Frank Pallone: “There shouldn't be any more time for delay. Every time we have a food safety crisis, be it eggs or spinach or pepper or…”

“There shouldn't be any more time for delay. Every time we have a food safety crisis, be it eggs or spinach or pepper or peanuts, we shake our heads at the vulnerability of our food supply and bemoan the fact that we don't have the tools to protect it. And these aren't isolated instances. Each year 76 million Americans are sickened from consuming contaminated food, and 5,000 of these people die. Is the bill we're going to vote on today perfect? Certainly not. But it's a bill that we can all be proud of. The Food Safety Act would give the FDA the ability, the authority, and the resources to protect American consumers from contaminated food. FDA will now better ensure food safety through more frequent inspection of food processing facilities, the development of a food trace-back system to pinpoint the source of food-borne illness, and enhanced powers to ensure that imported foods are safe. Perhaps most notably, the bill emphasizes prevention and safety that helps ensure that food is safe before it's distributed, before it reaches store shelves, before it reaches the kitchens of American families.”