DeLauro Announces $229,945 Grant to Bolster Food Safety

CT Agriculture Experiment Station Will StrengthenEfforts in State, Nationwide

New Haven, CT – Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro(CT-3) announced today that the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station hasbeen awarded a $229,945 grant from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) tosupport their work to improve the national food safety system. This isthe first installment of a five-year commitment from the FDA.

"The federal government has an obligation to every Americanfamily to ensure that the food they consume is safe. I am excited to seeConnecticut leading on this issue." said DeLauro. "The work thatthis grant will fund will help ensure that we continue to lead the way inpreventing and responding to outbreaks of food-borne illness."

"The FDA grant award for the Connecticut AgriculturalExperiment Station on achieving a nationally integrated food safety system willgreatly enhance our efforts to protect our food supply in the state andnation." said Dr. Lou Magnarelli, Director of the Connecticut AgricultureExperiment Station.

The funding will be used to upgrade the station's laboratoryand enhance its' work as one of the 14 laboratories of the national FoodEmergency Response Network (FERN). As a part of this network, theConnecticut lab has participated in a number of studies to ensure the safety ofthe nation's food supply, including seafood testing following the BP oil spillin the Gulf of Mexico, and more recently testing arsenic levels in fruitjuices.