Statement of the Honorable Rosa L. DeLauro on the FSIS Announcement Implementing a Risk-Based Inspection System (RBIS)

Statement of the Honorable Rosa L. DeLauro on the FSIS Announcement Implementing a Risk-Based Inspection System (RBIS)

Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (Conn.-3) released the following statement in reaction to today's announcement by USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Services' (FSIS) that they will begin implementation of a Risk-Based Inspection System (RBIS) in thirty "prototype processing locations" in April of this year. Congresswoman DeLauro is the Chair of the U.S. House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, which oversees FSIS.

"I think it is a mistake for FSIS to move forward with risk-based inspections at this time, and I will be monitoring what happens very closely. I am very concerned that the plan FSIS released today is not thoroughly developed and is being advanced in absence of the necessary and comprehensive data that would allow them to accurately assess risk.

"While FSIS has set up a meeting with the stakeholders on March 29th, it concerns me that there is little to no time for feedback or input before the launch of this new program. And on the heels of the recent nationwide salmonella outbreak in peanut butter and the failure to reach the national health objective of reducing listeria cases by half by 2005, it is imperative that this new plan be above board. This is a critical public health issue and it must be done right.

"I will be carefully monitoring FSIS as they move forward with this proposal but at first glance it would seem that in this instance RBI stands for ‘rolling back inspection' not risk-based inspection."

http://www.house.gov/delauro/press/2007/February/RBIS_USDA_Statement_02_22_07.html