Food safety may have a problem with respect.
The appointment of President Jose Emilio Esteban, of California, as Deputy Secretary of Agriculture for Food Safety has gone eight months without confirmation from the Senate. And capital media investigations into flaws in the FDA’s major food safety category have largely ignored all but a minority in Congress.
A bill to replace some of these sad situations through major federal food safety reforms is now before Congress. It is a reform only within the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). It does not include the USDA Food Security and Food Safety Service (FSIS) or other federal agencies that play a positive role in food safety.
Still, it is the most important food safety bill since the 2011 Food Safety Act (FSMA).
Presented by Rep, Rosa DeLauro, D-CT, and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), the Food Safety Administration Act will establish the Food Safety Administration, as one food safety agency with HHS responsible for food safety used by Americans safely. market. It basically “opens up” food safety for medicines, medical equipment, and other activities under the “Pharmaceutical Commission.”
“Food safety is now a second-class citizen to the Food and Drug Administration,” said DeLauro. “Currently, there are no food policy experts responsible for food safety at the FDA. That is unacceptable and contributes to multiple contamination of products and subsequent recalls that disrupt the supply chain, contribute to cost on the rise, and often, causes consumer illness and death. Look no further than the recent infant formula crisis to understand the need to create a single food safety agency, led by a food policy expert, to to ensure the safety of products going to market. I am very pleased to join my colleague Senator Durbin in introducing legislation that strengthens food safety and consumer protection.”
Den Durbin said: “In recent years, the FDA has been plagued by one failure after another – from failing to properly identify the dangers of opioids, to failing to protect children from e-cigarette products, to failing to properly ensure the safety of our nation’s food.
The sad truth is that the FDA seems unwilling or unable to use their authority to protect Americans from preventable illness and death. For that reason, Congresswoman DeLauro and I are introducing legislation to transfer all food responsibilities from the FDA to a news agency that, we hope, will achieve more success in keeping the foods in our children’s lunch boxes and dining room tables. “
“EWG commends Senator Durbin and Congresswoman DeLauro for making the safety of our food a priority,” said Scott Faber, Senior Vice President for Government Affairs at the Environmental Working Group. “Every year, thousands of Americans die from foodborne illness, thousands more are hospitalized, and millions more become ill. Many of these diseases are preventable, but only if we decide to monitor food processors, respond quickly to outbreaks, and stop allowing chemical companies to make decisions about chemicals. included in our safe food. To do so, we must find a food safety leader who focuses on food supplies.
“The FDA’s lack of response to outbreaks and missed deadlines for implementing critical food safety efforts undermined consumer confidence in the agency’s food program,” said Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at Consumer Reports. “Consumer reports commend Senator Durbin and Congresswoman DeLauro for this legislation for bringing more focused leadership and greater accountability to the FDA food program.”
The FDA regulates about 80 percent of food supplies, and consumers and industries rely on the FDA food program to carry out its regulatory role effectively. Foodborne illnesses are common, costly, and significantly prevent public health problems.
The Food Safety Administration Act will establish the Food Safety Administration under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) by incorporating food programs within the FDA into this particular agency: the Food Safety and Nutrition Request Center (CFSAN), the Veterinary Medicine Center (CVM). ), and the Office of Legislative Affairs (ORA). This agency will be led by a food safety expert certified by the Senate.
In addition to bringing focused leadership and more accountability, a unified structure and a full-time senior leader will strengthen food supply monitoring and enhance the industry’s ability to operate effectively, says.
Joining DeLauro and Durbin as the original assistants in this bill are Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and U.S. Representative Nannette Diaz Barragán (CA-44), Jimmy Panetta (CA-20), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12).
The Center for Food Safety, American Consumer Relations, Consumer Information, Our Health Protection, Environmental Working Group, Friends of the World, Healthy Babies for a Bright Future, STOP Foodborne Diseases, and the Environmental Health Center are among the non-governmental organizations supporting the bill.
You can find the text of the bill here and the fact sheet here.