food Safety and the Earthrise Law Center based at Lewis and Clark Law School jointly represented the intervening parties.</p>',
                  3 => 'http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/3953/judge-upholds-jackson-countys-ban-on-genetically-engineered-crops',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'gefujiapple_twandfblink2_notextfw_91639.png',
                  1 => 'Tell Burger King to Reject GE Apples',
                  2 => '<p>McDonald\'s, Wendy\'s, and Gerber have already indicated that they don\'t plan to use these GE apples. Burger King could be next.</p>
<p>Sign the petition: Tell Burger King to commit to keeping GE apples out of its meals.</p>',
                  3 => 'http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/1881/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=19365',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
                3 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'shoppersguide_mobile2_53822.jpg',
                  1 => 'Get your free CFS Shoppers Guide to Avoiding GE Foods!',
                  2 => '<p>Which supermarket foods are genetically engineered? This is probably the most urgent question the public has about these novel foods. But despite overwhelming demand, almost no foods on U.S. grocery shelves reveal their secret, genetically engineered ingredients. The first of it\'s kind--available both in print and as a mibile app for iPhone and Android--the CFS True Food Shoppers Guide was designed to help reclaim your right to know about the foods you are buying, and help you find and avoid GMO foods and ingredients.</p>',
                  3 => 'http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/fact-sheets/1974/true-food-shoppers-guide-to-avoiding-gmos',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
              ),
              'images' => 
              array (
                0 => 'gefoods_48010.png',
                1 => '',
                2 => 'gefoods2_68013_17461.png',
                3 => '',
              ),
              'group' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '49',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '48',
                  'sub_group' => '0',
                  'name1' => 'Genetic Engineering',
                  'url' => 'genetic-engineering',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'order' => '3',
                ),
              ),
              'color' => 
              array (
                0 => '#69923e',
                1 => 'Green',
              ),
              'section' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '325',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '311',
                  'name1' => 'Shoppers Guide to Avoiding GE Food',
                  'url' => 'shoppers-guide-to-avoiding-ge-food',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '101',
                  'multiple' => '1',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '1',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '194',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '311',
                  'name1' => 'About GE Foods',
                  'url' => 'about-ge-foods',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '106',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '202',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '311',
                  'name1' => 'GE Food & the Environment',
                  'url' => 'ge-food-and-the-environment',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '109',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                3 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '204',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '311',
                  'name1' => 'GE Food & Farmers',
                  'url' => 'ge-food-and-farmers',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '113',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                4 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '205',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '311',
                  'name1' => 'GE Food & Your Health',
                  'url' => 'ge-food-and-your-health',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '116',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                5 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '206',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '311',
                  'name1' => 'Myths & Realities of GE Crops',
                  'url' => 'myths-and-realities-of-ge-crops',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '118',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                6 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '207',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '311',
                  'name1' => 'Regulations',
                  'url' => 'regulations',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '120',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                7 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '524',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '311',
                  'name1' => '2018 Proposed GE Labeling Rule: Talking points',
                  'url' => '2018-proposed-ge-labeling-rule-talking-points-524',
                  'visible' => '0',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '123',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                8 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '210',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '311',
                  'name1' => 'Crops in the Pipeline',
                  'url' => 'crops-in-the-pipeline',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '124',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                9 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '211',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '311',
                  'name1' => 'Pharmaceutical Crops',
                  'url' => 'pharmaceutical-crops',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '126',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                10 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '357',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '311',
                  'name1' => 'Californians for GE-Free Agriculture',
                  'url' => 'californians-for-ge-free-agriculture',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '127',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
              ),
              'checkbox' => 
              array (
                0 => '1',
                1 => '0',
                2 => '1',
              ),
              'url' => '/issues/311/ge-foods',
            ),
          ),
          2 => 
          array (
            'custom' => 
            array (
              0 => '',
            ),
            'page_id' => '5768',
            'basic' => 
            array (
              'page_id' => '5768',
              'root_url' => 'media',
              'root' => 'Media',
              'text' => 
              array (
                0 => 'Uncooked Impossible Burgers Illegally Being Sold in Grocery Stores',
              ),
              'date' => 
              array (
                0 => '2019-10-21',
              ),
              'relation' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'custom' => 
                  array (
                    0 => '',
                  ),
                  'page_id' => '5628',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  'custom' => 
                  array (
                    0 => '',
                  ),
                  'page_id' => '308',
                ),
              ),
              'rich' => 
              array (
                0 => '<p style="text-align: center;"><strong> Uncooked Impossible Burgers Illegally Being Sold in Grocery Stores</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em> Center for Food Safety Tells FDA to Issue Recall of Illegal Product</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em> Food Safety Group Asserts Current Sales are Unlawful</em></p>
<p><strong>Washington, D.C.—</strong>Center for Food Safety (CFS) is calling on the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to recall the uncooked Impossible Burgers currently being sold at several grocery stores around the country. In a <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/2019-10-21-fda-letter-re-impossible-foods_47809.pdf" target="_blank">letter</a> to the agency, the consumer advocacy group notes that raw Impossible Burgers are being sold illegally even though there is no regulation in effect to allow such sales as required under federal law. The grocery stores that are currently selling uncooked Impossible Burgers include Wegmans, Gelson\'s, and Fairway Market.</p>
<p>In order to manufacture its genetically engineered (GE) Impossible Burgers to appear to "bleed" like real meat, Impossible Foods uses synthetic biology (synbio) to extract DNA from the roots of soy plants—where a small amount of soy leghemoglobin or "heme" is produced—and inserts the DNA into genetically engineered yeast where it is fermented to mass-produce this engineered heme. It is the heme that gives the GE Impossible Burger its reddish-brown color. This new heme is also why Impossible Foods needed to seek FDA\'s approval to use their heme as a color additive before it could sell the uncooked GE burgers in grocery stores.</p>
<p>In August, FDA approved Impossible Foods\' petition to list heme as a color additive very quickly. CFS filed objections to that approval in September, which legally prevent the regulation from going into effect and prohibit any sales of the product until those objections are resolved. The advocacy group also <a href="http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/actions/5765/this-new-gmo-is-scarier-than-anything-youll-see-on-halloween" target="_blank">launched an action alert</a> to encourage consumers to urge FDA to revoke its rapid approval of this heme until independent safety testing is conducted and made available to the public.</p>
<p>"Without valid FDA approval in place, it is unlawful to sell uncooked Impossible Burgers at retail stores,"<strong> said Ryan Talbott, Center for Food Safety staff attorney.</strong> "The law is clear that when FDA receives an objection to a proposed color additive, FDA must hold approval of its use while it reviews the objection, in order to ensure that it is safe for human consumption. FDA should issue a recall telling retailers to remove uncooked Impossible Burgers from their shelves immediately."</p>
<p>The objections filed by CFS raised several issues about FDA\'s safety review of this genetically engineered heme for use as a color additive in genetically engineered Impossible Burgers. The group noted that in order to be approved as a color additive, there must be "convincing evidence that establishes with reasonable certainty that no harm will result from the intended use" of the heme used in GE Impossible Burgers. CFS\' objection emphasizes that through the synbio process, new compounds—including proteins—may be created that have never been consumed by humans before, and thus the impact of these compounds on our gut and our overall health is unknown.</p>
<p>"This is the first time that people have consumed synbio heme," <strong>said Center for Food Safety\'s policy director, Jaydee Hanson.</strong> "FDA should have required additional testing to make sure that this new substance does not cause allergic reactions in people, but the agency failed to do so."</p>
<p>While CFS avidly supports plant-based eating, the lack of transparency in getting the GE Impossible Burger in restaurants and retail stores highlights a troubling deregulatory trend which prioritizes corporate profit over public health and safety.</p>',
              ),
              'file' => 
              array (
                0 => '',
                1 => '',
              ),
              'link' => 
              array (
                0 => '',
                1 => '',
              ),
              'lead_img' => 'impossible_burger_at_hells_kitchen_minneapolis_-_vegan_meat_41303643735_57009_71020.jpg',
              'gallery' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'impossible_burger_at_hells_kitchen_minneapolis_-_vegan_meat_41303643735_57009_71020.jpg',
                  1 => '',
                  2 => '',
                  3 => '',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
              ),
              'group' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '110',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'sub_group' => '0',
                  'name1' => 'Press Releases Categories',
                  'url' => 'press-releases-categories',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'order' => '5',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '118',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '110',
                  'sub_group' => '0',
                  'name1' => 'Food Safety',
                  'url' => 'food-safety',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'order' => '11',
                ),
              ),
              'checkbox' => 
              array (
                0 => '0',
                1 => '0',
                2 => '0',
              ),
              'url' => '/press-releases/5768/uncooked-impossible-burgers-illegally-being-sold-in-grocery-stores',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'rich' => 
        array (
          0 => '<p style="text-align: left;"> </p>
<p><strong>(Washington, D.C.)</strong> Yesterday, Center for Food Safety (CFS) filed a <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/2020-03-17-petition-for-review_86947.pdf" target="_blank">lawsuit</a> against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its decision to decline the advocacy group\'s objections to the agency\'s approval of a genetically engineered (GE) soy protein used in the Impossible Burger. Also referred to as genetically engineered "heme," soy leghemoglobin is the color additive Impossible Foods uses to make its plant-based burger appear to "bleed."</p>
<p>CFS\'s lawsuit asserts that FDA used the wrong legal standard when it reviewed and approved GE heme to be used in raw Impossible Burgers sold in grocery stores. Instead of using the color additive safety standard that specifies "convincing evidence that establishes with reasonable certainty that no harm will result from the intended use of the color additive," FDA conflated that standard with the food additive safety standard, which does not specify that there must be "convincing evidence."</p>
<p>"By treating these two standards as \'the same,\' FDA ignored the \'convincing evidence\' requirement out of its color additive safety standard, which the agency isn\'t legally allowed to do," <strong>said Ryan Talbott, staff attorney at CFS.</strong> "This isn\'t just a problem with FDA\'s review and approval of soy leghemoglobin, but how the agency consistently ignores the "convincing evidence" standard in its review of all color additives that are added to our food." </p>
<p>In order to make this GMO heme, Impossible Foods uses the process of synthetic biology (or synbio) to extract DNA from the roots of soy plants—where a small amount of heme is produced—and inserts the DNA into genetically engineered yeast where it is fermented to mass-produce this genetically engineered heme.</p>
<p>"This heme produced using synbio has never been consumed before. FDA should have required additional independent testing to make sure that this new substance does not cause allergic reactions or other health problems in people," <strong>said Jaydee Hanson, Center for Food Safety\'s policy director.</strong> "But instead of following its own guidelines for 90-day studies, the agency allowed the company to conduct a 28-day study to evaluate the safety of its own product."</p>
