On the recordNovember 30, 2010
the next time we sit down to eat dinner with our families, are we sure that the food on our tables is safe to eat? I understand that many Americans are concerned about food safety issues. We all want food for our families that is nutritious and free from foodborne pathogens and contaminants. Ensuring that our food supply, both domestic and foreign food products, is safe is a high priority for me. I am focused on food safety not only as a lawmaker but also as a consumer and a father. Americans have every right to expect a safe food supply. We need solutions to give Americans peace of mind that the foods they eat and give to their families are safe to consume. There are 76 million cases of foodborne illness in this country every year. These illnesses send an estimated 300,000 Americans to the hospital each year and they kill an estimated 5,000 individuals yearly. Many of these deaths occur in vulnerable members of our communities: young children, the elderly, or those with chronic illnesses. I will share with you the story, a real story, of Kevin Kowalcyk, a 2-year-old boy, who was sickened with an E. coli O157:H7 infection that he acquired from eating a common food. I want to speak about Kevin because I want to be clear that when we are not talking about statistics today, we are talking about real people, real lives.
