DELAURO ON DELAY OF TESTING FOR NON-O157 E. COLI

Washington, DC— Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-3), Ranking Member on the Labor, Health, and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee, released the following statement today in response to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's announcement that there will be a 90 day delay in implementing their new non-O157 E. coli policy.

Since 1994, when the USDA declared E. coli O157:H7 an adulterant, additional serotypes of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli have been identified as a serious threat to the public health. Congresswoman DeLauro has advocated for the USDA to issue a strong rule identifying the six most virulent strains of E. coli as adulterants to strengthen our food safety system by protecting consumers from these grave pathogens. In September, 2011, the USDA announced that it would expand testing for these six additional strains of E. coli bacteria.

"I am disappointed by this announcement, as these strains of E. coli are dangerous and place the safety of the public health at risk. I hope that the testing techniques are available soon, and I look forward to the implementation of this rule in June. We know these strains are dangerous and we should move quickly to protect American consumers."