<p>CFS filed an objection to FDA\'s approval of the GE heme in uncooked Impossible Burgers in October 2019. This objection should have halted Impossible Burger sales in grocery stores, but several chains including Wegmans, Gelson\'s, and Fairway Market started selling Impossible Burgers illegally before FDA responded to CFS\'s objection.</p>
<p>While CFS avidly supports plant-based eating, the lack of transparency in getting the GE Impossible Burger in restaurants and retail stores highlights a troubling deregulatory trend which prioritizes corporate profit over public health and safety.</p>',
        ),
        'file' => 
        array (
          0 => '2020-03-17-petition-for-review_86947.pdf',
          1 => 'View the lawsuit >>',
        ),
        'link' => 
        array (
          0 => '',
          1 => '',
        ),
        'lead_img' => 'impburger_84514.jpg',
        'gallery' => 
        array (
          0 => 
          array (
            0 => 'impburger_84514.jpg',
            1 => '',
            2 => '',
            3 => '',
            4 => '',
            5 => '',
            6 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'group' => 
        array (
          0 => 
          array (
            'id' => '110',
            'PARENT_ID' => '0',
            'sub_group' => '0',
            'name1' => 'Press Releases Categories',
            'url' => 'press-releases-categories',
            'visible' => '1',
            'order' => '5',
          ),
          1 => 
          array (
            'id' => '118',
            'PARENT_ID' => '110',
            'sub_group' => '0',
            'name1' => 'Food Safety',
            'url' => 'food-safety',
            'visible' => '1',
            'order' => '11',
          ),
        ),
        'url' => '/press-releases/5961/center-for-food-safety-filed-lawsuit-against-fda-challenging-decision-to-approve-genetically-engineered-soy-protein-found-in-the-impossible-burger',
      ),
      'bid' => 
      array (
        'page_link' => '/press-releases/5961/center-for-food-safety-filed-lawsuit-against-fda-challenging-decision-to-approve-genetically-engineered-soy-protein-found-in-the-impossible-burger',
        'bitly' => 'http://bit.ly/38V0bUV',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'lead_img' => 'impburger_84514.jpg',
        'rich_snippet' => '   
  (Washington, D.C.)  Yesterday, Center for Food Safety (CFS) filed a  lawsuit  against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its decision to decline the advocacy group&#039;s objections to the agency&#039;s approval of a genetically engineered (G.',
        'page' => 
        array (
          'id' => '5961',
          'SECTION_ID' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '0',
          'BLOCK_ID' => '0',
          'order' => '91',
          'visible' => '1',
          'feature' => '0',
          'hide' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Center for Food Safety Filed Lawsuit Against FDA Challenging Decision to Approve Genetically Engineered Soy Protein Found in the Impossible Burger',
          'url' => 'center-for-food-safety-filed-lawsuit-against-fda-challenging-decision-to-approve-genetically-engineered-soy-protein-found-in-the-impossible-burger',
          'bitly' => 'http://bit.ly/38V0bUV',
          'lead_img' => 'impburger_84514.jpg',
          'meta_title' => 'Center for Food Safety | Press Releases |  | Center for Food Safety Filed Lawsuit Against FDA Challenging Decision to Approve Ge',
          'meta_desc' => '  (Washington, D.C.)  Yesterday, Center for Food Safety (CFS) filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its...',
          'meta_img' => 'impossible_55442.jpg',
          'meta_json' => '',
          'update_meta_title' => '1',
          'update_meta_desc' => '1',
          'update_meta_img' => '1',
          'update_meta_json' => '0',
          'start_time' => '0',
          'end_time' => '0',
        ),
        'section' => 
        array (
          'id' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '486',
          'PAGE_ID' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Press Releases',
          'url' => 'press-releases',
          'hide' => '0',
          'order' => '1',
        ),
        'bid_380' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Title',
          'block_type' => 'Plain Text',
          'block_alias' => 'title',
          'post_id' => '57824',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 'Center for Food Safety Filed Lawsuit Against FDA Challenging Decision to Approve Genetically Engineered Soy Protein Found in the Impossible Burger',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5959' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Subtitle',
          'block_type' => 'Plain Text',
          'block_alias' => 'subtitle',
          'post_id' => '63934',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 'FDA\'s Decision Not Based on "Convincing Evidence" that Regulation Requires',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5957' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Show Hero Image',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'hide_hero',
          'post_id' => '63935',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '1',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_381' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Date',
          'block_type' => 'Date',
          'block_alias' => 'date',
          'post_id' => '57825',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '2020-03-18',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_2294' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel1',
          'post_id' => '57826',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'custom_title' => '',
              'page_id' => '308',
              'name1' => 'Food Safety',
              'section_name1' => 'Issues',
              'page_link' => '/issues/308/food-safety',
              'lead_img' => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
              'rich_snippet' => '<p>According to federal data, each year, one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. These figures are likely to be far higher, as most food illnesses go unreported. The most five common pathogens causing foodborne i.',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_3612' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue 2',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel2',
          'post_id' => '57827',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'custom_title' => '',
              'page_id' => '311',
              'name1' => 'GE Foods',
              'section_name1' => 'Issues',
              'page_link' => '/issues/311/ge-foods',
              'lead_img' => 'airplane-465619_1920_33778_51645.jpg',
              'rich_snippet' => '<p>The genetic engineering of plants and animals is looming as one of the greatest and most intractable environmental challenges of the 21st Century. Already, this novel technology has invaded our grocery stores and our kitchen pantries by fundamentally altering .',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_3613' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue 3',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel3',
          'post_id' => '57828',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'custom_title' => '',
              'page_id' => '5768',
              'name1' => 'Uncooked Impossible Burgers Illegally Being Sold in Grocery Stores',
              'section_name1' => 'Press Releases',
              'page_link' => '/press-releases/5768/uncooked-impossible-burgers-illegally-being-sold-in-grocery-stores',
              'lead_img' => 'impossible_burger_at_hells_kitchen_minneapolis_-_vegan_meat_41303643735_57009_71020.jpg',
              'rich_snippet' => '   Uncooked Impossible Burgers Illegally Being Sold in Grocery Stores  
   Center for Food Safety Tells FDA to Issue Recall of Illegal Product  
   Food Safety Group Asserts Current Sales are Unlawful  
  Washington, D.C.— Center for Food Safety (CFS) is cal.',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_382' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Description',
          'block_type' => 'Rich Text',
          'block_alias' => 'desc',
          'post_id' => '57829',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '<p style="text-align: left;"> </p>
<p><strong>(Washington, D.C.)</strong> Yesterday, Center for Food Safety (CFS) filed a <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/2020-03-17-petition-for-review_86947.pdf" target="_blank">lawsuit</a> against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its decision to decline the advocacy group\'s objections to the agency\'s approval of a genetically engineered (GE) soy protein used in the Impossible Burger. Also referred to as genetically engineered "heme," soy leghemoglobin is the color additive Impossible Foods uses to make its plant-based burger appear to "bleed."</p>
<p>CFS\'s lawsuit asserts that FDA used the wrong legal standard when it reviewed and approved GE heme to be used in raw Impossible Burgers sold in grocery stores. Instead of using the color additive safety standard that specifies "convincing evidence that establishes with reasonable certainty that no harm will result from the intended use of the color additive," FDA conflated that standard with the food additive safety standard, which does not specify that there must be "convincing evidence."</p>
<p>"By treating these two standards as \'the same,\' FDA ignored the \'convincing evidence\' requirement out of its color additive safety standard, which the agency isn\'t legally allowed to do," <strong>said Ryan Talbott, staff attorney at CFS.</strong> "This isn\'t just a problem with FDA\'s review and approval of soy leghemoglobin, but how the agency consistently ignores the "convincing evidence" standard in its review of all color additives that are added to our food." </p>
<p>In order to make this GMO heme, Impossible Foods uses the process of synthetic biology (or synbio) to extract DNA from the roots of soy plants—where a small amount of heme is produced—and inserts the DNA into genetically engineered yeast where it is fermented to mass-produce this genetically engineered heme.</p>
<p>"This heme produced using synbio has never been consumed before. FDA should have required additional independent testing to make sure that this new substance does not cause allergic reactions or other health problems in people," <strong>said Jaydee Hanson, Center for Food Safety\'s policy director.</strong> "But instead of following its own guidelines for 90-day studies, the agency allowed the company to conduct a 28-day study to evaluate the safety of its own product."</p>
<p>CFS filed an objection to FDA\'s approval of the GE heme in uncooked Impossible Burgers in October 2019. This objection should have halted Impossible Burger sales in grocery stores, but several chains including Wegmans, Gelson\'s, and Fairway Market started selling Impossible Burgers illegally before FDA responded to CFS\'s objection.</p>
<p>While CFS avidly supports plant-based eating, the lack of transparency in getting the GE Impossible Burger in restaurants and retail stores highlights a troubling deregulatory trend which prioritizes corporate profit over public health and safety.</p>',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_383' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'PDF File',
          'block_type' => 'File',
          'block_alias' => 'pdf',
          'post_id' => '57830',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '2020-03-17-petition-for-review_86947.pdf',
            1 => 'View the lawsuit >>',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_1168' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'CFS Link',
          'block_type' => 'Link',
          'block_alias' => 'link',
          'post_id' => '57831',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_1169' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Image Gallery',
          'block_type' => 'Image Gallery',
          'block_alias' => 'images',
          'post_id' => '57838',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              0 => 'impburger_84514.jpg',
              1 => '',
              2 => '',
              3 => '',
              4 => '',
              5 => '',
              6 => 'Center for Food Safety Filed Lawsuit Against FDA Challenging Decision to Approve Genetically Engineered Soy Protein Found in the Impossible Burger',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_2291' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Category',
          'block_type' => 'Grouping',
          'block_alias' => 'cat',
          'post_id' => '57833',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'id' => '118',
              'PARENT_ID' => '110',
              'sub_group' => '0',
              'name1' => 'Food Safety',
              'url' => 'food-safety',
              'visible' => '1',
              'order' => '11',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4805' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Tweets',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'tweets',
          'post_id' => '57834',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4806' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Quotes',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'quotes',
          'post_id' => '57835',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4807' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Join CFS',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'join',
          'post_id' => '57836',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5592' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Hide',
          'block_type' => 'Hide - In \'page\' table',
          'block_alias' => '',
          'post_id' => '57837',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5835' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Scheduler',
          'block_type' => 'Schedule',
          'block_alias' => 'scheduler',
          'post_id' => '63936',
          'content' => 
          array (
            'id' => '291',
            'PAGE_ID' => '5961',
            'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
            'set_time' => '0',
            'start_time_hour' => 'NA',
            'start_time_minute' => '00',
            'start_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'end_time_hour' => 'NA',
            'end_time_minute' => '00',
            'end_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'start_month' => '06',
            'start_day' => '03',
            'start_year' => '2021',
            'end_month' => '06',
            'end_day' => '03',
            'end_year' => '2021',
            'occurs' => 'once',
            'repeat_every_int' => '1',
            'repeat_every_period' => 'year',
            'repeat_stop_after' => '1',
            'float_period' => 'first',
            'float_day_o_w' => 'sunday',
            'float_repeat_every_x_mo' => '1',
            'float_stop_after' => '1',
            'events' => 
            array (
              0 => 
              array (
                'id' => '2373',
                'SCHEDULE_ID' => '291',
                'PAGE_ID' => '5961',
                'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
                'date_start' => '2021-06-03 00:00:00',
                'date_end' => '2021-06-03 00:00:00',
                'has_start_time' => '0',
                'has_end_time' => '0',
                'occurs' => 'once',
                'start' => 'Thursday, June 3, 2021',
                'end' => '',
              ),
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5955' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Unique Url',
