DeLauro Puts Food Safety on Track with Food Safety Modernization Act

DeLauro Puts Food Safety on Track with Food Safety Modernization Act

Statement of Wenonah Hauter, Food & Water Watch Executive Director

We are experiencing one of the largest food recalls in history, and now more than ever American consumers are in need of an agency that is capable of protecting them from unsafe food. Unfortunately, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proven time and again that it is not up to the job. We commend Representative DeLauro for introducing the Food Safety Modernization Act that will correct the numerous flaws inherent in FDA and give consumers the food protection they deserve.

From melamine in milk powder, Salmonella in jalapeno peppers, E. coli in spinach, FDA‚ lax enforcement over the years has led to food borne illness outbreaks that have sickened and killed U.S. consumers.  The agency has gone too long without a major overhaul to modernize outdated and ineffective food inspection procedures.

Representative DeLauro‚ bill would create a new Food Safety Administration within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that is responsible for all food other than meat, poultry and egg products that are currently regulated by the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The bill would also strengthen food safety standards and set performance standards that all food manufacturers would need to meet. In addition, the bill would set a minimal frequency of inspection for all domestic food establishments under the jurisdiction of the Food Safety Administration that would be determined on the types of food produced and compliance history of the firms.  The new agency would have mandatory recall authority to get unsafe food out of the marketplace as quickly as possible and could permit civil and criminal actions to be brought against companies that violate the law, as the ongoing peanut product recall shows is so desperately needed.

“Food & Water Watch stands committed to work for the passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act, and we commend Representative DeLauro for putting consumer protection at the heart of food safety regulation.”

To view Food & Water Watch‚ letter to Representative DeLauro, go here.