DELAURO: OUR FOOD SAFETY SYSTEM IS NOT WORKING

Washington, DC — Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-3), Ranking Member on the Labor, Health, and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee, issued the following statement today:

"In the month of September, we have seen a staggering 12 food safety recalls across the country. These recalls have included cantaloupes contaminated with listeria that have killed 13 people, 40,000 pounds of ground beef potentially contaminated with E. coli bound for the National School Lunch Program, 131,300 pounds of ground beef prompted by E. coli illnesses in Speaker of the House John Boehner's own district, grape tomatoes suspected to be contaminated with Salmonella, and queso fresco and spinach dip, both potentially carrying listeria. These statistics are shocking, not just because of the volume of foods recalled, but because of their variety; from hamburgers to fresh fruit to prepared foods, it is clear that our food safety system is not working.

"Last year, the President signed into law the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, which should have helped to better secure our food supply with more inspections, stronger recall authority, and improve traceability in the event of a recall. But the House majority has cut funding to the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition by $209 million—jeopardizing their responsibilities in protecting consumers. The U.S. Department of Agriculture' Food Safety Inspection Service was also cut by $46 million. These reckless cuts are limiting our ability to protect American families.

"If the House majority party will not fund the USDA and FDA adequately, and the agencies are therefore unable to fulfill their responsibilities, then another solution is needed. A single food safety agency, combining the 15 federal agencies that currently share responsibility in this area, would implement the best food safety practices, eliminate jurisdictional confusion, and help reduce the potential for future outbreaks. One single food safety agency would be able to function more efficiently and effectively, and better protect the food in grocery stores, schools, and in the homes of American families."