          'block_type' => 'Unique Root URL',
          'block_alias' => 'unique_url',
          'post_id' => '63937',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
          ),
        ),
      ),
      'alias' => 
      array (
        'page_link' => '/press-releases/5961/center-for-food-safety-filed-lawsuit-against-fda-challenging-decision-to-approve-genetically-engineered-soy-protein-found-in-the-impossible-burger',
        'bitly' => 'http://bit.ly/38V0bUV',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'lead_img' => 'impburger_84514.jpg',
        'rich_snippet' => '   
  (Washington, D.C.)  Yesterday, Center for Food Safety (CFS) filed a  lawsuit  against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its decision to decline the advocacy group&#039;s objections to the agency&#039;s approval of a genetically engineered (G.',
        'page' => 
        array (
          'id' => '5961',
          'SECTION_ID' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '0',
          'BLOCK_ID' => '0',
          'order' => '91',
          'visible' => '1',
          'feature' => '0',
          'hide' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Center for Food Safety Filed Lawsuit Against FDA Challenging Decision to Approve Genetically Engineered Soy Protein Found in the Impossible Burger',
          'url' => 'center-for-food-safety-filed-lawsuit-against-fda-challenging-decision-to-approve-genetically-engineered-soy-protein-found-in-the-impossible-burger',
          'bitly' => 'http://bit.ly/38V0bUV',
          'lead_img' => 'impburger_84514.jpg',
          'meta_title' => 'Center for Food Safety | Press Releases |  | Center for Food Safety Filed Lawsuit Against FDA Challenging Decision to Approve Ge',
          'meta_desc' => '  (Washington, D.C.)  Yesterday, Center for Food Safety (CFS) filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its...',
          'meta_img' => 'impossible_55442.jpg',
          'meta_json' => '',
          'update_meta_title' => '1',
          'update_meta_desc' => '1',
          'update_meta_img' => '1',
          'update_meta_json' => '0',
          'start_time' => '0',
          'end_time' => '0',
        ),
        'section' => 
        array (
          'id' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '486',
          'PAGE_ID' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Press Releases',
          'url' => 'press-releases',
          'hide' => '0',
          'order' => '1',
        ),
        'bid_5592' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Hide',
          'block_type' => 'Hide - In \'page\' table',
          'block_alias' => '',
          'post_id' => '57837',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'alias' => 
        array (
          'title' => 'Center for Food Safety Filed Lawsuit Against FDA Challenging Decision to Approve Genetically Engineered Soy Protein Found in the Impossible Burger',
          'subtitle' => 'FDA\'s Decision Not Based on "Convincing Evidence" that Regulation Requires',
          'hide_hero' => '1',
          'date' => '2020-03-18',
          'rel1' => 
          array (
            'custom_title' => '',
            'page_id' => '308',
            'name1' => 'Food Safety',
            'section_name1' => 'Issues',
            'page_link' => '/issues/308/food-safety',
            'lead_img' => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
            'rich_snippet' => ' According to federal data, each year, one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. These figures are likely to be far higher, as most food illnesses go unreported. The most five common pathogens causing foodborne ill.',
          ),
          'rel2' => 
          array (
            'custom_title' => '',
            'page_id' => '311',
            'name1' => 'GE Foods',
            'section_name1' => 'Issues',
            'page_link' => '/issues/311/ge-foods',
            'lead_img' => 'airplane-465619_1920_33778_51645.jpg',
            'rich_snippet' => ' The genetic engineering of plants and animals is looming as one of the greatest and most intractable environmental challenges of the 21st Century. Already, this novel technology has invaded our grocery stores and our kitchen pantries by fundamentally altering so.',
          ),
          'rel3' => 
          array (
            'custom_title' => '',
            'page_id' => '5768',
            'name1' => 'Uncooked Impossible Burgers Illegally Being Sold in Grocery Stores',
            'section_name1' => 'Press Releases',
            'page_link' => '/press-releases/5768/uncooked-impossible-burgers-illegally-being-sold-in-grocery-stores',
            'lead_img' => 'impossible_burger_at_hells_kitchen_minneapolis_-_vegan_meat_41303643735_57009_71020.jpg',
            'rich_snippet' => '   Uncooked Impossible Burgers Illegally Being Sold in Grocery Stores  
   Center for Food Safety Tells FDA to Issue Recall of Illegal Product  
   Food Safety Group Asserts Current Sales are Unlawful  
  Washington, D.C.— Center for Food Safety (CFS) is cal.',
          ),
          'desc' => '<p style="text-align: left;"> </p>
<p><strong>(Washington, D.C.)</strong> Yesterday, Center for Food Safety (CFS) filed a <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/2020-03-17-petition-for-review_86947.pdf" target="_blank">lawsuit</a> against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its decision to decline the advocacy group\'s objections to the agency\'s approval of a genetically engineered (GE) soy protein used in the Impossible Burger. Also referred to as genetically engineered "heme," soy leghemoglobin is the color additive Impossible Foods uses to make its plant-based burger appear to "bleed."</p>
<p>CFS\'s lawsuit asserts that FDA used the wrong legal standard when it reviewed and approved GE heme to be used in raw Impossible Burgers sold in grocery stores. Instead of using the color additive safety standard that specifies "convincing evidence that establishes with reasonable certainty that no harm will result from the intended use of the color additive," FDA conflated that standard with the food additive safety standard, which does not specify that there must be "convincing evidence."</p>
<p>"By treating these two standards as \'the same,\' FDA ignored the \'convincing evidence\' requirement out of its color additive safety standard, which the agency isn\'t legally allowed to do," <strong>said Ryan Talbott, staff attorney at CFS.</strong> "This isn\'t just a problem with FDA\'s review and approval of soy leghemoglobin, but how the agency consistently ignores the "convincing evidence" standard in its review of all color additives that are added to our food." </p>
<p>In order to make this GMO heme, Impossible Foods uses the process of synthetic biology (or synbio) to extract DNA from the roots of soy plants—where a small amount of heme is produced—and inserts the DNA into genetically engineered yeast where it is fermented to mass-produce this genetically engineered heme.</p>
<p>"This heme produced using synbio has never been consumed before. FDA should have required additional independent testing to make sure that this new substance does not cause allergic reactions or other health problems in people," <strong>said Jaydee Hanson, Center for Food Safety\'s policy director.</strong> "But instead of following its own guidelines for 90-day studies, the agency allowed the company to conduct a 28-day study to evaluate the safety of its own product."</p>
<p>CFS filed an objection to FDA\'s approval of the GE heme in uncooked Impossible Burgers in October 2019. This objection should have halted Impossible Burger sales in grocery stores, but several chains including Wegmans, Gelson\'s, and Fairway Market started selling Impossible Burgers illegally before FDA responded to CFS\'s objection.</p>
<p>While CFS avidly supports plant-based eating, the lack of transparency in getting the GE Impossible Burger in restaurants and retail stores highlights a troubling deregulatory trend which prioritizes corporate profit over public health and safety.</p>',
          'pdf' => 
          array (
            0 => '2020-03-17-petition-for-review_86947.pdf',
            1 => 'View the lawsuit >>',
          ),
          'link' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
          'images' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              0 => 'impburger_84514.jpg',
              1 => '',
              2 => '',
              3 => '',
              4 => '',
              5 => '',
              6 => 'Center for Food Safety Filed Lawsuit Against FDA Challenging Decision to Approve Genetically Engineered Soy Protein Found in the Impossible Burger',
              7 => 1000,
              8 => 562,
            ),
          ),
          'cat' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'id' => '118',
              'PARENT_ID' => '110',
              'sub_group' => '0',
              'name1' => 'Food Safety',
              'url' => 'food-safety',
              'visible' => '1',
              'order' => '11',
            ),
          ),
          'tweets' => '0',
          'quotes' => '0',
          'join' => '0',
          'scheduler' => 
          array (
            'id' => '291',
            'PAGE_ID' => '5961',
            'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
            'set_time' => '0',
            'start_time_hour' => 'NA',
            'start_time_minute' => '00',
            'start_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'end_time_hour' => 'NA',
            'end_time_minute' => '00',
            'end_time_ampm' => 'am',
            'start_month' => '06',
            'start_day' => '03',
            'start_year' => '2021',
            'end_month' => '06',
            'end_day' => '03',
            'end_year' => '2021',
            'occurs' => 'once',
            'repeat_every_int' => '1',
            'repeat_every_period' => 'year',
            'repeat_stop_after' => '1',
            'float_period' => 'first',
            'float_day_o_w' => 'sunday',
            'float_repeat_every_x_mo' => '1',
            'float_stop_after' => '1',
            'events' => 
            array (
              0 => 
              array (
                'id' => '2373',
                'SCHEDULE_ID' => '291',
                'PAGE_ID' => '5961',
                'BLOCK_ID' => '5835',
                'date_start' => '2021-06-03 00:00:00',
                'date_end' => '2021-06-03 00:00:00',
                'has_start_time' => '0',
                'has_end_time' => '0',
                'occurs' => 'once',
                'start' => 'Thursday, June 3, 2021',
                'end' => '',
              ),
            ),
          ),
          'unique_url' => '',
        ),
      ),
    ),
  ),
  16 => 
  array (
    'id' => '5857',
    'SECTION_ID' => '129',
    'PARENT_ID' => '0',
    'BLOCK_ID' => '0',
    'order' => '149',
    'visible' => '1',
    'feature' => '0',
    'hide' => '0',
    'name1' => 'Center for Food Safety Petitions USDA to Restructure Its Weak Antibiotic Residue Testing Program',
    'url' => 'center-for-food-safety-petitions-usda-to-restructure-its-weak-antibiotic-residue-testing-program',
    'bitly' => 'http://bit.ly/2DVms82',
    'lead_img' => 'stockimage_64494.jpg',
    'meta_title' => 'Center for Food Safety | Press Releases |  | Center for Food Safety Petitions USDA to Restructure Its Weak Antibiotic Residue Te',
    'meta_desc' => 'Center for Food Safety Petitions USDA to Restructure Its Weak Antibiotic Residue Testing Program Consumer Group Argues the Federal National...',
    'meta_img' => 'stockimage_64487.jpg',
    'meta_json' => '',
    'update_meta_title' => '1',
    'update_meta_desc' => '1',
    'update_meta_img' => '1',
    'update_meta_json' => '0',
    'start_time' => '0',
    'end_time' => '0',
    'content' => 
    array (
      'typ' => 
      array (
        'page_id' => '5857',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'text' => 
        array (
          0 => 'Center for Food Safety Petitions USDA to Restructure Its Weak Antibiotic Residue Testing Program',
        ),
        'date' => 
        array (
          0 => '2019-12-06',
        ),
        'relation' => 
        array (
          0 => 
          array (
            'custom' => 
            array (
              0 => '',
            ),
            'page_id' => '308',
            'basic' => 
            array (
              'page_id' => '308',
              'root_url' => 'issues',
              'root' => 'Issues',
              'text' => 
              array (
                0 => 'Food Safety',
                1 => '',
                2 => 'Food Safety',
                3 => 'From:CFSTrueFood+#foodsafety',
              ),
              'rich' => 
              array (
                0 => '<p>According to federal data, each year, one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. These figures are likely to be far higher, as most food illnesses go unreported. The most five common pathogens causing foodborne illnesses resulting in hospitalizations are: salmonella, norovirus, Campylobacter, toxoplasma gondii, and E. coli 0157.</p>
<p>Almost every week brings more news of food contamination or foodborne illness outbreak. What’s going on? Our industrialized food system is the root cause of many of these outbreaks.</p>
<p>Industrialization of the food supply</p>
<p>One likely cause is overcrowded conditions on factory farms, where animals get sick and pass the disease on to other animals. Another factor is our wide distribution system, in which contaminated food is transported across the nation. Also, we are increasingly relying on imported foods with unknown safety standards. (For example, 60 percent of our seafood is imported.) Adding to this perfect storm is government deregulation and inadequate funding for inspections and oversight.</p>
<p>Another critical food safety problem is the thousands of chemical additives Americans consume every day. Thanks to industry influence over the approval process, the long-term safety risks for most of these substances are unknown.</p>
<p>For example, for years science has pointed to chemical food dyes as a significant contributor to child behavioral problems. And yet the federal government still denies this connection. In addition, we’ve seen a huge increase in food allergies in children in recent years, but without much explanation of the causes. Clearly, more research is needed into how the industrialized food supply may be impacting our health in ways that are less obvious than foodborne illness.</p>
<p>Political influence</p>
<p>Nothing about food safety takes place in a political vacuum. For decades, the food industry has lobbied to ensure the status quo. And when we finally do get a rare policy victory, such as the passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act (passed in 2010), the game switches to “starving the beast” – limiting the funds for government to adequately carry out the legislative intent.</p>
<p>Powerful trade groups such as the American Meat Institute lobby against common sense policy improvements, such as expanding required testing for deadly bacteria in ground beef. Another important political factor is international trade. Other nations get upset when theU.S.government demands higher scrutiny of imports. In addition, the Food and Drug Administration, despite having jurisdiction over most of the food supply, is constantly under-funded, limiting inspection and enforcement actions; again, thanks to powerful lobbyists who like it that way.</p>
<p>What can we do about it?</p>
<p>President Obama has pledged a complete overhaul of our food system. The Center for Food Safety believes this will require elevating food safety within government to be a cabinet level agency. The mission of this new food agency must be to evaluate how best to regulate food production to prevent the greatest food safety hazards caused by large industrial agriculture and processed foods and while also protecting and supporting smaller, family, and diversified farms. But such an overhaul can only be successful by removing politics from food safety.</p>
