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When Government Should Keep Its Hands Off the Wheel

Cheese is a weird food. It's more or less milk that's artfully gone bad, with bacteria and even mold intentionally introduced into the process. While that may sound like a recipe to make you sick, as just about all of us know from experience in today's world, you're no more likely to get food poisoning from cheese than pretty much anything else.

So it was with a hearty mix of annoyance and alarm that the food community fielded a recent comment by a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) representative that "[t]he use of wooden shelves, rough or otherwise, for cheese ripening does not conform to [FDA] requirements, which require that 'all plant equipment…

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 When Government Should Keep Its Hands Off the Wheel

A recent brouhaha over government restrictions on the aging of cheese is a case in point of how the feds sometimes seem not to know where they're needed and where they're not.

Public Health Foundation

The Public Health Foundation is dedicated to achieving healthy communities through research, training, and technical assistance.

Public Health Institute

PHI generates and promotes research, leadership and partnerships to build capacity for strong public health policy, programs, systems and practices.

Public Health International

PHI is committed to providing the world’s citizens with freedom from death and suffering from preventable disease through the implementation of basic, low cost public health programs. This commitment is reflected in the development of well-planned and sustainable public health programs and in PHI’s long-standing support of cooperating humanitarian organizations.

Public Health Solutions

Public Health Solutions is a large, multi-faceted organization using a repertoire of methods to generate practical solutions to major public health challenges. We work to improve the health of the public from a variety of angles including service delivery in low income neighborhoods, public health research and evaluation, and technical assistance/capacity building for government and other nonprofits.

American Public Health Association

The Association aims to protect all Americans and their communities from preventable, serious health threats and strives to assure community-based health promotion and disease prevention activities and preventive health services are universally accessible in the United States.

American Public Human Services Association

APHSA pursues excellence in health and human services by supporting state and local agencies, informing policymakers, and working with our partners to drive innovative, integrated and efficient solutions in policy and practice.

Association of Public Health Laboratories

The Association of Public Health Laboratories works to strengthen laboratory systems serving the public’s health in the United States and globally.

Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health

ASPPH is the voice of accredited public health education, representing schools and programs accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).

Association of State and Territorial Health Officials

ASTHO is the national nonprofit organization representing public health agencies in the United States, the U.S. Territories, and the District of Columbia, and over 100,000 public health professionals these agencies employ.

Association of State and Territorial Health Officials

ASTHO's primary function is to track, evaluate, and advise members on the impact and formation of public or private health policy which may affect them and to provide them with guidance and technical assistance on improving the nation's health.

National Environmental Public Health Tracking Program

The goal of environmental public health tracking is to protect communities by providing information to federal, state, and local agencies. These agencies, in turn, will use this information to plan, apply, and evaluate public health actions to prevent and control environmentally related diseases.

Partners in Information Access for the Public Health Workforce

A collaboration of U.S. government agencies, public health organizations and health sciences libraries.

Society for Public Health Education

The organization promotes healthy behaviors, healthy communities, and healthy environments through its membership, its network of local chapters, and its numerous partnerships with other organizations.

U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps

The mission of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps is to protect, promote, and advance the health and safety of our Nation.

Administration for Community Living

The Administration for Community Living was created around the fundamental principle that older adults and people of all ages with disabilities should be able to live where they choose, with the people they choose, and with the ability to participate fully in their communities.

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

Our mission is to serve the public by using the best science, taking responsive public health actions, and providing trusted health information to prevent harmful exposures and disease related to toxic substances.

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

APHIS provides leadership in ensuring the health and care of animals and plants. The agency improves agricultural productivity and competitiveness and contributes to the national economy and the public health.

CDC

Our mission is "to promote health and quality of life by preventing and controlling disease, injury, and disability."

CDC Foundation

The CDC Foundation helps CDC pursue innovative ideas that need support from outside partners. The support needed is most often funding, but also can include expertise, information, leadership or connections to specific groups of people.

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Our mission is to ensure effective, up-to-date health care coverage and to promote quality care for beneficiaries

Chemical Safety Board

The CSB conducts root cause investigations of chemical accidents at fixed industrial facilities. Root causes are usually deficiencies in safety management systems, but can be any factor that would have prevented the accident if that factor had not occurred.

Council on Environmental Quality

The Council on Environmental Quality coordinates federal environmental efforts and works closely with agencies and other White House offices in the development of environmental policies and initiatives.

