IMPLEMENTING THE NEW INTERNATIONAL HEALTH REGULATIONS: THE ROLE OF THE WTO'S SANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY AGREEMENT

摘要

It started with just three cases, but by July 21, 2008, close to thirteen hundred people had become ill from Salmonella poisoning. The Food and Drug Administration initially believed raw tomatoes to be the carrier of the bacteria, only later to shift the investigation to peppers imported from Mexico. The FDA's subsequent condemnation of Mexican peppers drew a sharp response from a Mexican official, who stated that the FDA "has no scientific proof to make a decision that will harm Mexico enormously." This latest Salmonella outbreak may cost U.S. industries as much as $250 million, and at least one United States Representative wants U.S. taxpayers to cover some of those losses. Others in Congress believe the food industry's previous lobbying to block electronic record-keeping systems contributed to the FDA's delay in tracking the source of contamination.