Food Safety System Requires Overhaul

Press Release

Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (Conn.-3) and Connecticut State Senate President Donald E. Williams, Jr. (D-Brooklyn) called for strengthened food safety and recall procedures, including the release of retailers when a product is recalled at a joint news conference. Following the historic Hallmark/Westland143 million pound beef recall, the U.S. Department of Agriculture refused to release the names of retail outlets and school districts that had received the meat.

"The historic Hallmark/Westland recall clearly demonstrates the multi-faceted problem that USDA is facing, and I am deeply concerned that it also demonstrates just how far our food safety system has collapsed," said DeLauro. "This massive recall is further reason why we need to finally streamline the system and create a single food safety agency. Instead of balancing food safety with competing priorities, a single food safety agency would allow the focus to shift from reacting to disease outbreaks to preventing disease outbreaks."

DeLauro has introduced the Safe Food Act, which would consolidate food safety oversight into a single food safety agency. Under current law, food safety monitoring, inspection and labeling functions are spread across 15 agencies in the federal government, including the USDA, which oversees meat, poultry and egg products; the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) which oversees most other food products; and the U.S. Commerce Department's National Marine Fisheries Service which inspects fish. The agencies collectively administer at least 30 laws.

"In the meantime, when a recall occurs, there is no reason why consumers should not be informed which retailers are receiving potentially contaminated food products," DeLauro added. "It is illogical that the measure to release this information has languished at the U.S. Department of Agriculture for two years, which is why I pressed the Agriculture Secretary to expedite this effort and raised the issue again last week with the agency's Under Secretary for food safety. I commend Senator Williams for his efforts to Connecticut 's families, however, states should not be forced to find loopholes in the system in order to protect consumers.

"Families have a right to know where recalled meat was distributed," said Senator Williams. "This system built on secrets keeps consumers in the dark and puts families at risk."

Senator Williams is proposing legislation that will help protect Connecticut consumer by keeping them better informed about meat recalls. States legislatures have begun to pass laws to allow allows state officials to release the name of retail consignees to the public. California first enacted the law in 2007 and now residents are able to obtain information regarding the retail consignees that receive possibly tainted meat.

Since March of 2006 the USDA has had a proposed rule pending that would permit the agency to list retail consignees on its recall press releases. According to the USDA, the proposed rule continues to be under departmental review. As a result, state and local health departments are not allowed to inform the public about which retail establishments or restaurants receive tainted meat or poultry. Retail information has long been considered confidential business information and as a result retail stores are not identified in the recall process.

Source