Political Quotes

“when Americans sit down at the dinner table, their confidence in the safety of the food they are eating is based in part on the knowledge that the Federal Government is working hard to ensure their food is not contaminated. Right now, our food is the safest in the world, but there are widening gaps in our food safety net due to emerging threats and the fact that food safety oversight has evolved over time to spread over several government agencies. This mismatched, piecemeal approach to food safety could spell disaster if we do not act quickly and decisively. A single food safety agency with authority based on sound scientific principles would provide this country with the greatest hope of reducing foodborne illnesses and preparing for a bioterrorist attack on our food supply. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that as many as 76 million people suffer from food poisoning each year. Of those individuals, approximately 325,000 will be hospitalized, and more than 5,000 will die. Factors such as emerging pathogens, an aging population at high risk for foodborne illnesses, an increasing volume of food imports, and people eating outside their homes more often underscore the need for us to take charge and shed the old bureaucratic shackles that have tied us to the overlapping and inefficient ad hoc food safety system of the past. I rise today to introduce the Safe Food Act of 2004.”