<p>Additional Food Safety Resources</p>
<p><a href="http://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/cdc-and-food-safety.html" target="_blank">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.fsis.usda.gov/" target="_blank">United States Department of Agriculture</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.fda.gov/food/foodsafety/default.htm" target="_blank">Food and Drug Administration</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.foodsafety.gov/" target="_blank">FoodSafety.gov</a></p>',
              ),
              'lead_img' => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
              'gallery' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
                  1 => 'NEW REPORT: TPP Serves Up an Unsavory Dinner',
                  2 => '<p>If you’ve been listening to or reading the news at any point over the past year, it’s likely that you’ve heard about the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP. While the term may be familiar, the connection between TPP and what you find on your dinner plate may not be.</p>',
                  3 => 'http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/reports/4573/tpp-serves-up-an-unsavory-dinner',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'oilandwater_thinkbeforeyoupink_hero2_14465.jpg',
                  1 => 'Tell Bee Sweet Citrus and Wonderful Company to Stop Watering Our Food with Oil Wastewater!',
                  2 => '<p>The use of oil wastewater for food irrigation is an urgent public health issue because of the potentially hazardous chemicals associated with all oil extraction processes – including toxic chemicals linked to cancer. Tell Wonderful Company and Bee Sweet Citrus to stop watering our food with toxic oil wastewater!</p>',
                  3 => 'http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/1881/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=19536',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'istock_000009992043small_78906.jpg',
                  1 => 'Court Victory: Consumers Have a Right to Know About Their Food',
                  2 => '<p>The Washington D.C. Court of Appeals upheld the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) rule which requires information about where meat is raised and slaughtered. USDA drafted COOL rules in 2009 and finalized them in 2013.</p>',
                  3 => 'http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/3404/court-victory-consumers-have-a-right-to-know-about-their-food',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
              ),
              'images' => 
              array (
                0 => 'foodsafety_48189.png',
                1 => '',
                2 => 'foodsafety_68552.png',
                3 => '',
              ),
              'group' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '94',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '48',
                  'sub_group' => '0',
                  'name1' => 'Food Safety',
                  'url' => 'food-safety',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'order' => '4',
                ),
              ),
              'color' => 
              array (
                0 => '#f79676',
                1 => 'Food Safety Mauve',
              ),
              'section' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '219',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Food Safety & Food Recalls',
                  'url' => 'food-safety-and-food-recalls',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '158',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '329',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Industrialization of the Food Supply',
                  'url' => 'industrialization-of-the-food-supply',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '159',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '330',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Political Influence',
                  'url' => 'political-influence',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '160',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
              ),
              'checkbox' => 
              array (
                0 => '1',
                1 => '0',
                2 => '1',
              ),
              'url' => '/issues/308/food-safety',
            ),
          ),
          1 => 
          array (
            'custom' => 
            array (
              0 => '',
            ),
            'page_id' => '307',
            'basic' => 
            array (
              'page_id' => '307',
              'root_url' => 'issues',
              'root' => 'Issues',
              'text' => 
              array (
                0 => 'Animal Factories',
                1 => '',
                2 => 'Animal Factories',
                3 => 'From:CFSTrueFood+CAFO+facttory farms+animal factories',
              ),
              'rich' => 
              array (
                0 => '<p>In the last few decades, consolidation of food production has concentrated power in the hands of fewer and fewer corporations.&nbsp; Many of today’s farms are actually large industrial facilities, not family farms with green pastures and red barns that most Americans imagine. &nbsp;The operation of these consolidated operations have little to no regard for the environment, animal welfare or food safety, and they often put the health of consumers and rural communities at risk for the sake of profit.</p>',
              ),
              'lead_img' => 'chainreaction2socialpromoweb_90391.jpg',
              'gallery' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'chainreaction2socialpromoweb_90391.jpg',
                  1 => 'Fast Food Companies Make Progress in Addressing Antibiotic Resistance Crisis',
                  2 => '<p>Today, groups including Center for Food Safety released Chain Reaction II, the 2nd annual report ranking the top 25 U.S. restaurant chains on their antibiotics policies. Find out who passed, who failed, and what you can do to urge companies to step up to the plate on antibiotics use.</p>',
                  3 => 'http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/4001/idaho-ag-gag-law-overturned-ruled-unconstitutional-in-federal-court',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
              ),
              'images' => 
              array (
                0 => 'cafos_48232.png',
                1 => '',
                2 => 'mud_96426c_38739.jpg',
                3 => '',
              ),
              'color' => 
              array (
                0 => '#85594a',
                1 => 'Factory Farms Brown',
              ),
              'section' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '224',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '307',
                  'name1' => 'About Animal Factories',
                  'url' => 'about-animal-factories',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '13',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '507',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '307',
                  'name1' => 'Animal Factories and Animal Welfare',
                  'url' => 'animal-factories-and-animal-welfare',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '22',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '225',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '307',
                  'name1' => 'Animal Factories and Public Health',
                  'url' => 'animal-factories-and-public-health',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '29',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                3 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '226',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '307',
                  'name1' => 'Animal Factories and Environmental Pollution',
                  'url' => 'animal-factories-and-environmental-pollution',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '37',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                4 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '227',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '307',
                  'name1' => 'Animal Factories and Corporate Control',
                  'url' => 'animal-factories-and-corporate-control',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '45',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                5 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '551',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '307',
                  'name1' => 'Ag-Gag Laws in the U.S.',
                  'url' => 'ag-gag-laws-in-the-us',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '49',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                6 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '526',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '307',
                  'name1' => 'Opt Out of Industrial Meat',
                  'url' => 'opt-out-of-industrial-meat',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '51',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                7 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '544',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '307',
                  'name1' => 'Tell Tillamook to Dump Dirty Dairy!',
                  'url' => 'tell-tillamook-to-dump-dirty-dairy',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '56',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => 'http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/actions/5745/be-the-truth-tillamook-say-goodbye-to-mega-dairies',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                8 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '443',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '307',
                  'name1' => 'State Legislative Map',
                  'url' => 'state-legislative-map',
                  'visible' => '0',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '60',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => 'http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/1881/p/salsa/web/common/public/content?content_item_KEY=14020',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                9 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '392',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '307',
                  'name1' => 'Animal Factories Map',
                  'url' => 'animal-factories-map',
                  'visible' => '0',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '63',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
              ),
              'checkbox' => 
              array (
                0 => '1',
                1 => '0',
                2 => '1',
              ),
              'url' => '/issues/307/animal-factories',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'rich' => 
        array (
          0 => '<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Center for Food Safety Petitions USDA to Restructure Its Weak Antibiotic Residue Testing Program</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Consumer Group Argues the Federal National Residue Testing Program is Outdated and Inaccurate</em></p>
<p><strong>Washington, D.C.</strong> — During this season of holiday meat purchasing, the consumer advocacy group Center for Food Safety (CFS) is <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/2019-12-04-fsis-residue-testing-petition_63500.pdf" target="_blank">asking the USDA\'s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) to strengthen the National Residue Program (NRP)</a>, so that we can all enjoy a safer food supply free of antibiotic residues.</p>
<p>The NRP is an interagency program administered by FSIS that is supposed to identify, rank, and analyze for chemical contaminants in meat, poultry, and egg products. While the NRP tests for <em>some</em> veterinary drug residues, it does not test for <em>all</em> the veterinary drugs that may be used in food animals. This is insufficient for FSIS to "protect the health and welfare of consumers" as required by federal law.</p>
<p>The NRP is also based on outdated tolerance level standards that were set by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), rather than what testing methods are now capable of measuring. If drug residues are found on animal tissue at levels below these outdated thresholds, NRP\'s testing protocol will falsely classify that tissue as "negative" and without drug residue present. This negative/positive binary testing system based on FDA\'s tolerance levels is insufficient to "protect the health and welfare of consumers" because it ignores the fact that FSIS is capable of detecting drug residues at much lower levels.</p>
<p>"FSIS is using an outdated residue testing program that is failing to properly identify the presence of pharmaceuticals in our meat supply," <strong>said Ryan Talbott, staff attorney at CFS.</strong> "The agency needs to update its testing techniques to provide for the lowest limits of detection and it needs to make information about all detected drug residues in meat available to the public," he continued.</p>
<p>For example, FDA set its tolerance for the pharmaceutical ractopamine — a controversial feed additive to promote leanness in pigs — at 150 parts per billion for liver and 50 parts per billion for muscle. FSIS then set its minimum level of applicability for detecting ractopamine at 75 parts per billion (liver) and 25 parts per billion (muscle) even though a 2002 study in the <em>Journal of Chromatography B</em> found that using liquid chromatography as a testing technique has a detection capability of 30 parts per <em>trillion</em>. CFS\' petition also noted that FSIS should institute a reporting mechanism to make all detected residue levels on meat, poultry, and egg samples available to regulatory agencies and the public annually, which the current system lacks.</p>
<p>CFS advocates for a safe, sustainable food system; one that gives thanks to the efficacy of antibiotics by using them sparingly to treat bacterial infections in animals. The more we are exposed to antibiotics — whether it\'s through the meat we eat or the medicines we take — the less effective those antibiotics will be at fighting the next generation of bacterial infections as the bacteria evolve into "superbugs" with increased resistance to antibiotics.</p>
<p>Considering 80% of antibiotics used in the U.S. are marketed to animal producers, our food system has a long way to go before it administers antibiotics sustainably. Rather than giving thanks for all that antibiotics can do to protect human health, the industrial meat system weakens their effectiveness by administering them by default to healthy livestock, whether to speed up production or as a preventative measure to compensate for the inhumane, disease-ridden conditions the livestock are forced to live in.</p>
<p>"The meat industry\'s overreliance on these drugs is a symptom of our fundamentally-broken industrial food system that strives to produce the most meat, the fastest — at the expense of food safety and antibiotic resources that are critical to our survival," <strong>said Talbott.</strong> "If meat companies are derailed by FSIS using the latest technology to show us what pharmaceutical drugs are <em>really</em> lurking in our food, we\'d all be better off if those companies started raising livestock and poultry without any."</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/2019-12-04-fsis-residue-testing-petition_63500.pdf" target="_blank">VIEW THE PETITION >></a></strong></p>',
        ),
