If enacted, the bill would transfer FDA’s food authority and create a single food safety agency.
WASHINGTON — Raising the ante on the Federal Food Authority bill, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn., 3rd District), ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee, and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), have introduced a bill to create a Federal Food Authority.
According to Governor DeLauro’s Tuesday announcement, the proposed administration would create a single agency responsible for “ensuring the security of our nation’s food supply and promoting good nutrition.”
According to the announcement, the agency will take over food responsibilities currently “held” by the Food and Drug Administration.
DeLauro said in a statement that he has long believed food safety was a “second-class citizen to the Food and Drug Administration.”
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DeLauro added that he is pleased with the reorganization of the Human Food Program and is proud of the work Deputy Commissioner Jim Jones has done to “reform how food safety is delivered,” but he believes there needs to be a single food agency “focused solely on making sure the food we eat is safe.”
“Creating a single food agency will help prevent inevitable product contamination and recalls that disrupt supply chains, lead to higher prices, and often result in consumer illness and death,” DeLauro said in a statement. “The 2022 infant formula shortages made this very clear. I am proud to introduce the Federal Food Control Agency Act with Senator Durbin, which will strengthen food safety and protect consumers by creating a single, independent food agency.”
Durbin said in a statement that the FDA has been plagued by repeated failures in recent years, including failing to protect babies from bacterial infections in infant formula and failing to protect children from lead-tainted packets of applesauce.
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“The sad reality is that the FDA has not used its authority to protect Americans from preventable illness and death,” Durbin said in a statement. “That’s why Congressman DeLauro and I are introducing legislation to transfer all of the FDA’s food responsibilities to a new agency that we hope will bring greater attention and results to protecting the food that goes in our kids’ lunches and on our tables.”
Brian Ronholm, food policy director at Consumer Reports, said in a statement that he supports DeLauro and Durbin’s efforts.
“Ultimately, to effectively carry out its mission, we need a single, independent agency focused solely on preventing foodborne illness and promoting nutrition goals,” Ronholm said in a statement.
The FDA currently regulates 80 percent of the nation’s food supply, the release noted, and while consumers and businesses expect the FDA to perform its regulatory role effectively, it added that the FDA has failed to “significantly reduce foodborne illness and mortality in the United States.”
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According to the release, about one in six Americans, or 48 million people, suffer from food poisoning each year, and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 128,000 Americans are hospitalized and 3,000 Americans die from food poisoning each year.
“The Federal Food Agency bill would establish a Federal Food Agency under the Department of Health and Human Services by consolidating existing food programs within the FDA into this separate agency,” the release said, noting that the agency would be led by a Senate-confirmed expert.
The release further states that Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) is an original co-sponsor of the bill, which is supported by Consumer Reports, STOP Food Poisoning, the Environmental Working Group and the American Herbal Products Association.
If you would like to know more about what the bill contains, click here.
Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer for FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
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