Colton George felt sick. A nine -year -old Indiana boy told his parents that his stomach was hurt. He continued to run to the bathroom and felt that it was too painful to finish the basketball game.
A few days later, he is lying in the hospital bed and fighting for his life. He ate a contaminated salad on April 17 in a lawsuit against lettuce cultivators filed by his parents in a federal court in the southern Indiana region.
that E. coli Bacteria that devastated COLTON’s height Genetic match In the last fall, he killed a person in 15 states and suffered about 90 people. The Federal Health Institution surveyed the case and connected to a farm that raised the romaine lettuce.
But most people have never heard of this outbreak. Internal FDA memo It is connected to a single lettuce processor and ranch as a cause of contamination. Many experts have relaxed in general practice, and officials did not confirm the cultivators who did not publish public communication after the investigation or produced lettuce.
According to consumer advocates, researchers, and former employees, the risk of anti -regulation and cost reduction in the Trump administration, from reducing safety warning experts and rules to expand safety alerts and rules, to unleash the risk of anti -regulation and cost reduction from the FDA and the US Ministry of Agriculture. there is.
The survey of the disease began at the end of the Biden administration, but the study of lettuce was not completed until February 11. At the time, the FDA decided not to disclose the names of the planter and processor because there were no products in the market.
The administration also withdrew Proposed regulations To reduce the presence of Salmonella in the primitive poultry April USDA Warning. This is expected to save more than $ 13 million every year by preventing more than 3,000 diseases. proposal.
An official from the Ministry of Health and Welfare said that food safety is priority, and FDA commissioner Marty Macari said in an interview with the newsletter on April 29. Internal medicine Recent job cuts will not affect the operation of the agency.
“The FDA had 9,500 employees in 2007. Last year, there were almost 19,000 people. If the number of employees increased 100%, the approval time, innovation, AI, food safety or agency fraud increased.” Makary asked. “No, not. In fact, the regulatory creep has increased.”
The FDA mentioned the question to HHS, which refused to allow Makary to interview. In the statement, the agency said, “Protect public health and food security remains the top priority of HHS. The FDA inspector was not affected by job cuts and this important work will continue.”
Public health advisors warn that companies and cultivators will have fewer regulatory supervision and reduced results as a result of recent FDA measures.
The administration has dismissed the Ministry of Justice, which pursues civil and criminal acts for companies that sell contaminated foods, and assigns lawyers. According to the publicly posted notes by the head of the crime department and the white paper of the legal company Gibson Dunn, some tasks will be assumed by other departments.
The Ministry of Justice did not respond to the email requesting an opinion.
Sarah Sorscher, director of regulatory work at the Public Interest Center, a non -profit consumer advocacy organization, said, “DOJ is needed to enforce the law.” “To invest in executives on food safety, the knowledge that can go to jail if they don’t do it is a really powerful motivation.”
According to former FDA officials who spoke about anonymity due to fear of retaliation, the Federal Regulatory Authority also wants the state to perform more inspections. However, some Democrats say that the state lacks resources to take over most food safety inspections.
SHONTEL M. Brown (D-OHIO) spokesman said, “The obligations for the state and local institutions are really a problem.” They create a potentially safe situation in which they do not have resources and are in danger of Ohio and the US family. “
High cost
According to the federal data, food -mediated diseases cause major economic damage in the United States and consume thousands of lives every year. The US Department of Agriculture estimates that in 2023, the loss of death, chronic diseases, medical treatment and productivity due to food -related diseases amounted to $ 75 billion.
Each year, about 48 million people in the United States are sick due to food -mediated diseases, 128,000 are admitted and 3,000 people die. Disease Control and Prevention Center.
According to former FDA officials, the administration stopped the program, known as the food emergency response network skill test, so that the food test laboratory could accurately identify pathogens that could be ill or murder in the first few months.
The agency said it will be delayed from January 2026 to July 2028 in March.
However, the FDA aims to manufacture foreign foods on May 6th. Unused inspection Overseas. “This expanded approach represents a new era of FDA execution, and is a powerful, smarter, and non -snack that supports American public health and safety.
Some former FDAs and USDA officials said the goals are not realistic. This is because US prosecutors often have to get a travel visa that can warn the company to arrive.
