Central District Health Department will offer the four-hour Idaho Food Safety and Sanitation course from 1 to 5 p.m. Wednesday at the health department, 707 N. Armstrong Place in Boise.

Critics warn that the FDA is woefully understaffed and underfinanced to keep America’s food supply safe.

WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- The U.S. Senate started debating a bill Monday that could reshape how the Food and Drug Administration deals with drug-safety issues, giving the agency substantial new powers over medications after they go on the market.

Government this week approved the release of information on the New Zealand Food Safety Authority’s (NZFSA) new imported food programme. The new programme will be implemented over the next two years and brings the process of importing food more into line with the proposed new domestic food regime.

The Camrose Canadian — After some areas of the Rose City region were subject to power outages, April 18 and 19, with some customers experiencing a lack of power into April 24, East Central Health is issuing certain precautions regarding food contamination.

Consumers Union is urging the Senate to approve strong prescription drug-safety provisions this week in a major Food and Drug Administration bill, and resist attempts to weaken the bill when it comes to triggering quick safety action or moderating mass advertising of a new drug when there are signs of danger.

MONDAY, April 30 (HealthDay News) — U.S. health officials continued to reassure American consumers that pork products from hogs fed contaminated pet food were safe, even as reports surfaced that China has routinely added the contaminant melamine to its exported animal food supplements.

UNITED STATES: FSIS and FDA take what they call a “prudent” step. The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) notified state authorities that swine fed adulterated product will not be approved to enter the food supply.

WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- The U.S. Senate is scheduled to start debating a bill later Monday that would require the Food and Drug Administration to establish a safety system to monitor new drugs for at least three years after they have been approved.

April 30, 2007 - The news last week that the Food and Drug Administration is examining whether the maker of Zyprexa failed to submit clinical trial data about the harmful side effects of the antipsychotic drug underscores the urgent need for Congress to pass drug-safety legislation, says Consumers Union.