DeGette Lauds Food Safety Report

WASHINGTON,DC – Energy and Commerce Committee Vice Chair Diana DeGette (D-CO) madethe following statement regarding a white paper released yesterday bythe Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) entitled, Buildinga Modern Food Safety System: For FDA Regulated Foods:

"Thewhite paper released by CSPI is a comprehensive document not onlylaying out the problems associated with our food safety system, butalso potential solutions for putting our system back on track.

"I strongly agree with the report's conclusion that ‘mandatory recallauthority would ensure that recalled foods are removed from the marketmore quickly and effectively'. The report further states that ‘theability to trace a contaminated product back to the source ofproduction would allow the agency to conduct more rapid and thoroughinvestigations'. As the lead sponsor of legislation that wouldaccomplish both of these goals, I believe CSPI's analysis bolsters theneed for giving the federal government the authority to protect thehealth of the American consumer."

CSPI's white paperendorses DeGette's food safety legislation as measures that incorporateaspects of CPSI's reform principles. Vice Chair DeGette has introducedtwo major pieces of food safety legislation,the SAFER Act [H.R. 3484], giving the government mandatory recallauthority, and the TRACE Act [H.R. 3485], establishing a producttracing system for foods. The mandatory recall provisions encompassedin the SAFER Act have been included in the Energy and CommerceCommittee's food safety legislation, H.R. 3610, the Food and Drug Import Safety Act of 2007.