        'file' => 
        array (
          0 => '',
          1 => '',
        ),
        'link' => 
        array (
          0 => '',
          1 => '',
        ),
        'lead_img' => 'stockimage_64494.jpg',
        'gallery' => 
        array (
          0 => 
          array (
            0 => 'stockimage_64494.jpg',
            1 => '',
            2 => '',
            3 => '',
            4 => '',
            5 => '',
            6 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'group' => 
        array (
          0 => 
          array (
            'id' => '110',
            'PARENT_ID' => '0',
            'sub_group' => '0',
            'name1' => 'Press Releases Categories',
            'url' => 'press-releases-categories',
            'visible' => '1',
            'order' => '5',
          ),
          1 => 
          array (
            'id' => '118',
            'PARENT_ID' => '110',
            'sub_group' => '0',
            'name1' => 'Food Safety',
            'url' => 'food-safety',
            'visible' => '1',
            'order' => '11',
          ),
        ),
        'checkbox' => 
        array (
          0 => '0',
          1 => '0',
          2 => '0',
        ),
        'url' => '/press-releases/5857/center-for-food-safety-petitions-usda-to-restructure-its-weak-antibiotic-residue-testing-program',
      ),
      'bid' => 
      array (
        'page_link' => '/press-releases/5857/center-for-food-safety-petitions-usda-to-restructure-its-weak-antibiotic-residue-testing-program',
        'bitly' => 'http://bit.ly/2DVms82',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'lead_img' => 'stockimage_64494.jpg',
        'rich_snippet' => '  Center for Food Safety Petitions USDA to Restructure Its Weak Antibiotic Residue Testing Program  
  Consumer Group Argues the Federal National Residue Testing Program is Outdated and Inaccurate  
  Washington, D.C.  — During this season of holiday meat purc.',
        'page' => 
        array (
          'id' => '5857',
          'SECTION_ID' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '0',
          'BLOCK_ID' => '0',
          'order' => '102',
          'visible' => '1',
          'feature' => '0',
          'hide' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Center for Food Safety Petitions USDA to Restructure Its Weak Antibiotic Residue Testing Program',
          'url' => 'center-for-food-safety-petitions-usda-to-restructure-its-weak-antibiotic-residue-testing-program',
          'bitly' => 'http://bit.ly/2DVms82',
          'lead_img' => 'stockimage_64494.jpg',
          'meta_title' => 'Center for Food Safety | Press Releases |  | Center for Food Safety Petitions USDA to Restructure Its Weak Antibiotic Residue Te',
          'meta_desc' => 'Center for Food Safety Petitions USDA to Restructure Its Weak Antibiotic Residue Testing Program Consumer Group Argues the Federal National...',
          'meta_img' => 'stockimage_64487.jpg',
          'meta_json' => '',
          'update_meta_title' => '1',
          'update_meta_desc' => '1',
          'update_meta_img' => '1',
          'update_meta_json' => '0',
          'start_time' => '0',
          'end_time' => '0',
        ),
        'section' => 
        array (
          'id' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '486',
          'PAGE_ID' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Press Releases',
          'url' => 'press-releases',
          'hide' => '0',
          'order' => '1',
        ),
        'bid_380' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Title',
          'block_type' => 'Plain Text',
          'block_alias' => 'title',
          'post_id' => '56294',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 'Center for Food Safety Petitions USDA to Restructure Its Weak Antibiotic Residue Testing Program',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5959' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Subtitle',
          'block_type' => 'Plain Text',
          'block_alias' => 'subtitle',
          'post_id' => '56294',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5957' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Show Hero Image',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'hide_hero',
          'post_id' => '56294',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_381' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Date',
          'block_type' => 'Date',
          'block_alias' => 'date',
          'post_id' => '56295',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '2019-12-06',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_2294' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel1',
          'post_id' => '56296',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'custom_title' => '',
              'page_id' => '308',
              'name1' => 'Food Safety',
              'section_name1' => 'Issues',
              'page_link' => '/issues/308/food-safety',
              'lead_img' => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
              'rich_snippet' => '<p>According to federal data, each year, one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. These figures are likely to be far higher, as most food illnesses go unreported. The most five common pathogens causing foodborne i.',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_3612' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue 2',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel2',
          'post_id' => '56297',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'custom_title' => '',
              'page_id' => '307',
              'name1' => 'Animal Factories',
              'section_name1' => 'Issues',
              'page_link' => '/issues/307/animal-factories',
              'lead_img' => 'chainreaction2socialpromoweb_90391.jpg',
              'rich_snippet' => '<p>In the last few decades, consolidation of food production has concentrated power in the hands of fewer and fewer corporations.  Many of today’s farms are actually large industrial facilities, not family farms with green pastures and red barns that most .',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_3613' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue 3',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel3',
          'post_id' => '56298',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_382' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Description',
          'block_type' => 'Rich Text',
          'block_alias' => 'desc',
          'post_id' => '56299',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Center for Food Safety Petitions USDA to Restructure Its Weak Antibiotic Residue Testing Program</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Consumer Group Argues the Federal National Residue Testing Program is Outdated and Inaccurate</em></p>
<p><strong>Washington, D.C.</strong> — During this season of holiday meat purchasing, the consumer advocacy group Center for Food Safety (CFS) is <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/2019-12-04-fsis-residue-testing-petition_63500.pdf" target="_blank">asking the USDA\'s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) to strengthen the National Residue Program (NRP)</a>, so that we can all enjoy a safer food supply free of antibiotic residues.</p>
<p>The NRP is an interagency program administered by FSIS that is supposed to identify, rank, and analyze for chemical contaminants in meat, poultry, and egg products. While the NRP tests for <em>some</em> veterinary drug residues, it does not test for <em>all</em> the veterinary drugs that may be used in food animals. This is insufficient for FSIS to "protect the health and welfare of consumers" as required by federal law.</p>
<p>The NRP is also based on outdated tolerance level standards that were set by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), rather than what testing methods are now capable of measuring. If drug residues are found on animal tissue at levels below these outdated thresholds, NRP\'s testing protocol will falsely classify that tissue as "negative" and without drug residue present. This negative/positive binary testing system based on FDA\'s tolerance levels is insufficient to "protect the health and welfare of consumers" because it ignores the fact that FSIS is capable of detecting drug residues at much lower levels.</p>
<p>"FSIS is using an outdated residue testing program that is failing to properly identify the presence of pharmaceuticals in our meat supply," <strong>said Ryan Talbott, staff attorney at CFS.</strong> "The agency needs to update its testing techniques to provide for the lowest limits of detection and it needs to make information about all detected drug residues in meat available to the public," he continued.</p>
<p>For example, FDA set its tolerance for the pharmaceutical ractopamine — a controversial feed additive to promote leanness in pigs — at 150 parts per billion for liver and 50 parts per billion for muscle. FSIS then set its minimum level of applicability for detecting ractopamine at 75 parts per billion (liver) and 25 parts per billion (muscle) even though a 2002 study in the <em>Journal of Chromatography B</em> found that using liquid chromatography as a testing technique has a detection capability of 30 parts per <em>trillion</em>. CFS\' petition also noted that FSIS should institute a reporting mechanism to make all detected residue levels on meat, poultry, and egg samples available to regulatory agencies and the public annually, which the current system lacks.</p>
<p>CFS advocates for a safe, sustainable food system; one that gives thanks to the efficacy of antibiotics by using them sparingly to treat bacterial infections in animals. The more we are exposed to antibiotics — whether it\'s through the meat we eat or the medicines we take — the less effective those antibiotics will be at fighting the next generation of bacterial infections as the bacteria evolve into "superbugs" with increased resistance to antibiotics.</p>
<p>Considering 80% of antibiotics used in the U.S. are marketed to animal producers, our food system has a long way to go before it administers antibiotics sustainably. Rather than giving thanks for all that antibiotics can do to protect human health, the industrial meat system weakens their effectiveness by administering them by default to healthy livestock, whether to speed up production or as a preventative measure to compensate for the inhumane, disease-ridden conditions the livestock are forced to live in.</p>
<p>"The meat industry\'s overreliance on these drugs is a symptom of our fundamentally-broken industrial food system that strives to produce the most meat, the fastest — at the expense of food safety and antibiotic resources that are critical to our survival," <strong>said Talbott.</strong> "If meat companies are derailed by FSIS using the latest technology to show us what pharmaceutical drugs are <em>really</em> lurking in our food, we\'d all be better off if those companies started raising livestock and poultry without any."</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/2019-12-04-fsis-residue-testing-petition_63500.pdf" target="_blank">VIEW THE PETITION >></a></strong></p>',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_383' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'PDF File',
          'block_type' => 'File',
          'block_alias' => 'pdf',
          'post_id' => '56300',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_1168' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'CFS Link',
          'block_type' => 'Link',
          'block_alias' => 'link',
          'post_id' => '56301',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_1169' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Image Gallery',
          'block_type' => 'Image Gallery',
          'block_alias' => 'images',
          'post_id' => '56308',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              0 => 'stockimage_64494.jpg',
              1 => '',
              2 => '',
              3 => '',
              4 => '',
              5 => '',
              6 => 'Center for Food Safety Petitions USDA to Restructure Its Weak Antibiotic Residue Testing Program',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_2291' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Category',
          'block_type' => 'Grouping',
          'block_alias' => 'cat',
          'post_id' => '56303',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'id' => '118',
              'PARENT_ID' => '110',
              'sub_group' => '0',
              'name1' => 'Food Safety',
              'url' => 'food-safety',
              'visible' => '1',
              'order' => '11',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4805' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Tweets',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'tweets',
          'post_id' => '56304',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4806' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Quotes',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'quotes',
          'post_id' => '56305',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4807' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Join CFS',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'join',
          'post_id' => '56306',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5592' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Hide',
          'block_type' => 'Hide - In \'page\' table',
          'block_alias' => '',
          'post_id' => '56307',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5835' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Scheduler',
          'block_type' => 'Schedule',
          'block_alias' => 'scheduler',
          'post_id' => '56307',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5955' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Unique Url',
          'block_type' => 'Unique Root URL',
          'block_alias' => 'unique_url',
          'post_id' => '56307',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
      ),
      'alias' => 
      array (
        'page_link' => '/press-releases/5857/center-for-food-safety-petitions-usda-to-restructure-its-weak-antibiotic-residue-testing-program',
        'bitly' => 'http://bit.ly/2DVms82',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'lead_img' => 'stockimage_64494.jpg',
        'rich_snippet' => '  Center for Food Safety Petitions USDA to Restructure Its Weak Antibiotic Residue Testing Program  
  Consumer Group Argues the Federal National Residue Testing Program is Outdated and Inaccurate  
  Washington, D.C.  — During this season of holiday meat purc.',
        'page' => 
        array (
          'id' => '5857',
          'SECTION_ID' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '0',
          'BLOCK_ID' => '0',
          'order' => '102',
          'visible' => '1',
          'feature' => '0',
          'hide' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Center for Food Safety Petitions USDA to Restructure Its Weak Antibiotic Residue Testing Program',
          'url' => 'center-for-food-safety-petitions-usda-to-restructure-its-weak-antibiotic-residue-testing-program',
          'bitly' => 'http://bit.ly/2DVms82',
          'lead_img' => 'stockimage_64494.jpg',
          'meta_title' => 'Center for Food Safety | Press Releases |  | Center for Food Safety Petitions USDA to Restructure Its Weak Antibiotic Residue Te',
          'meta_desc' => 'Center for Food Safety Petitions USDA to Restructure Its Weak Antibiotic Residue Testing Program Consumer Group Argues the Federal National...',
          'meta_img' => 'stockimage_64487.jpg',
          'meta_json' => '',
          'update_meta_title' => '1',
          'update_meta_desc' => '1',
          'update_meta_img' => '1',
