Industry Report Demonstrates Need For Strong Food Safety System In U.S.

WASHINGTON,DC – On the heels of yet another E. Coli outbreak in bagged lettuce,Energy and Commerce Committee Vice Chair Diana DeGette (D-CO) todaywelcomed the food industry's support of additional oversight for ournation's food supply as outlined in the Grocery ManufacturersAssociation's (GMA) action plan, Commitment to Consumers: The FourPillars of Food Safety.

"The Grocery ManufacturersAssociation's report demonstrates an acknowledgment by industry thatstrong federal oversight of our nation's food supply is needed,"DeGette said. "While our approaches may differ on strengthening thesystem, I hope industry will be a valued partner in reforming thesystem. I want to thank GMA for their commitment to food safety andcoming to the table with their ideas to strengthen the system.

"Thelack of uniformity in oversight of our food supply reinforces theoverwhelming need for a single food agency. The establishment of suchan agency will streamline a process that is currently disjointed with15 different federal agencies responsible for food oversight. Tofurther protect American consumers, my proposal giving the federalgovernment mandatory recall authority will also encourage industry toestablish more rigorous oversight of their processing and packagingoperations. This authority, supported by an effective national foodtracking system, will not only safeguard our food, but also providegreater consumer confidence in responding quickly and efficiently tooutbreaks of contamination in food.

"I encourage GMA to support my proposals with the hope we can form a partnership in reforming our nation's food system."

Earlierthis month, DeGette introduced two new food safety bills. The SAFER(Safe and Fair Enforcement & Recall) Act gives the United StatesDepartment of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration(FDA) the authority to force a recall of contaminated foods. Undercurrent law, recalls are completely voluntary even when public healthis at risk. The United States is one of the only industrializedcountries in the world that lacks this basic recall power, despitehaving the ability to recall toys and many other products. The TRACE(Tracing and Recalling Agricultural Contamination Everywhere) Actrequires the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a product tracingsystem for all food products from their origin to the market, enablingfaster recall in the event of contamination.

DeGette is alsoa leading cosponsor of The Food Safety Act of 2007, which would createa single food safety agency to oversee our nation's food supply.