Can Whistleblowers Clean Up the Food Industry?

One part of the recent food safety bill signed by President Obama that didn't get much attention are its protections for employees in the food industry that blow the whistle on illegal practices. The implications of this piece of the bill could prove significant over time. Whistleblowers have played an important role in exposing corruption in other industries, especially Big Pharma. If employees in the food sector feel more empowered to blow the whistle, the result could be safer food and fewer deaths.

Unfortunately, the law is not as extensive as it should be and doesn't cover crucial segments of the food industry. A press release from the Government Accountability Project nicely captured what a mixed bag the new law is:

"These whistleblower protection provisions are a monumental change in public health protection, and a huge win for food safety," said GAP Food Integrity Campaign (FIC) Director Amanda Hitt. "Whistleblower rights don’t get any stronger than this. Without a doubt, these protections will allow more workers to come forward before outbreaks, which will save lives and enhance food integrity. Lawmakers who made this happen should be commended for standing up for public health."

The protections only extend to corporate workers who report violations of FDA regulations -- not to violations of USDA regulations, which cover the meat and poultry industries. On this point, GAP Legal Director Tom Devine added: “There is no rational excuse to protect corporate workers challenging violations of FDA food safety laws while allowing them to keep getting fired at will for defending USDA food safety laws.”

The law won't reach its full potential unless it is widely publicized within the food industry and workers know their rights. Even before Obama signed the law, the Government Accountability Project, which is a leading whistleblower protection group, had begun an effort to encourage whistleblowing within the food industry. In October it launched a website for the Food Integrity Campaign, FoodWhistleblower.org. The campaign is described this way on the site:

The mission and long-term objective of FIC is to enhance overall food integrity by facilitating truth-telling. FIC seeks to accomplish this mission by strategically working to alter the relationship of power between the food industry and consumers; protecting the rights of those who speak out against the practices that compromise food integrity; and empowering industry whistleblowers and citizen activists.

You can read the full text of the new law below. And  below that you can watch an interview with former FDA Commissioner David Kessler on why food workers play such an important role in preventing deadly food problems from killing Americans.

Food Safety Whistle Blower Act