DEA

The mission of the Drug Enforcement Administration is to enforce the controlled substances laws and regulations of the United States and bring to the criminal and civil justice system of the United States.

Energy.gov

Our mission is to advance the national, economic, and energy security of the United States; to promote scientific and technological innovation in support of that mission; and to ensure the environmental cleanup of the national nuclear weapons complex.

EPA

The mission of the Environmental Protection Agency is to protect human health and the environment. Since 1970, EPA has been working for a cleaner, healthier environment for the American people.

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development

The Institute conducts and supports research on all stages of human development, from preconception to adulthood, to better understand the health of children, adults, families, and communities.

FDA

The FDA is responsible for protecting the public health by assuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical devices, our nation's food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation.

FEMA

Our mission is to reduce the loss of life and property and protect the Nation from all hazards, including natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters, by leading and supporting the Nation in a risk-based, comprehensive emergency management system of preparedness, protection, response, recovery, and mitigation.

Food & Water Watch

Food & Water Watch works to ensure the food, water and fish we consume is safe, accessible and sustainably produced. So we can all enjoy and trust in what we eat and drink, we help people take charge of where their food comes from, keep clean, affordable, public tap water flowing freely to our homes...

Food Safety and Inspection Service

The Food Safety and Inspection Service is the public health agency in the U.S. Department of Agriculture responsible for ensuring that the nation's commercial supply of meat, poultry, and egg products is safe, wholesome, and correctly labeled and packaged.

Health Resources and Services Administration

To improve health and achieve health equity through access to quality services, a skilled health workforce and innovative programs.

HHS.gov

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is the United States government’s principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves.

Homeland Security

The Department of Homeland Security has a vital mission: to secure the nation from the many threats we face. This requires the dedication of more than 240,000 employees in jobs that range from aviation and border security to emergency response, from cybersecurity analyst to chemical facility inspector. Our duties are wide-ranging, but our goal is clear - keeping America safe.

Indian Health Service

Our mission is to raise the physical, mental, social, and spiritual health of American Indians and Alaska Natives to the highest level.

MedPac

MedPAC is an independent Congressional agency that advises the Congress on payments to private health plans participating in Medicare and providers in Medicare's traditional fee-for-service program, MedPAC is also tasked with analyzing access to care, quality of care, and other issues affecting Medicare.

Mine Safety and Health Administration

Our mission is to enforce compliance with mandatory safety and health standards as a means to eliminate fatal accidents; to reduce the frequency and severity of nonfatal accidents; to minimize health hazards; and to promote improved safety and health conditions in the Nation's mines.

NASEM Health and Medicine Division

The Health and Medicine Division (HMD) is a division of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (the National Academies). The National Academies are private, nonprofit institutions that provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation and conduct other activities to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions related to science, technology, and medicine. The Academies operate under an 1863 congressional charter to the National Academy of Sciences, signed by President Lincoln.

National Agricultural Library

The National Agricultural Library (NAL) is one of five national libraries of the United States. It houses one of the world's largest collections devoted to agriculture and its related sciences.

National Association of County and City Health Officials

NACCHO’s vision is health, equity, and security for all people in their communities through public health policies and services. NACCHO’s mission is to be a leader, partner, catalyst, and voice for local health departments in order to ensure the conditions that promote health and equity, combat disease, and improve the quality and length of all lives.

National Association of Local Boards of Health

The National Association of Local Boards of Health (NALBOH) informs, guides, and serves as the national voice for boards of health. In today’s public health system, the leadership role of boards of health makes them an essential link between public health services and a healthy community.

National Cancer Institute

The National Cancer Institute coordinates the National Cancer Program, which conducts and supports research, training, health information dissemination, and other programs with respect to the cause, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of cancer.

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) is the Federal Government’s lead agency for scientific research on the diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not generally considered part of conventional medicine. NCCIH was formerly known as the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

National Center for Environmental Health

NCEH strives to promote health and quality of life by preventing or controlling those diseases or deaths that result from interactions between people and their environment.

National Center for Health Statistics

As the Nation's principal health statistics agency, we compile statistical information to guide actions and policies to improve the health of our people. We are a unique public resource for health information.

National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) provides leadership for a national program in diseases of the heart, blood vessels, lung, and blood; blood resources; and sleep disorders.

National Human Genome Research Institute

NHGRI supports the development of resources and technology that will accelerate genome research and its application to human health. A critical part of the NHGRI mission continues to be the study of the ethical, legal and social implications of genome research.

