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Melamine in Infant Formula? We Need Food Safety Now!

Target: U.S. Congress
Sponsored by: Consumers Union

Melamine-contaminated pet food killed thousands of dogs and cats in the United States two years ago. Melamine-contaminated infant formula recently killed six babies in China, and made hundreds of thousands of children there ill.

Now melamine has been found in some chocolate, cookies and infant formula in the U.S.!

Yet our own Food and Drug Administration says it’s OK to have a certain amount of the chemical in infant formula, even though the agency previously said it couldn’t determine a safe level for melamine. What are we supposed to believe?

Tell Congress you’re fed up with the FDA’s lax regulation of our food and drug supply. Strong leadership, more safety testing, better inspection of imports, and tough enforcement are needed to make sure no American families suffer the tragic consequences of eating contaminated food.

deadline: 4-1-2009
goal: 5,000

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We need strong FDA leadership - melamine latest failure

Dear [Decision Maker],

The recent news that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found melamine and cyanuric acid in U.S.-made infant formula -- but didn't make these findings immediately public, and failed to recall the contaminated formula --- is another chilling example that the agency is not fulfilling its mission to protect the public.

I strongly urge the new Administration to put in place strong leadership at the FDA so the agency can fulfill its public safety mission, and I urge Congress to pass needed reforms of the agency to keep me and my family safe. I also urge the FDA to adequately test for chemical contaminants in infant formula and other foods, to inform us when they find these kinds of results, and to recall those products to prevent any unnecessary risks to our children.

Melamine contamination is a very serious issue. Contaminated Chinese infant formula caused the deaths of six babies in that country, and made almost 300,000 sick there. The same chemical was found in pet food made with Chinese ingredients in 2007, killing thousands of dogs and cats in the U.S. Unscrupulous manufacturers lace products with melamine to make the protein content appear higher than it really is, but melamine in combination with one of its analogues, cyanuric acid, causes kidney stones, kidney failure and death. Melamine already has been found in United States.

But what is even more disturbing than these discoveries are the FDA's actions regarding melamine.

In October, the FDA said it could not define what would be a safe level of melamine in infant formula. But a month later, after the Associated Press filed a Freedom of Information request and published stories that FDA tests had indeed found melamine in infant formula here, the agency suddenly claimed some melamine levels were safe.

And it was just revealed the FDA found melamine in two more samples of infant formula in December, but did not actively inform the public about those findings.

With the agency's abrupt about-face over what levels of melamine are "safe," and their failure to actively inform the public of their findings, what are consumers supposed to believe about melamine contamination?

To be safe, the FDA must recall any infant formula contaminated with melamine or cyanuric acid, and adequately test for these contaminants in food products. American families should not suffer because of inadequate safety monitoring of our food supply by the FDA.

Melamine contamination is just the latest in a string of FDA failures to adequately protect the public. I urge the Administration and Congress to instill strong leadership at the agency that will fulfill its public-safety mission. I also urge you to make needed changes a priority, including tougher laws, better enforcement, and more funding, so American families can have faith in the safety of the food and products we consume each day.

[Your Comments]

Sincerely,

[Your Name]
[Your Address]

We signed the “Melamine in Infant Formula? We Need Food Safety Now!” petition!

# 3,008:

2:44 pm PDT, Apr 2, Silvia Apalaghiei, Romania

# 3,007:

1:18 pm PDT, Apr 2, Gary r Beck, California

# 3,006:

11:33 am PDT, Apr 2, Dave Nielsen, Oregon

# 3,005:

11:25 pm PDT, Apr 1, Wildlife Matters, Australia

# 3,004:

4:57 pm PDT, Apr 1, Roseann Stapff, Bermuda
What happen to the new adminstration in all this mess with infant formula?The Congress and Bo should address this safety problem with urgency. Children are at risk with tainted milk formula and this should be a priority to the FDA.

# 3,003:

9:14 am PDT, Mar 31, Cassie Netto, Texas
these are our children we're talking about! people are supposed to be raised as trusting and look what they do

# 3,002:

8:40 pm PDT, Mar 30, Alexandra Douglas, Greece

# 3,001:

4:54 pm PDT, Mar 30, Manuela Rodrigues, New Jersey

# 3,000:

5:45 pm PDT, Mar 29, David Chalfa, Georgia

# 2,999:

5:23 pm PDT, Mar 29, Marceyne Scharp, Oregon

# 2,998:

11:58 am PDT, Mar 29, Kira Levey, Alaska

# 2,997:

12:28 am PDT, Mar 28, David Tsosie, Arizona

# 2,996:

8:36 pm PDT, Mar 27, Michael Griffin, Tennessee

# 2,995:

6:23 am PDT, Mar 26, John Sedia, Pennsylvania

# 2,994:

12:39 am PDT, Mar 26, Janis Ciofalo, Pennsylvania

# 2,993:

1:22 pm PDT, Mar 25, Amy Goldring Tajalli, Florida

# 2,992:

8:25 am PDT, Mar 24, JOHN KEGLER, California

# 2,991:

3:22 pm PDT, Mar 23, Scott Elliott, Idaho

# 2,990:

8:15 am PDT, Mar 23, KELLY Rodriguez, New York
It's obvious... the safety of our fellow man!

