"GET THE F OUT OF THE FDA" Advertising Campaign Calls for New Food Agency: FDA food reorganization plan is a "dismal failure."

The campaign includes online advertisements, social media promotion, and survivors of foodborne illness coming to Washington DC to visit Congressional leaders and hand out "GET THE F OUT OF THE FDA" t-shirts. (Marler also will give free t-shirts to the first 100 people to request one at www.marlerblog.com.)

"Each year, millions of Americans are sickened, and thousands die from foodborne illness," said Bill Marler. "And yet, the leadership of the FDA continues to be preoccupied with drug oversight and to give short shrift to food safety."

"People, including babies, have continued to die needlessly because the FDA has been slow to prevent foodborne illness. And, the FDA Commissioner has ignored what all the experts – including an independent panel Califf himself commissioned – told him is needed to fix the problems."

"It is not only galling, but also tragic that the Commissioner's so-called plan to fix the dysfunctional structure and culture that allows for messes like the infant formula fiasco, ongoing foodborne illness outbreaks and the surge in obesity, diabetes and heart disease caused by food."

"The changes the Commissioner has proposed stand no chance of fixing the systemic problems with the agency and simply exposes the flaw in having drug experts oversee the nation's food supply." 

"It is time the White House and the Congress take responsibility for protecting the public by breaking the FDA apart and creating a new dedicated foods agency. However, while passing this legislation, the White House and the Congress should immediately direct the Commissioner to unify all parts of the foods program and budget under an empowered and accountable Deputy Commissioner."

Marler is not the first to call for a new foods agency. Last year, in an op-ed by Michael Taylor (a former FDA deputy Commissioner) put forth the idea of creating a new foods agency. And, last year Representative de Lauro and Senator Durbin introduced legislation that would establish a separate food agency.

"Food safety is a bipartisan issue," said Marler. "The victims I have represented come from all political persuasions. And it's an issue that has consumer groups, the food industry and state regulators all on the same page."

"My goal in launching this campaign is to say let's make this happen now. I don't want the failures of the FDA to create new victims I will need to represent. Create a new foods agency and 'put me out of business, please!' I don't want to have to represent families who will have lost their children because FDA doesn't have the courage to act."

An accomplished attorney and national expert in food safety, William (Bill) Marler has become the most prominent foodborne illness lawyer in America and a major force in food policy in the U.S. and around the world. Marler Clark, The Food Safety Law Firm, has represented thousands of individuals in claims against food companies whose contaminated products have caused life altering injury and even death. Marler founded Food Safety News in 2009.

For additional information about the campaign, go to www.marlerblog.com.

SOURCE Marler Clark, The Nation's Food Safety Law Firm