The publication is reproduced in full below:
INTRODUCTION OF THE FOOD SAFETY ADMINISTRATION ACT OF 2022
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HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO
of connecticut
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, July 13, 2022
Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, today I rise in support of the Food Safety Administration Act, which I am introducing--along with Senator Dick Durbin--today.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates about 80 percent of our food supply--and consumers and industry depend on the FDA food program to perform its regulatory role. Every year, nearly 48 million people get sick from one of the 31 pathogens known to cause foodborne illness. This results in 128,000 Americans being hospitalized each year--and 3,000 Americans dying of foodborne diseases. This is common, costly--and preventable.
It is becoming increasingly clear that public confidence in the ability of the FDA to protect our food supply is diminishing. Between inadequate responses to recalls, a failure to implement a culture of outbreak prevention, and proposed rules and initiatives that languish for years, the food program has struggled in its role to protect consumers.
The recent infant formula crisis, exacerbated by substandard safety practices at the Abbott Nutrition facility in Sturgis, Michigan, cannot be allowed to happen again. Parents and caregivers should never have to desperately scramble to find infant formula and wonder how they will feed their children. And when or if they finally find formula, they face an impossible choice as they wonder whether it is safe for consumption. We should not have to choose between safety and supply when it comes to feeding our babies. I reject this false and dangerous dichotomy. This was a colossal failure of Abbott Nutrition and the FDA, which dragged its feet to investigate a whistleblower report that unveiled damning allegations of wrongdoing and neglect of Abbott.
Food safety is currently a second-class citizen at the FDA. It is clear that food safety is not prioritized at the FDA, which has the authority to appoint an empowered Deputy Commissioner of Foods with a relevant background in food safety--but has yet to do so. The lack of a single, full-time expert leader affects all aspects of FDA's food program. And perhaps the most significant impact is the delayed implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act and the New Era of Smarter Food Safety blueprint. These key initiatives depend on all FDA food program units, like the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Center for Veterinary Medicine, and the Office of Regulatory Affairs--working together with state partners and with a common strategic direction, clear priorities, adequate resource management, and internal accountability.
That is why I am introducing the Food Safety Administration Act that would establish the Food Safety Administration under the Department of Health and Human Services by incorporating these existing food programs within FDA into this separate agency. This agency would be led by a food safety expert confirmed by the Senate.
This bicameral legislation will bring focused leadership and more accountability, a unified structure and a full-time senior leader who will strengthen oversight of the food supply and enhance the industry's ability to operate effectively.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 168, No. 115
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