Public health is under attack: CSPI fights back

We all hear the steady drumbeat of threats to public health. Here's how CSPI is working toward safer food and drugs and better access to healthy food in 2025.

The Straight Shot: Federal vaccine updates - May 14, 2025

A regular update on emerging federal vaccine issues. On May 14, 2025, this list—drawn from news reports and other information—ranks the most significant changes to vaccination policy, with brief commentary from the editors.

House Agriculture Committee chooses partisan priorities over food, nutrition, and health for Americans

Letter to FDA Commissioner Dr. Martin A. Makary RE: regulation of laboratory developed tests

We write to you regarding the District Court for the Eastern District of Texas’s March 31 decision in an industry-initiated lawsuit challenging FDA’s authority to regulate Laboratory Developed Tests (LDTs). As you know, the court ruled, in its primary finding, that LDTs are services, not devices, thereby setting aside a final rule that had been in the works at FDA for years. We expect the Agency is concerned about an opinion that removes authority from FDA over an important subset of medical products and erodes the Agency’s authority to ensure safe and effective diagnostics are on the market. View the resource below to keep reading.

Letter to Secretary Kennedy and Dr. Monarez

The undersigned groups call on you to immediately reinstate and fund the Division of Environmental Health Science and Practice (DEHSP)at CDC, which was eliminated on April 1st of this year as part of a widespread reduction in force of 10,000 employees across HHS. This division protects the American public from exposure to environmental health hazards, including toxic contaminants in food and water, infectious disease outbreaks in restaurants and on cruise ships, air pollution, radiation and chemical weapons exposures, mold, and other outbreaks caused by toxic substances. All the civil servants within this division were fired on April 1st, and the division has not yet been restored. View the resource below to keep reading

Health groups call on RFK, Jr., to restore fired staff in lead prevention, other environmental health programs

Written testimony in support of House Bills 1130, 1131, 1133, and 1134 in Pennsylvania

Many other states, including California, West Virginia, Utah, and Virginia, have already enacted legislation banning or restricting synthetic dyes in schools. No states have passed bills promoting transparency in the GRAS process or requiring a warning label for synthetically dyed foods or foods containing BHA. By passing these bills, Pennsylvania has the opportunity set a powerful precedent by stopping companies from adding dangerous chemicals to our food in secret and empowering consumers to make more informed choices about the chemicals they eat and feed their children. View the resource below to keep reading.

Dr. Casey Means unqualified to serve as Surgeon General

CSPI's Dr. Peter Lurie featured in TIME 100 in Health list

CSPI President Dr. Peter Lurie has been recognized by TIME Magazine as one of the 100 most influential leaders in global health.

Which fish are healthy and sustainable? It's complicated

Seafood is good for you. That’s no surprise. But it’s not easy to find species that don’t contain mercury, PCBs, PFAS, or other contaminants, aren’t overfished, and aren’t linked to human rights abuses. In her new book The Fish Counter, NYU professor emerita Marion Nestle tackles those and other issues. (The book goes on sale on June 6, but you can pre-order it now.)