Recommendations to several federal agencies for undoing damage to scientific integrity are in the new resource “Restoring Science, Protecting the Public: Recommendations for Federal Agencies in the Next Presidential Term.”
Environmental Health
How the Trump administration silences science, to the detriment of public health
A new three-part series from Robin Young and Serena McMahon for WBUR’s Here & Now delves into ways the Trump administration is silencing science. It basically comes down to ignoring scientists’ input when it demonstrates the need for regulation, and making scientific work for the federal government miserable.
If a study’s published in a journal but no one reads it, does it make an impact? A new POLITICO investigation suggests that might be a relevant question when it comes to studies from USDA’s Agricultural Research Service.
As the managing editor of a peer-reviewed journal, I’m accustomed to seeing disclaimers alongside articles written by employees of federal agencies; they normally explain that the views expressed don’t necessarily reflect official agency views or policy. However, I was taken aback last month when I saw that USDA was instructing its researchers to use an […]
A proposed new inspection system for pork facilities will shift the responsibility for identifying diseased and contaminated carcasses away from USDA inspectors toward pork plant employees, Kimberly Kindy reports in the Washington Post.
The nationwide financial squeeze on federal employees, contractors, and the businesses that depend on them may be the most visible harm from the ongoing partial government shutdown, but we should also be aware of damage to science. The shutdown has furloughed federal scientists, stalled data collection, weakened scientific meetings, left current and potential collaborators hanging, […]
USDA has proposed a scheme to allow pork producers to run their slaughtering lines as fast as they want in exchange for conducting their own inspections. Worker safety and consumer protection will suffer.
Food Safety & Nutrition
Government auditors validate safety complaints from meat and poultry workers
An investigation by GAO of the meatpacking and poultry industry validates concerns raised by workers about fear of losing their jobs if they report safety problems, and being denied access to the bathroom and proper medical care for injuries.
In many households, a Thanksgiving tradition is for someone at the table to express appreciation for the meal in front of them. We often overlook the individuals who do the labor-intensive and dangerous work that brings the turkeys and other food to our table.
Food Safety & Nutrition
WHO releases new guidelines on antibiotics in food animals; USDA muddies the waters
In its release of new guidelines that recommend big reductions in antibiotic use in food animals, WHO cited the presence of extensive literature on this topic. So why did USDA put out a statement with a misleading description of the guidelines’ scientific basis?