Featured Reports

Too Slow

A multistate outbreak of Salmonella Heidelberg infections linked to ground turkey in 2011 sickened 136 people, causing 37 hospitalizations and one death. The Pew Charitable Trusts' analysis of the outbreak found numerous inadequacies in the foodborne illness surveillance system that, if addressed, could help to prevent illnesses and, in some cases, deaths.

Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs: An Assessment of the Evidence for Best Practices

A PDMP is a statewide electronic database that gathers information from pharmacies on dispensed prescriptions for controlled substances. This white paper describes what is known about PDMP best practices and documents the extent to which these practices have been implemented. More info

Legal Review Concerning the Use of Health Impact Assessments in Non-Health Sectors

This report examines the legal foundations that support incorporating health considerations into policy and programmatic decisions made in non-health fields. The findings are intended to aid public health professionals and others who seek to ensure that such decisions are made with health in mind.

Enhancing FDA's Evaluation of Science to Ensure Chemicals Added to Human Food are Safe (Proceedings)

The Pew Charitable Trusts, the Institute of Food Technologists, and the journal Nature brought together over 80 experts in science and food policy to examine the principles underlying the development and use of scientific evidence needed to evaluate possible hazards posed by chemicals added to food. 

Slipping Behind

"Hidden or unexpected fees” were cited as the number one reason Greater Los Angeles’ working poor, those who are employed yet remain in relative poverty, closed bank accounts in the past year, surpassing job loss or lack of money, according to a survey of predominately Hispanic, low-income households.

After Heparin

This report provides an overview of the complex pharmaceutical supply chain from manufacturing through distribution of the finished drug, and advances proposed policy solutions to help reduce the risks of counterfeit, adulterated and substandard drugs.

Read two fact sheets describing the heparin adulteration and other examples of breaches to the U.S. drug supply.

View an interactive graphic presenting an overview of today's globalized pharmaceutical supply chain and its vulnerabilities.

A New Equilibrium

Credit card holders are seeing stabilized interest rates, the elimination of overlimit penalty charges, a reduction in late fees charged by banks and minimal changes in annual fees since the Credit CARD Act of 2009 took effect.

Enhancing FDA’s Evaluation of Science to Ensure Chemicals Added to Human Food Are Safe (Pre-Workshop Materials)

The workshop, co sponsored by Nature journal, the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), and the Pew Heath Group, brought together more than 80 scientists and and policymakers to develop a shared understanding of the current system FDA uses to assess the hazards of chemicals added to human food and explore opportunities to strengthen that system.

Legal and Regulatory Frameworks Governing the Growing, Packing and Handling of Fresh Produce in Countries Exporting to the U.S.

A number of major countries exporting fresh vegetables and fruit into the United States have modernized food-safety laws and regulations over the past two decades to emphasize preventive measures. The Produce Safety Project (PSP), supported by The Pew Charitable Trusts, advocates for improvements in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) oversight of domestic and imported produce through the adoption of mandatory, enforceable safety standards. To provide policymakers with information on the legal and regulatory frameworks governing the growing, packing and handling of fresh produce in countries exporting to the U.S., PSP commissioned a review of those systems in fi ve of the U.S.’s largest trading partners - Canada, Chile, China, Mexico, and Peru.

Unbanked By Choice

This study compares banked and unbanked families across several categories including financial behavior, economic status and perceptions of the financial service industry.  

PSP Submits Growers' Comments

The Produce Safety Project (PSP) supports the development by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of a mandatory and enforceable produce safety standard for the growing, harvesting and packing of fresh fruits and vegetables. Among other activities, PSP sponsored six stakeholder discussions around the country with the goal of providing a platform for stakeholders, with particular emphasis on growers, to discuss their expertise in promoting produce safety through their current practices and offer input for consideration by FDA as it prepares to propose a produce safety rule.

Taking Charge (Spring 2010 Trust Magazine article)

The Pew Charitable Trusts began work to protect Americans from the credit cards’ most perilous provisions. That effort culminated in May of 2009 with the passage and presidential signature of the first major credit-card reform ever.

Issue Brief Series: Analyses of Possible Sources of Produce Contamination

The Produce Safety Project has commissioned a series of papers as a follow-up to its analysis and comparison of existing produce safety standards. These papers will explore in more depth issues relating to the use of compost, the quality of irrigation water, the interaction and interface of food safety standards and conservation standards, and worker hygiene measures.