As you know, there are many different agencies in this country that protect you, the consumer, from unfair business practices. However, what protects you from products and food, created lawfully by companies, that can actually be harmful and even deadly?
Suppose a company creates a new cereal that should be eaten with apple juice instead of milk. The company lists the ingredients in their new cereal and creates advertising promoting the difference in taste that their cereal provides compared to their competitors'. Nothing is out of the ordinary with this company or their new cereal; however, after eating their cereal with apple juice for several weeks, consumers are getting ill—some even needing to go to the hospital! Despite this company following all the rules and not participating in any unfair practices, people are still being harmed by their food product. What, if anything, could have been done to protect consumers from this company's new cereal?
Thankfully, there are numerous agencies that have been established in this country whose main purpose is to protect consumers from harm, and even death. Three such agencies are the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Each agency provides unique functions to protect consumers from harm. The functions of each of the three agencies are summarized below. Click each agency to learn more about their responsibilities.
- Their main purpose is to promote safety and to protect the public from products that may be a health and/or safety hazard.
- They develop safety standards for numerous products.
- They coordinate product recalls on any products deemed unsafe.
- They ensure that products involving potential risks—for example, electric hair-dryers—are still safe when they are properly used.
- Their main purpose is to protect public health by ensuring the safety, efficacy, and security of all food, biological products (i.e., vaccines), human and animal drugs, and all medical devices.
- They approve all regulated products, including biological products and prescription drugs, before they can be sold in the US.
- They are responsible for advancing public health by helping to increase the speed of innovations that can make medical products more effective, safer, and affordable.
- They are responsible for the public getting accurate, science-based information they need in order to choose and purchase foods that promote, maintain, and improve their health.
- They ensure the security of imported foods and foster the development of medical products to respond to any emerging public health threats.
- They are responsible for recalling any FDA-regulated products, including food and medical devices.
- They are an agency within the U.S. Department of Transportation that works to reduce injuries and death, as well as economic costs, that are caused by motor vehicle crashes.
- They encourage people to make safer choices when driving a motor vehicle, riding in a motor vehicle, and when walking (as pedestrians).
- They support state and local police in their efforts to enforce the rules and laws associated with roads that protect all people in the US.
- They write and enforce all motor vehicle safety standards, including theft prevention and fuel economy.
Question
Which of the three agencies would be responsible for the new cereal that, when mixed with apple juice, causes harm and illness to the public?
The FDA is responsible for almost all food in this country. Any regulated food that is starting to cause harm to the public, and is need of a recall, will always be handled by the FDA.