          'update_meta_json' => '0',
          'start_time' => '0',
          'end_time' => '0',
        ),
        'section' => 
        array (
          'id' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '486',
          'PAGE_ID' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Press Releases',
          'url' => 'press-releases',
          'hide' => '0',
          'order' => '1',
        ),
        'bid_5959' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Subtitle',
          'block_type' => 'Plain Text',
          'block_alias' => 'subtitle',
          'post_id' => '56294',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5957' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Show Hero Image',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'hide_hero',
          'post_id' => '56294',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_3613' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue 3',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel3',
          'post_id' => '56298',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5592' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Hide',
          'block_type' => 'Hide - In \'page\' table',
          'block_alias' => '',
          'post_id' => '56307',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5835' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Scheduler',
          'block_type' => 'Schedule',
          'block_alias' => 'scheduler',
          'post_id' => '56307',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5955' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Unique Url',
          'block_type' => 'Unique Root URL',
          'block_alias' => 'unique_url',
          'post_id' => '56307',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'alias' => 
        array (
          'title' => 'Center for Food Safety Petitions USDA to Restructure Its Weak Antibiotic Residue Testing Program',
          'date' => '2019-12-06',
          'rel1' => 
          array (
            'custom_title' => '',
            'page_id' => '308',
            'name1' => 'Food Safety',
            'section_name1' => 'Issues',
            'page_link' => '/issues/308/food-safety',
            'lead_img' => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
            'rich_snippet' => ' According to federal data, each year, one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. These figures are likely to be far higher, as most food illnesses go unreported. The most five common pathogens causing foodborne ill.',
          ),
          'rel2' => 
          array (
            'custom_title' => '',
            'page_id' => '307',
            'name1' => 'Animal Factories',
            'section_name1' => 'Issues',
            'page_link' => '/issues/307/animal-factories',
            'lead_img' => 'chainreaction2socialpromoweb_90391.jpg',
            'rich_snippet' => ' In the last few decades, consolidation of food production has concentrated power in the hands of fewer and fewer corporations.  Many of today’s farms are actually large industrial facilities, not family farms with green pastures and red barns that most America.',
          ),
          'desc' => '<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Center for Food Safety Petitions USDA to Restructure Its Weak Antibiotic Residue Testing Program</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Consumer Group Argues the Federal National Residue Testing Program is Outdated and Inaccurate</em></p>
<p><strong>Washington, D.C.</strong> — During this season of holiday meat purchasing, the consumer advocacy group Center for Food Safety (CFS) is <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/2019-12-04-fsis-residue-testing-petition_63500.pdf" target="_blank">asking the USDA\'s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) to strengthen the National Residue Program (NRP)</a>, so that we can all enjoy a safer food supply free of antibiotic residues.</p>
<p>The NRP is an interagency program administered by FSIS that is supposed to identify, rank, and analyze for chemical contaminants in meat, poultry, and egg products. While the NRP tests for <em>some</em> veterinary drug residues, it does not test for <em>all</em> the veterinary drugs that may be used in food animals. This is insufficient for FSIS to "protect the health and welfare of consumers" as required by federal law.</p>
<p>The NRP is also based on outdated tolerance level standards that were set by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), rather than what testing methods are now capable of measuring. If drug residues are found on animal tissue at levels below these outdated thresholds, NRP\'s testing protocol will falsely classify that tissue as "negative" and without drug residue present. This negative/positive binary testing system based on FDA\'s tolerance levels is insufficient to "protect the health and welfare of consumers" because it ignores the fact that FSIS is capable of detecting drug residues at much lower levels.</p>
<p>"FSIS is using an outdated residue testing program that is failing to properly identify the presence of pharmaceuticals in our meat supply," <strong>said Ryan Talbott, staff attorney at CFS.</strong> "The agency needs to update its testing techniques to provide for the lowest limits of detection and it needs to make information about all detected drug residues in meat available to the public," he continued.</p>
<p>For example, FDA set its tolerance for the pharmaceutical ractopamine — a controversial feed additive to promote leanness in pigs — at 150 parts per billion for liver and 50 parts per billion for muscle. FSIS then set its minimum level of applicability for detecting ractopamine at 75 parts per billion (liver) and 25 parts per billion (muscle) even though a 2002 study in the <em>Journal of Chromatography B</em> found that using liquid chromatography as a testing technique has a detection capability of 30 parts per <em>trillion</em>. CFS\' petition also noted that FSIS should institute a reporting mechanism to make all detected residue levels on meat, poultry, and egg samples available to regulatory agencies and the public annually, which the current system lacks.</p>
<p>CFS advocates for a safe, sustainable food system; one that gives thanks to the efficacy of antibiotics by using them sparingly to treat bacterial infections in animals. The more we are exposed to antibiotics — whether it\'s through the meat we eat or the medicines we take — the less effective those antibiotics will be at fighting the next generation of bacterial infections as the bacteria evolve into "superbugs" with increased resistance to antibiotics.</p>
<p>Considering 80% of antibiotics used in the U.S. are marketed to animal producers, our food system has a long way to go before it administers antibiotics sustainably. Rather than giving thanks for all that antibiotics can do to protect human health, the industrial meat system weakens their effectiveness by administering them by default to healthy livestock, whether to speed up production or as a preventative measure to compensate for the inhumane, disease-ridden conditions the livestock are forced to live in.</p>
<p>"The meat industry\'s overreliance on these drugs is a symptom of our fundamentally-broken industrial food system that strives to produce the most meat, the fastest — at the expense of food safety and antibiotic resources that are critical to our survival," <strong>said Talbott.</strong> "If meat companies are derailed by FSIS using the latest technology to show us what pharmaceutical drugs are <em>really</em> lurking in our food, we\'d all be better off if those companies started raising livestock and poultry without any."</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/2019-12-04-fsis-residue-testing-petition_63500.pdf" target="_blank">VIEW THE PETITION >></a></strong></p>',
          'pdf' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
          'link' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
          'images' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              0 => 'stockimage_64494.jpg',
              1 => '',
              2 => '',
              3 => '',
              4 => '',
              5 => '',
              6 => 'Center for Food Safety Petitions USDA to Restructure Its Weak Antibiotic Residue Testing Program',
              7 => 1000,
              8 => 562,
            ),
          ),
          'cat' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'id' => '118',
              'PARENT_ID' => '110',
              'sub_group' => '0',
              'name1' => 'Food Safety',
              'url' => 'food-safety',
              'visible' => '1',
              'order' => '11',
            ),
          ),
          'tweets' => '0',
          'quotes' => '0',
          'join' => '0',
        ),
      ),
    ),
  ),
  17 => 
  array (
    'id' => '5842',
    'SECTION_ID' => '129',
    'PARENT_ID' => '0',
    'BLOCK_ID' => '0',
    'order' => '150',
    'visible' => '1',
    'feature' => '0',
    'hide' => '0',
    'name1' => 'New Bill to Shine a Light on the Hidden Causes of Foodborne Illness Outbreaks',
    'url' => 'new-bill-to-shine-a-light-on-the-hidden-causes-of-foodborne-illness-outbreaks',
    'bitly' => '5rx',
    'lead_img' => 'romaine_63755.jpg',
    'meta_title' => 'Center for Food Safety | Press Releases |  | New Bill to Shine a Light on the Hidden Causes of Foodborne Illness Outbreaks',
    'meta_desc' => 'New Bill to Shine a Light on the Hidden Causes of Foodborne Illness Outbreaks Consumer Groups Applaud Effort to Give Food Safety Regulators...',
    'meta_img' => 'romaine_63744.jpg',
    'meta_json' => '',
    'update_meta_title' => '1',
    'update_meta_desc' => '1',
    'update_meta_img' => '1',
    'update_meta_json' => '0',
    'start_time' => '0',
    'end_time' => '0',
    'content' => 
    array (
      'typ' => 
      array (
        'page_id' => '5842',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'text' => 
        array (
          0 => 'New Bill to Shine a Light on the Hidden Causes of Foodborne Illness Outbreaks',
        ),
        'date' => 
        array (
          0 => '2019-11-22',
        ),
        'relation' => 
        array (
          0 => 
          array (
            'custom' => 
            array (
              0 => '',
            ),
            'page_id' => '308',
            'basic' => 
            array (
              'page_id' => '308',
              'root_url' => 'issues',
              'root' => 'Issues',
              'text' => 
              array (
                0 => 'Food Safety',
                1 => '',
                2 => 'Food Safety',
                3 => 'From:CFSTrueFood+#foodsafety',
              ),
              'rich' => 
              array (
                0 => '<p>According to federal data, each year, one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. These figures are likely to be far higher, as most food illnesses go unreported. The most five common pathogens causing foodborne illnesses resulting in hospitalizations are: salmonella, norovirus, Campylobacter, toxoplasma gondii, and E. coli 0157.</p>
<p>Almost every week brings more news of food contamination or foodborne illness outbreak. What’s going on? Our industrialized food system is the root cause of many of these outbreaks.</p>
<p>Industrialization of the food supply</p>
<p>One likely cause is overcrowded conditions on factory farms, where animals get sick and pass the disease on to other animals. Another factor is our wide distribution system, in which contaminated food is transported across the nation. Also, we are increasingly relying on imported foods with unknown safety standards. (For example, 60 percent of our seafood is imported.) Adding to this perfect storm is government deregulation and inadequate funding for inspections and oversight.</p>
<p>Another critical food safety problem is the thousands of chemical additives Americans consume every day. Thanks to industry influence over the approval process, the long-term safety risks for most of these substances are unknown.</p>
<p>For example, for years science has pointed to chemical food dyes as a significant contributor to child behavioral problems. And yet the federal government still denies this connection. In addition, we’ve seen a huge increase in food allergies in children in recent years, but without much explanation of the causes. Clearly, more research is needed into how the industrialized food supply may be impacting our health in ways that are less obvious than foodborne illness.</p>
<p>Political influence</p>
<p>Nothing about food safety takes place in a political vacuum. For decades, the food industry has lobbied to ensure the status quo. And when we finally do get a rare policy victory, such as the passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act (passed in 2010), the game switches to “starving the beast” – limiting the funds for government to adequately carry out the legislative intent.</p>
<p>Powerful trade groups such as the American Meat Institute lobby against common sense policy improvements, such as expanding required testing for deadly bacteria in ground beef. Another important political factor is international trade. Other nations get upset when theU.S.government demands higher scrutiny of imports. In addition, the Food and Drug Administration, despite having jurisdiction over most of the food supply, is constantly under-funded, limiting inspection and enforcement actions; again, thanks to powerful lobbyists who like it that way.</p>
<p>What can we do about it?</p>
<p>President Obama has pledged a complete overhaul of our food system. The Center for Food Safety believes this will require elevating food safety within government to be a cabinet level agency. The mission of this new food agency must be to evaluate how best to regulate food production to prevent the greatest food safety hazards caused by large industrial agriculture and processed foods and while also protecting and supporting smaller, family, and diversified farms. But such an overhaul can only be successful by removing politics from food safety.</p>
<p>Additional Food Safety Resources</p>
<p><a href="http://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/cdc-and-food-safety.html" target="_blank">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.fsis.usda.gov/" target="_blank">United States Department of Agriculture</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.fda.gov/food/foodsafety/default.htm" target="_blank">Food and Drug Administration</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.foodsafety.gov/" target="_blank">FoodSafety.gov</a></p>',
              ),
              'lead_img' => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
              'gallery' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
                  1 => 'NEW REPORT: TPP Serves Up an Unsavory Dinner',
                  2 => '<p>If you’ve been listening to or reading the news at any point over the past year, it’s likely that you’ve heard about the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP. While the term may be familiar, the connection between TPP and what you find on your dinner plate may not be.</p>',
                  3 => 'http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/reports/4573/tpp-serves-up-an-unsavory-dinner',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'oilandwater_thinkbeforeyoupink_hero2_14465.jpg',
                  1 => 'Tell Bee Sweet Citrus and Wonderful Company to Stop Watering Our Food with Oil Wastewater!',
                  2 => '<p>The use of oil wastewater for food irrigation is an urgent public health issue because of the potentially hazardous chemicals associated with all oil extraction processes – including toxic chemicals linked to cancer. Tell Wonderful Company and Bee Sweet Citrus to stop watering our food with toxic oil wastewater!</p>',