# 2,989:

5:23 pm PDT, Mar 22, Victoria Lepore, New York

# 2,988:

8:10 pm PDT, Mar 21, David Tagliaferro, New Jersey

# 2,987:

12:48 pm PDT, Mar 20, Ashley Marcotte, Maine

# 2,986:

10:37 pm PDT, Mar 19, Stephanie Carbone, California

# 2,985:

5:32 pm PDT, Mar 19, Name not displayed, California

# 2,984:

9:42 pm PDT, Mar 18, Jessica Zeigler, Texas

# 2,983:

9:04 pm PDT, Mar 18, John Gosselin, Massachusetts
Simply because, they SHOULDN'T BE THERE !!!!

# 2,982:

9:10 am PDT, Mar 18, Jim Pawlak, Illinois

# 2,981:

9:03 am PDT, Mar 18, Sarah Baker, Illinois

# 2,980:

1:17 am PDT, Mar 18, Name not displayed, California

# 2,979:

2:44 am PDT, Mar 17, Angelica Blevins, Kansas
How many babies in the USA have to die before Congress decides to put an end to this madness? How many parents have to lose their newborn-infant children because the Government and FDA can't be bothered to regulate what is put into formula, bearing in mind that many women choose bottlefeeding over breastfeeding?

# 2,978:

8:44 pm PDT, Mar 16, Christine Kwiecinski, New York

# 2,977:

3:53 pm PDT, Mar 16, Sabrina Burkindine, Maryland

# 2,976:

4:03 pm PDT, Mar 15, Kayla Philbrick, Maine

# 2,975:

9:15 pm PDT, Mar 14, Kellie Noffsinger, California

# 2,974:

10:22 am PDT, Mar 14, Name not displayed, Florida

# 2,973:

12:11 pm PDT, Mar 13, Krista Mahoney, California

# 2,972:

9:26 pm PDT, Mar 12, Leah Oleary, Pennsylvania

# 2,971:

9:00 pm PDT, Mar 11, Heather Norcross, Texas

# 2,970:

4:07 pm PDT, Mar 11, Caitlin Brooks, Michigan

# 2,969:

12:00 pm PDT, Mar 11, Jennifer Moxley, Washington

# 2,968:

10:21 am PDT, Mar 11, Kristine Bowen, California
Children should not eat plastic!

# 2,967:

7:56 pm PDT, Mar 10, Johnny GILBERT, New Jersey

# 2,966:

2:55 pm PDT, Mar 10, Name not displayed, Oregon

# 2,965:

2:05 pm PDT, Mar 10, Melissa Burchfield, Florida

# 2,964:

10:00 am PDT, Mar 10, V Loring, Massachusetts

# 2,963:

9:20 am PDT, Mar 10, Daniel Amon, South Carolina

# 2,962:

5:21 pm PDT, Mar 9, Leah Lefler, Virginia

# 2,961:

12:25 pm PDT, Mar 9, Karen Terrazas, New Mexico

# 2,960:

11:34 am PDT, Mar 9, Lily Hernandez, Illinois

# 2,959:

11:32 am PDT, Mar 9, Ashley Cardenas, Illinois

# 2,958:

11:31 am PDT, Mar 9, Daisy Cardenas, Illinois

# 2,957:

11:31 am PDT, Mar 9, Roger Chapanis, Washington

# 2,956:

11:29 am PDT, Mar 9, Daisy Carrion, Illinois

# 2,955:

6:57 am PDT, Mar 9, Monica McCole, Maryland

# 2,954:

4:35 am PDT, Mar 9, Glen Mcnab, Australia

# 2,953:

4:34 am PDT, Mar 9, JIm Pawlak, Illinois

# 2,952:

11:28 pm PDT, Mar 8, Kylee Krida, Washington

# 2,951:

9:04 am PDT, Mar 8, Noreen Rossi, Virginia

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Melamine in Infant Formula? We Need Food Safety Now!

This petition has been closed.