DeLauro Visits Local Manufacturing Business Working to Ensure Food Safety

New Haven, CT –Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (CT-3) visited Cooper-Atkins in Middlefield, CT today, touring the facility, speaking with employees, and discussing the importance of food safety.

Since 1885, Cooper-Atkins has manufactured and produced specialized thermometers, gauges, and humidity-detecting instruments used to ensure foods are prepared, cooked, and served at safe temperatures. Verifying and maintaining safe temperatures, as specified by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), is critical in ensuring that food is safe for consumption. The innovative devices developed at Cooper-Atkins, including wireless temperature monitoring systems, enable restaurants such as McDonalds, Subway and Burger King to track the temperature of foods from receiving and storing, preparing and cooking, serving and holding, and cooling and reheating

Congresswoman DeLauro, as Chairwoman of the Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee in the House of Representatives, has oversight of the budgets of the FDA and USDA, among other agencies, and has fought for years to ensure our nation's food supply is safe. She has introduced many pieces of legislation seeking to protect the public from contaminated foods, most recently a bill with the goal of eradicating the dangerous bacteria E. Coli, a leading cause of food-borne illness.

"The work being done here at Cooper-Atkins is extraordinary—for 125 years, some of the most important tools we have in making sure our food is safe have been produced right here in Middlefield, helping to prevent food-borne illnesses and saving countless lives. Ensuring that our food is prepared, held, cooked, cooled, and reheated at temperatures that are safe is critical to maintaining the integrity of our nation's food supply. We all know the dangers of exposing food to unsafe temperatures and the potentially deadly results," said Congresswoman DeLauro. "Far too many times, we have seen outbreaks of preventable food-borne diseases, sickening and even killing consumers. Companies like Cooper-Atkins are working to reduce that risk, applying their expert manufacturing knowledge to produce innovative new products for restaurants and food producers that will help to protect our food."