                  3 => 'http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/1881/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=19536',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'istock_000009992043small_78906.jpg',
                  1 => 'Court Victory: Consumers Have a Right to Know About Their Food',
                  2 => '<p>The Washington D.C. Court of Appeals upheld the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) rule which requires information about where meat is raised and slaughtered. USDA drafted COOL rules in 2009 and finalized them in 2013.</p>',
                  3 => 'http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/3404/court-victory-consumers-have-a-right-to-know-about-their-food',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
              ),
              'images' => 
              array (
                0 => 'foodsafety_48189.png',
                1 => '',
                2 => 'foodsafety_68552.png',
                3 => '',
              ),
              'group' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '94',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '48',
                  'sub_group' => '0',
                  'name1' => 'Food Safety',
                  'url' => 'food-safety',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'order' => '4',
                ),
              ),
              'color' => 
              array (
                0 => '#f79676',
                1 => 'Food Safety Mauve',
              ),
              'section' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '219',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Food Safety & Food Recalls',
                  'url' => 'food-safety-and-food-recalls',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '158',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '329',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Industrialization of the Food Supply',
                  'url' => 'industrialization-of-the-food-supply',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '159',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  'id' => '330',
                  'PARENT_ID' => '0',
                  'landing_slave' => '0',
                  'PAGE_ID' => '308',
                  'name1' => 'Political Influence',
                  'url' => 'political-influence',
                  'visible' => '1',
                  'hide' => '0',
                  'start_end' => '0',
                  'viz_head' => '0',
                  'viz_foot' => '0',
                  'order' => '160',
                  'multiple' => '0',
                  'no_landing' => '0',
                  'dead' => '0',
                  'slave' => '0',
                  'php_file' => '',
                  'has_detail' => '0',
                  'no_search' => '0',
                  'no_nav' => '0',
                  'ext_link' => '',
                  'indent' => 0,
                  'c_count' => 0,
                  'parent_url' => '',
                ),
              ),
              'checkbox' => 
              array (
                0 => '1',
                1 => '0',
                2 => '1',
              ),
              'url' => '/issues/308/food-safety',
            ),
          ),
          1 => 
          array (
            'custom' => 
            array (
              0 => '',
            ),
            'page_id' => '5621',
            'basic' => 
            array (
              'page_id' => '5621',
              'root_url' => 'media',
              'root' => 'Media',
              'text' => 
              array (
                0 => 'Center for Food Safety Lawsuit Requires FDA to Address Foodborne Illness Outbreaks by New Deadlines',
              ),
              'date' => 
              array (
                0 => '2019-06-07',
              ),
              'relation' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  'custom' => 
                  array (
                    0 => '',
                  ),
                  'page_id' => '5430',
                ),
                1 => 
                array (
                  'custom' => 
                  array (
                    0 => '',
                  ),
                  'page_id' => '2325',
                ),
                2 => 
                array (
                  'custom' => 
                  array (
                    0 => '',
                  ),
                  'page_id' => '308',
                ),
              ),
              'rich' => 
              array (
                0 => '<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Center for Food Safety Lawsuit Requires FDA to Address Foodborne Illness Outbreaks by New Deadlines</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Settlement Requires Agency to Classify and Establish New Reporting Requirements for "High-Risk" Foods</em></p>
<p><strong>Washington, D.C.—</strong>Pursuant to a Center for Food Safety (CFS) lawsuit and <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/2019-06-07--doc-33-1--consent-decree_35775.pdf" target="_blank">now-final settlement</a>, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has agreed to complete important and long-overdue food safety rules implementing the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). FSMA required FDA to designate and establish new reporting requirements for foods that are at "high-risk" of foodborne illness outbreaks. CFS sued FDA in October 2018 for failing to complete the high-risk food designations and reporting requirements. The settlement requires the agency to designate "high-risk" foods by September 2020 and establish reporting requirements for those foods by November 2022.</p>
<p>"This is a major victory for public health," <strong>said Ryan Talbott, CFS staff attorney.</strong> "FDA has sat on its hands for years, neglecting to make these high-risk designations, while outbreaks caused by <em>Salmonella, E. coli</em>, and other pathogens have sicken and killed people. This settlement ensures FDA will finally take these much-needed actions to reduce the threat of foodborne illness."</p>
<p>An estimated one in six Americans, or 48 million people, become ill from foodborne diseases each year according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Approximately 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die every year based on exposure to pathogens present in the food supply. The annual cost to the U.S. economy in medical bills and productivity losses alone is over <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26038894" target="_blank">$93 billion</a>.</p>
<p>FSMA requires a range of preventive measures to reduce foodborne hazards, including the designation of "high-risk" foods that are more susceptible to being a source for foodborne illness outbreaks and additional reporting requirements for them. Congress required FDA to designate high-risk foods by January 2012 and to propose recordkeeping requirements for facilities that handle those foods by January 2013. Yet more than five years after these deadlines, and <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/fact-sheets/5428/foodborne-illness-outbreaks-since-enactment-of-fsma-on-january-4th-2011" target="_blank">countless numbers of food safety illness episodes later</a>—including last year\'s <em>E. coli</em> outbreak linked to romaine lettuce that resulted in five deaths and 210 sickened people in 36 states—FDA has failed to designate any high-risk foods.</p>
<p>"After years of stalling, FDA can no longer delay enacting the FSMA high-risk food regulations," <strong>said Jaydee Hanson, CFS policy director.</strong> "FDA needs to designate what these high-risk foods are and how they should be reported so that we can build a safer food system that prevents as many of these foodborne illness outbreaks as possible." </p>
<p><strong>Background</strong></p>
<p>This is the second successful case that CFS has brought against FDA to enforce FSMA\'s requirements. In <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/blog/2179/putting-the-food-safety-back-in-the-food-safety-modernization-act" target="_blank">2012-2014</a>, CFS <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/issues/308/food-safety/press-releases/2430/federal-court-again-sides-with-center-for-food-safety-in-food-safety-case" target="_blank">successfully litigated</a> the <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/723/center-for-food-safety-lawsuit-targets-fda-omb-on-stalled-food-safety-act" target="_blank">first-ever FSMA lawsuit</a>, over FDA\'s failure to comply with FSMA\'s requirements that FDA promulgate and issue seven different major food safety rules, the basic rules that oversee all areas of the food system under FSMA, including food production, transport, and imports. <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/blog/2954/protecting-public-health-one-case-at-a-time" target="_blank">That case resulted</a> in FDA\'s enactment of those core regulations based on new <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/2919/victory-your-food-will-be-safer-thanks-to-center-for-food-safety-lawsuit" target="_blank">Court-set deadlines</a>.</p>',
              ),
              'file' => 
              array (
                0 => '2019-06-07--doc-33-1--consent-decree_35775.pdf',
                1 => '',
              ),
              'link' => 
              array (
                0 => '',
                1 => '',
              ),
              'lead_img' => 'child-hero_51524_35578.jpg',
              'gallery' => 
              array (
                0 => 
                array (
                  0 => 'child-hero_51524_35578.jpg',
                  1 => '',
                  2 => '',
                  3 => '',
                  4 => '',
                  5 => '',
                  6 => '',
                ),
              ),
              'checkbox' => 
              array (
                0 => '0',
                1 => '0',
                2 => '0',
              ),
              'url' => '/press-releases/5621/center-for-food-safety-lawsuit-requires-fda-to-address-foodborne-illness-outbreaks-by-new-deadlines',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'rich' => 
        array (
          0 => '<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>New Bill to Shine a Light on the Hidden Causes of Foodborne Illness Outbreaks</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Consumer Groups Applaud Effort to Give Food Safety Regulators Critically Needed Authority to Collect Microbiological Samples</em></p>
<p><strong>Washington D.C.</strong> — Senator Kirsten Gillibrand yesterday introduced a bill that would give federal investigators at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) a new tool to solve foodborne illness outbreaks. Members of the Safe Food Coalition, including the Center for Food Safety, say the bill is more important than ever in light of yet another outbreak linked to romaine lettuce, which today led FDA to <a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigation-e-coli-o157h7-outbreak-linked-romaine-salinas-california-november-2019" target="_blank">advise</a> consumers not to eat, and retailers not to sell, any romaine lettuce harvested from the Salinas, California growing region.</p>
<p>Titled the Expanded Food Safety Investigation Act of 2019, the bill would give FDA the authority to conduct microbiological sampling on concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) so that foodborne illness outbreak investigators can trace back the source of pathogens like the E. coli O157:H7 bacteria linked to Romaine lettuce produced in the Yuma growing region, which killed five people last year. Congresswoman DeLauro, chair of the Congressional Food Safety Caucus, is expected to introduce a companion bill in the House later this year.</p>
<p>Members of the Safe Food Coalition welcomed the introduction of the bill. Under current law, federal authorities need permission to enter the premises of a CAFO to conduct sampling in connection with a foodborne illness outbreak investigation. This limitation came to the forefront during last year\'s Yuma Romaine lettuce E. coli O157:H7 outbreak. Samples taken from canal water in the area suggested that the source of the outbreak may have been a large concentrated animal feeding operation in the area. Investigators were permitted to take only limited samples on the operation and were not able to identify the outbreak strain among these.</p>
<p>"It is outrageous to think that a multi-million dollar company would be allowed to obstruct a foodborne illness outbreak investigation. A safe food supply is founded upon transparency and accountability," <strong>said Thomas Gremillion, Director of Food Policy for the Consumer Federation of America.</strong> "The Expanded Food Safety Investigation Act of 2019 gives food safety regulators the power they need to protect consumers, and puts public health ahead of industry profits."</p>
<p>"Farm animals carry germs that can contaminate not just our meat and poultry, but also the fresh fruits and vegetables we eat," <strong>said Sarah Sorscher, Deputy Director of Regulatory Affairs at the Center for Science in the Public Interest.</strong> "Tracing outbreaks back to the farm and understanding how these pathogens move through the food system is ultimately the key to preventing future outbreaks."</p>
<p>Each year, nearly one in six Americans are sickened, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die as a result of foodborne illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC). CAFOs contribute to this disease burden both by contaminating nearby produce fields, and by spreading virulent, antibiotic resistant "superbugs" directly to consumers of meat and poultry products.</p>
<p>"Last year\'s romaine lettuce outbreak made it clear FDA investigators need the authority to follow the clues in a foodborne illness outbreak wherever they lead," <strong>said Dylan Robb, Consumer Watchdog Associate at US PIRG.</strong> "We applaud Sen. Gillibrand for introducing the commonsense Expanded Food Safety Inspection Act of 2019, which will enable the FDA to better protect Americans health from contaminated food."</p>
<p>In the summer of 2015, an antibiotic resistant strain of Salmonella I 4,[5],12:i:- linked to pork <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/pork-08-15/index.html" target="_blank">sickened</a> 192 people in five states, sending 30 to the hospital. Yet when epidemiologists sought to gain access to the CAFOs that had supplied the slaughterhouse at the center of the outbreak, they were <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/04/health/pork-antibiotic-resistance-salmonella.html" target="_blank">turned away</a>. "This bill will help to ensure that does not happen again,"<strong> said Jaydee Hanson, Policy Director at Center for Food Safety.</strong></p>
<p>With Thanksgiving approaching, federal officials are scrambling in the face of <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/2019/o157h7-11-19/index.html" target="_blank">yet another outbreak</a> tied to romaine lettuce. For the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2018/s0110-update-ecoli.html" target="_blank">second year in a row</a>, public health authorities are advising consumers to avoid romaine lettuce just before the holiday.</p>
<p>"This bill should help us to get to the root of these outbreaks, and restore consumers\' confidence in the food supply," <strong>said Michael Hansen, Senior Scientist at Consumer Reports.</strong> "Members of Congress should join Senator Gillibrand and Rep. DeLauro and pass this common sense protection for consumers."</p>
<p><em>The Safe Food Coalition is made up of consumer, public health and victim groups who work on issues related to food, and organizations representing labor in the food industry.</em></p>',
