A few weeks back I asked readers to suggest tactics for making consumer complaints that might be heard and acted upon. A thoughtful reader focused on how one might get the attention of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), because that was the organization I had tried to engage in finding answers about consumer complaints about food additives, such as red dye #40. The process he suggests might also apply to getting the attention of people in other large organizations. Here is what he suggests:

Dear Beth,

I have just read your article about the FDA and Red Dye. It seems as if one of your questions is, "How do consumers get the FDA to take notice?"

I think it might be better to refine the question. I don't think that the FDA is likely to undertake a special investigation on the basis of a small number of consumer complaints. They have undoubtedly followed their internal procedures, which probably rely mostly on manufacturers' data and studies.

A person who is truly very serious in his or her concerns should ask, "What information do I as a citizen (rather than consumer) have a right to obtain from the FDA?" The way to start finding answers is by writing to your U.S. Senator.

1. Do not ask him to influence the FDA to undertake a review of Red dye.
2. Do not include the letters of complaint and self-experimentation.

RATHER:

1. Ask him (or her) what information the FDA is obligated to provide you. Are you entitled to receive copies of any reports the agency has on this food additive? Are you entitled to review the documentation of any procedures they followed in their studies and/or approval of this product? Are you entitled to copies of any complaints from consumers that the FDA has received?
2. Find out what your rights are vis a vis the "Freedom of Information Act."
3. Be careful about actually making a "Freedom of Information Act" request! I think you can be charged for the cost of compiling the information, which I guess could be quite considerable.
4. Get the Senator's response in writing.
5. Request the information you are entitled to (without charge) from the FDA, including with your request a copy of the Senator's response to you.
6. Review the information you receive (if any ) from the FDA (you might then conclude that there is no need for general concern about this additive or you might not).
7. Take action from there.

I guess the main point that I'm making here is that while we all like to complain about legitimate things, few of us are really willing to undertake the enormous effort required to change things! If you are, I congratulate you! But even your column seems to imply the following question: "Where is the person or agency that will make it easy and convenient to resolve my concerns?" I suspect that there is no such person or agency, so that means that making a change is up to you. I also suspect that fewer than half the people who wrote to you complaining about Red Dye took the time to write to the FDA.

When it comes to complaining I'm as long-winded as the next guy. When it comes to sloth I'm a lot worse than the next guy. It takes enormous effort to make any sort of change in society. There seems to be an infinite number of concerns and causes begging for our attention, and it often seems it's all we can do to stay afloat, much less paddle upstream and often get nowhere. Sometimes verbal complaining, even though it's ineffective, is all we have the energy for.

To make a difference, you have to keep at it!

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