WASHINGTON, D.C. (Legal Newsline) - A science interest group has filed a civil lawsuit against a government agency over its alleged inaction on a petition.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) filed a civil lawsuit on Oct. 8 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to initiate a rule to ensure the safe use of salt in food.
CSPI alleges that in 2005, it petitioned for the FDA to revoke the generally recognized safe status of salt, which would render salt a food additive subject to more stringent rules, amend any prior sanctions for other uses of salt, require food manufacturers to reduce the amount of salt in their products and require health warnings on food packaging of salt of one-half ounce or higher.
The CSPI alleges that Americans' excessive usage of salt poses a public health risk and it is the duty of the FDA to ensure the health of the public and that is has unlawfully withheld action, violating the Administrative Procedure Act.
The CSPI is suing the FDA to issue a decision on their petition within 30 days of the court's order, award the CSPI for court and attorney fees, and any other appropriate relief. The group is represented by Julie A. Murray and Allison M. Zieve of the Public Citizen Litigation Group in Washington, D.C.
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia case number 1:15-cv-01651-BAH