Food and Drug Administration

Consumer, Public Health Groups Urge FDA to Protect Consumers from Carcinogenic Residues in Pork

CFA joined consumer and public health allies in writing the following letter to recently confirmed FDA Commissioner Robert Califf, urging him to immediately withdraw FDA approval of the carcinogenic swine drug carbadox. Over half of U.S. pigs are administered carbadox, according to the latest USDA survey data.  Yet public health authorities around the world, including FDA, have long recognized that consuming pork products from swine administered carbadox raises cancer risk, and the European Union and Canada have prohibited use of the drug since 1999 and 2006, respectively. For its part, FDA initiated action to withdraw approval of carbadox over five years ago, during Dr. Califf’s previous tenure as Commissioner, but a legal challenge from carbadox maker Phibro Animal Health has succeeded in delaying the withdrawal process indefinitely.