New Revelations Continue to Question Chinese Food Safety System

Press Release

New Revelations Continue to Question Chinese Food Safety System

Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (Conn.-3) issued the following statement in response to the New York Times article, "Filler in Animal Feed is Open Secret in China," which demonstrates the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) inability to keep pace with the increasing amount of food imports. DeLauro is the chairman of the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, which has jurisdiction over the FDA's funding.

"As more information is revealed about the pet food recall, the need to overhaul our current antiquated food safety system becomes more evident.

"Given that melamine is an ‘open secret' in China - according to the New York Times - and that China is looking to import more food into this country, it is critical that the FDA establish a detailed plan explaining how it intends to use its funds to increase import inspections and prevent toxic material from entering the human or pet food supply. And I look forward to reviewing this plan during the oversight hearings my subcommittee will hold over the summer.

"This revelation about China 's food supply is the latest in a series of questions about the country's food safety system. Questions over their lax standards and regulation have yielded reports indicating food poisoning is a common occurrence and a result of money saving efforts in food production and packaging, including the improper use of fertilizer, unsanitary packing and poor refrigeration of dairy products.

"And despite these concerns over the unsanitary conditions at food processing facilities in China , this revelation also comes at a time when the Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) under the Department of Agriculture is in the process of drafting a rule that would allow domestic Chinese chicken to be imported into the U.S. Currently, chicken from the U.S. can be shipped to China to be cooked and processed and then sent back to the U.S. So, in addition to the issues involving unsanitary conditions, importing Chinese poultry raises concerns about bringing avian flu into the U.S.

"This latest disclosure in the pet food recall demonstrates that our food safety system needs to be reformed. It is time to grant the FDA and other food safety agencies clear mandatory recall and inspection authority, as well as the ability disclose the names of companies involved in the importation of contaminated products. These initial steps would help create a modern, comprehensive food safety agency that will be capable of protecting our food supply and restoring consumer confidence."

DeLauro has been actively engaged on food safety issues for over a decade. Earlier this year she reintroduced The Safe Food Act (H.R. 1148) - legislation that would consolidate and standardize American food safety activities by establishing a single food agency, responsible for the administration and enforcement of our food safety laws. Currently, there are 15 different federal agencies and 35 different laws governing food safety. With overlapping jurisdictions, federal agencies often lack accountability on food safety-related issues.

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