Cookie dough. Pistachios. Lead-laced baby toys. These are just a
few recent examples of the many food, household and other
products that are recalled from the U.S. market each year
because of potential health hazards. But while voluntary
industry recalls help protect against future harm, each
successive safety warning inevitably leaves the American public
wondering who in the Federal Government is looking out for our
well-being. The answer in most cases is the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA), which is tasked with "protecting the
public health by assuring the safety, efficacy and security of
human and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical
devices, our nation's food supply, cosmetics and products that
emit radiation," according to the agency's website. But in the
past several years, the traditionally underfunded and
understaffed organization has sometimes been slow to react, or
taken no protective action at all, in response to potential
dangers. Take, for instance, the recent consumer-safety wa