Brian Ronholm, head of food policy and former food safety vice chairman for consumer reports, said, “It’s really hard to do amazing tests.” “Visa procedures can be warned by local authorities.”
HHS refused to deal with Ronholm’s concern.
The FDA did not meet mandatory goals for inspecting US food facilities since fiscal year 2018, and this institution continued to achieve its annual goals for overseas inspections. January report By the US government responsible office.
Food mediated diseases can change seriously. Salmonella bacteria in cucumbers Dozens of people According to the FDA, at least nine people were hospitalized in April and May. 2008-09 Salmonella occurred related to peanut butter Killed nine peopleCriminal charges for company executives. and E. coli In cookie dough In 2009, more than 70 people were sick in 2009, including Nevada’s mother, who died of complications from eating raw dough.
‘Life or death for our son’
E. coliCommonly found in feces can be particularly dangerous for children like Colton, a boy from Indiana, who eats contaminated lettuce. Bacteria can lead to stroke and coma, causing solidifications that damage blood vessels and destroy the kidneys. Consumers are sick E. coli You can deliver it to others, in some cases killing victims who have not eaten contaminated foods.
According to his father, Chris George, when Colton’s mother brought him to the emergency room, the bacteria emitted toxins and damaged blood cells and kidney.
Colton was sent to Riley Hospital for children in Indianapolis. Chris recalled his doctor and his wife, Amber George, was in the failure of his son, and he would determine that the next 24 to 72 hours would survive.
Firefighter Chris said, “They said that our son was life or death, and I was just playing basketball, and he was just playing basketball.” “I told them, ‘I do what I have to do to save my son.”
In general, the FDA warns the public and identifies the planter and food manufacturer when there is the same onset, such as causing COLTON. The FDA said in an internal summary in February that the names of the cultivators were not designated because there were no products in the market.
But Bill Marler, a lawyer for food safety lawsuits and represents George Family, said that information is still important because it can prevent more cases, improve hygiene, and identify repeated criminals.
It also helps victims to explain the disease and decide someone who can take legal action, he said.
Marler said, “In general, we will see information about the website.
FDA, USDA and CDC play a central role in supervising food safety, including inspections and investigations. The FDA and CDC were shaken by the reduction of job cuts with 20,000 employees of HHS, a parent agency. The Ministry of Agriculture also reduced its workforce.
Susan Mayne, an adjunct professor of Yale School of Public Health, who retired from the FDA in 2023, said that employee cuts are delayed to promote fatal development.
“Consumers are informed of important food safety notifications,” she said. “If there are pathogens like Listeria, people can die, which can lead to 30%mortality.”
Makary said The cut will not touch the inspector, the reviewer or the scientist. In the institution.
But in April, the FDA fired scientists in the Food Safety Laboratory in Chicago and San Francisco, where a special analysis for food inspector was performed, former FDA officials said. The FDA later restored some locations.
Mayne said, “Scientists are not fired. It’s wrong.”
Siobhan Delange, who worked in the food food and veterinary office of the agency before being fired in April, said that the new requirements for reviewing the agency’s announcement were too fast, which took several weeks to get approval for warnings that should be much faster.
She said that some of the fired employees include communication experts and web employees who are aiming to prevent disease. USDA and FDA were To regain some workers Or some people who have accepted the resignation of acting are demanding their decisions.
“This is not about destruction, but not about efficiency.” It will be the cost of life. “
HHS did not respond to an email to find a response to Delange’s opinion.
For 13 days, COLTON maintained dialysis at the hospital and could not eat or drink at first. His mother wet the sponge and moisturizes her lips and tongue.
He was 10 years old in the hospital. Chris George bought a paint marker to make a sign in the window of his son’s room.
Chris George said, “I’m not satisfied with the CDC and FDA.” The victims have the right to know who hurt them. This is my child. He is my life. “
COLTON was able to leave the hospital almost three weeks after the first eaten contaminated lettuce, but there is still a nightmare for trials and is looking at the therapist.
“The whole focuses on bringing the edible color dyes from the cereal.” Chris George, who opposes the decision that the Trump administration decided to modify the information on the February report, said. “How are we? E. coli Do you not kill our children in lettuce? ”
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