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

NIAID conducts and supports basic and applied research to better understand, treat, and ultimately prevent infectious, immunologic, and allergic diseases.

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

The mission of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases is to support research into the causes, treatment, and prevention of arthritis and musculoskeletal and skin diseases, the training of basic and clinical scientists to carry out this research, and the dissemination of information on research progress in these diseases.

National Institute of Dental & Craniofacial Research

The mission of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research is to improve oral, dental and craniofacial health through research, research training, and the dissemination of health information.

National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases

NIDDK conducts and supports research on many of the most serious diseases affecting public health. The institute supports much of the clinical research on the diseases of internal medicine and related subspecialty fields as well as many basic science disciplines.

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

The mission of the NIEHS is to reduce the burden of human illness and disability by understanding how the environment influences the development and progression of human disease.

National Institute of General Medical Sciences

The mission of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences is to support research that increases understanding of life processes and lays the foundation for advances in disease diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.

National Institute of Mental Health

We are the largest scientific organization in the world dedicated to research focused on the understanding, treatment, and prevention of mental disorders and the promotion of mental health.

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

The mission of NINDS is to reduce the burden of neurological disease - a burden borne by every age group, by every segment of society, by people all over the world.

National Institute on Aging

NIA''s mission is to improve the health and well-being of older Americans through research, and specifically, to support and conduct high-quality research on aging processes, age-related diseases, and the special problems and needs of the aged.

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

The National Advisory Council on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism advises, and makes recommendations to the Secretary; the Director, NIH; and the Director, NIAAA; on program and policy matters in the field of alcohol abuse and alcoholism.

National Institute on Deafness & Other Communication Disorders

Established in 1988, NIDCD is mandated to conduct and support biomedical and behavioral research and research training in the normal and disordered processes of hearing, balance, smell, taste, voice, speech, and language.

National Institute on Drug Abuse

NIDA'S mission has two critical components. The first is the strategic support and conduct of research across a broad range of disciplines. The second is ensuring the rapid and effective dissemination and use of the results of that research to significantly improve prevention, treatment and policy as it relates to drug abuse and addiction.

National Institute on Minority Health & Health Disparities

NCMHD will conduct and support basic, clinical, social, and behavioral research, promote research infrastructure and training, foster emerging programs, disseminate information, and reach out to minority and other health disparity communities

National Institutes of Health

NIH is the steward of medical and behavioral research for the Nation. Its mission is science in pursuit of fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to extend healthy life and reduce the burdens of illness and disability.

National Park Service

We are proud that tribes, local governments, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and individual citizens ask for our help in revitalizing their communities, preserving local history, celebrating local heritage, and creating close to home opportunities for kids and families to get outside, be active, and have fun.

Occupational Safety & Health Administration

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration aims to ensure employee safety and health in the United States by working with employers and employees to create better working environments.

Occupational Safety & Health Review Commission

The Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC) is an independent Federal agency created to decide contests of citations or penalties resulting from OSHA inspections of American work places. The Review Commission, therefore, functions as an administrative court, with established procedures for conducting hearings, receiving evidence and rendering decisions by its Administrative Law Judges.

Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services

The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) understands the many challenges still facing individuals with disabilities and their families. Therefore, OSERS is committed to improving results and outcomes for people with disabilities of all ages. OSERS supports programs that serve millions of children, youth and adults with disabilities.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services

People of all ages, with or at risk for mental or substance use disorders, should have the opportunity for a fulfilling life that includes a job/education, a home, and meaningful personal relationships with friends and family. SAMHSA works to achieve this vision through an action-oriented, measurable mission of "Building Resilience and Facilitating Recovery."

Trust for America's Health

TFAH is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to saving lives by protecting the health of every community and working to make disease prevention a national priority.

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from more than 15,000 types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction.

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Our goal is to provide excellence in patient care, veterans' benefits and customer satisfaction. We have reformed our department internally and are striving for high quality, prompt and seamless service to veterans.

U.S. National Library of Medicine

The world's largest medical library. The Library collects materials and provides information and research services in all areas of biomedicine and health care.

Uniformed Services University

USU has a worldwide reputation as a center of excellence for military and public health professions education and research. Our programs are unique, related directly to force health protection, tropical diseases, disaster medicine, military and public health medical readiness and adaptation to extreme environments.