        ),
        'file' => 
        array (
          0 => '',
          1 => '',
        ),
        'link' => 
        array (
          0 => '',
          1 => '',
        ),
        'lead_img' => 'romaine_63755.jpg',
        'gallery' => 
        array (
          0 => 
          array (
            0 => 'romaine_63755.jpg',
            1 => '',
            2 => '',
            3 => '',
            4 => '',
            5 => '',
            6 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'group' => 
        array (
          0 => 
          array (
            'id' => '110',
            'PARENT_ID' => '0',
            'sub_group' => '0',
            'name1' => 'Press Releases Categories',
            'url' => 'press-releases-categories',
            'visible' => '1',
            'order' => '5',
          ),
          1 => 
          array (
            'id' => '118',
            'PARENT_ID' => '110',
            'sub_group' => '0',
            'name1' => 'Food Safety',
            'url' => 'food-safety',
            'visible' => '1',
            'order' => '11',
          ),
        ),
        'checkbox' => 
        array (
          0 => '0',
          1 => '0',
          2 => '0',
        ),
        'url' => '/press-releases/5842/new-bill-to-shine-a-light-on-the-hidden-causes-of-foodborne-illness-outbreaks',
      ),
      'bid' => 
      array (
        'page_link' => '/press-releases/5842/new-bill-to-shine-a-light-on-the-hidden-causes-of-foodborne-illness-outbreaks',
        'bitly' => '5rx',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'lead_img' => 'romaine_63755.jpg',
        'rich_snippet' => '  New Bill to Shine a Light on the Hidden Causes of Foodborne Illness Outbreaks  
  Consumer Groups Applaud Effort to Give Food Safety Regulators Critically Needed Authority to Collect Microbiological Samples  
  Washington D.C.  — Senator Kirsten Gillibrand ye.',
        'page' => 
        array (
          'id' => '5842',
          'SECTION_ID' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '0',
          'BLOCK_ID' => '0',
          'order' => '103',
          'visible' => '1',
          'feature' => '0',
          'hide' => '0',
          'name1' => 'New Bill to Shine a Light on the Hidden Causes of Foodborne Illness Outbreaks',
          'url' => 'new-bill-to-shine-a-light-on-the-hidden-causes-of-foodborne-illness-outbreaks',
          'bitly' => '5rx',
          'lead_img' => 'romaine_63755.jpg',
          'meta_title' => 'Center for Food Safety | Press Releases |  | New Bill to Shine a Light on the Hidden Causes of Foodborne Illness Outbreaks',
          'meta_desc' => 'New Bill to Shine a Light on the Hidden Causes of Foodborne Illness Outbreaks Consumer Groups Applaud Effort to Give Food Safety Regulators...',
          'meta_img' => 'romaine_63744.jpg',
          'meta_json' => '',
          'update_meta_title' => '1',
          'update_meta_desc' => '1',
          'update_meta_img' => '1',
          'update_meta_json' => '0',
          'start_time' => '0',
          'end_time' => '0',
        ),
        'section' => 
        array (
          'id' => '129',
          'PARENT_ID' => '486',
          'PAGE_ID' => '0',
          'name1' => 'Press Releases',
          'url' => 'press-releases',
          'hide' => '0',
          'order' => '1',
        ),
        'bid_380' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Title',
          'block_type' => 'Plain Text',
          'block_alias' => 'title',
          'post_id' => '56116',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 'New Bill to Shine a Light on the Hidden Causes of Foodborne Illness Outbreaks',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5959' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Subtitle',
          'block_type' => 'Plain Text',
          'block_alias' => 'subtitle',
          'post_id' => '56116',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5957' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Show Hero Image',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'hide_hero',
          'post_id' => '56116',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_381' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Date',
          'block_type' => 'Date',
          'block_alias' => 'date',
          'post_id' => '56117',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '2019-11-22',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_2294' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel1',
          'post_id' => '56118',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'custom_title' => '',
              'page_id' => '308',
              'name1' => 'Food Safety',
              'section_name1' => 'Issues',
              'page_link' => '/issues/308/food-safety',
              'lead_img' => 'tpp-unsavory-dinner_hero2_29491.jpg',
              'rich_snippet' => '<p>According to federal data, each year, one in six Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. These figures are likely to be far higher, as most food illnesses go unreported. The most five common pathogens causing foodborne i.',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_3612' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue 2',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel2',
          'post_id' => '56119',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'custom_title' => '',
              'page_id' => '5621',
              'name1' => 'Center for Food Safety Lawsuit Requires FDA to Address Foodborne Illness Outbreaks by New Deadlines',
              'section_name1' => 'Press Releases',
              'page_link' => '/press-releases/5621/center-for-food-safety-lawsuit-requires-fda-to-address-foodborne-illness-outbreaks-by-new-deadlines',
              'lead_img' => 'child-hero_51524_35578.jpg',
              'rich_snippet' => '  Center for Food Safety Lawsuit Requires FDA to Address Foodborne Illness Outbreaks by New Deadlines  
  Settlement Requires Agency to Classify and Establish New Reporting Requirements for "High-Risk" Foods  
  Washington, D.C.— Pursuant to a Center .',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_3613' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Related Issue 3',
          'block_type' => 'Relation',
          'block_alias' => 'rel3',
          'post_id' => '56120',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_382' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Description',
          'block_type' => 'Rich Text',
          'block_alias' => 'desc',
          'post_id' => '56121',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>New Bill to Shine a Light on the Hidden Causes of Foodborne Illness Outbreaks</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Consumer Groups Applaud Effort to Give Food Safety Regulators Critically Needed Authority to Collect Microbiological Samples</em></p>
<p><strong>Washington D.C.</strong> — Senator Kirsten Gillibrand yesterday introduced a bill that would give federal investigators at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) a new tool to solve foodborne illness outbreaks. Members of the Safe Food Coalition, including the Center for Food Safety, say the bill is more important than ever in light of yet another outbreak linked to romaine lettuce, which today led FDA to <a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigation-e-coli-o157h7-outbreak-linked-romaine-salinas-california-november-2019" target="_blank">advise</a> consumers not to eat, and retailers not to sell, any romaine lettuce harvested from the Salinas, California growing region.</p>
<p>Titled the Expanded Food Safety Investigation Act of 2019, the bill would give FDA the authority to conduct microbiological sampling on concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) so that foodborne illness outbreak investigators can trace back the source of pathogens like the E. coli O157:H7 bacteria linked to Romaine lettuce produced in the Yuma growing region, which killed five people last year. Congresswoman DeLauro, chair of the Congressional Food Safety Caucus, is expected to introduce a companion bill in the House later this year.</p>
<p>Members of the Safe Food Coalition welcomed the introduction of the bill. Under current law, federal authorities need permission to enter the premises of a CAFO to conduct sampling in connection with a foodborne illness outbreak investigation. This limitation came to the forefront during last year\'s Yuma Romaine lettuce E. coli O157:H7 outbreak. Samples taken from canal water in the area suggested that the source of the outbreak may have been a large concentrated animal feeding operation in the area. Investigators were permitted to take only limited samples on the operation and were not able to identify the outbreak strain among these.</p>
<p>"It is outrageous to think that a multi-million dollar company would be allowed to obstruct a foodborne illness outbreak investigation. A safe food supply is founded upon transparency and accountability," <strong>said Thomas Gremillion, Director of Food Policy for the Consumer Federation of America.</strong> "The Expanded Food Safety Investigation Act of 2019 gives food safety regulators the power they need to protect consumers, and puts public health ahead of industry profits."</p>
<p>"Farm animals carry germs that can contaminate not just our meat and poultry, but also the fresh fruits and vegetables we eat," <strong>said Sarah Sorscher, Deputy Director of Regulatory Affairs at the Center for Science in the Public Interest.</strong> "Tracing outbreaks back to the farm and understanding how these pathogens move through the food system is ultimately the key to preventing future outbreaks."</p>
<p>Each year, nearly one in six Americans are sickened, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die as a result of foodborne illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC). CAFOs contribute to this disease burden both by contaminating nearby produce fields, and by spreading virulent, antibiotic resistant "superbugs" directly to consumers of meat and poultry products.</p>
<p>"Last year\'s romaine lettuce outbreak made it clear FDA investigators need the authority to follow the clues in a foodborne illness outbreak wherever they lead," <strong>said Dylan Robb, Consumer Watchdog Associate at US PIRG.</strong> "We applaud Sen. Gillibrand for introducing the commonsense Expanded Food Safety Inspection Act of 2019, which will enable the FDA to better protect Americans health from contaminated food."</p>
<p>In the summer of 2015, an antibiotic resistant strain of Salmonella I 4,[5],12:i:- linked to pork <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/pork-08-15/index.html" target="_blank">sickened</a> 192 people in five states, sending 30 to the hospital. Yet when epidemiologists sought to gain access to the CAFOs that had supplied the slaughterhouse at the center of the outbreak, they were <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/04/health/pork-antibiotic-resistance-salmonella.html" target="_blank">turned away</a>. "This bill will help to ensure that does not happen again,"<strong> said Jaydee Hanson, Policy Director at Center for Food Safety.</strong></p>
<p>With Thanksgiving approaching, federal officials are scrambling in the face of <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/2019/o157h7-11-19/index.html" target="_blank">yet another outbreak</a> tied to romaine lettuce. For the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2018/s0110-update-ecoli.html" target="_blank">second year in a row</a>, public health authorities are advising consumers to avoid romaine lettuce just before the holiday.</p>
<p>"This bill should help us to get to the root of these outbreaks, and restore consumers\' confidence in the food supply," <strong>said Michael Hansen, Senior Scientist at Consumer Reports.</strong> "Members of Congress should join Senator Gillibrand and Rep. DeLauro and pass this common sense protection for consumers."</p>
<p><em>The Safe Food Coalition is made up of consumer, public health and victim groups who work on issues related to food, and organizations representing labor in the food industry.</em></p>',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_383' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'PDF File',
          'block_type' => 'File',
          'block_alias' => 'pdf',
          'post_id' => '56122',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_1168' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'CFS Link',
          'block_type' => 'Link',
          'block_alias' => 'link',
          'post_id' => '56123',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '',
            1 => '',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_1169' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Image Gallery',
          'block_type' => 'Image Gallery',
          'block_alias' => 'images',
          'post_id' => '56130',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              0 => 'romaine_63755.jpg',
              1 => '',
              2 => '',
              3 => '',
              4 => '',
              5 => '',
              6 => 'New Bill to Shine a Light on the Hidden Causes of Foodborne Illness Outbreaks',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_2291' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Category',
          'block_type' => 'Grouping',
          'block_alias' => 'cat',
          'post_id' => '56125',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => 
            array (
              'id' => '118',
              'PARENT_ID' => '110',
              'sub_group' => '0',
              'name1' => 'Food Safety',
              'url' => 'food-safety',
              'visible' => '1',
              'order' => '11',
            ),
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4805' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Tweets',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'tweets',
          'post_id' => '56126',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4806' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Quotes',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'quotes',
          'post_id' => '56127',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_4807' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Join CFS',
          'block_type' => 'Checkbox',
          'block_alias' => 'join',
          'post_id' => '56128',
          'content' => 
          array (
            0 => '0',
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5592' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Hide',
          'block_type' => 'Hide - In \'page\' table',
          'block_alias' => '',
          'post_id' => '56129',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5835' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Scheduler',
          'block_type' => 'Schedule',
          'block_alias' => 'scheduler',
          'post_id' => '56129',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
        'bid_5955' => 
        array (
          'block_name' => 'Unique Url',
          'block_type' => 'Unique Root URL',
          'block_alias' => 'unique_url',
          'post_id' => '56129',
          'content' => 
          array (
          ),
        ),
      ),
      'alias' => 
      array (
        'page_link' => '/press-releases/5842/new-bill-to-shine-a-light-on-the-hidden-causes-of-foodborne-illness-outbreaks',
        'bitly' => '5rx',
        'root_url' => 'media',
        'root' => 'Media',
        'lead_img' => 'romaine_63755.jpg',
        'rich_snippet' => '  New Bill to Shine a Light on the Hidden Causes of Foodborne Illness Outbreaks  
  Consumer Groups Applaud Effort to Give Food Safety Regulators Critically Needed Authority to Collect Microbiological Samples  
  Washington D.C.  — Senator Kirsten Gillibrand ye.',
        'page' =>