Delauro Calls for Improving Food Safety System in Wake of New CDC Report

Washington, DC— Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-3) released the following statement today on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recently released report on foodborne disease in 2009.

The report examined trends and cases in foodborne disease in 2009, and found that while the Healthy People 2010 (a national framework for achieving health objectives) was met, more vigilance is needed. While some types of foodborne disease were seen less in 2009, others – like Campylobacter and Vibrio – increased.

Congresswoman DeLauro said, "The findings of this report show that although there has been some progress, significant work remains to improve our food safety system. We have seen the E. coli incidence go down in the past only to rise the next year. While there was a decrease in E. coli we saw increases in other critical foodborne illnesses like campylobacteriosis and vibriosis. These trends clearly show the need for an improved food safety system."