Orrin Hatch: “I rise today to express my mixed emotions on S. 510, the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act. With past recalls on…”

“I rise today to express my mixed emotions on S. 510, the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act. With past recalls on spinach, peppers, cookie dough, peanuts and peanut products, there appears to be an increase in the frequency of foodborne outbreaks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, estimates that foodborne disease cause approximately 76 million illnesses in the U.S. each year, including an estimated 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths. These statistics are strong evidence that our current food safety laws and regulations are antiquated and should be updated. We live in a global food economy, but our Nation's current food safety laws and regulations are geared predominately to a local and domestic market. As a result, there are new safety challenges that have risen from this global market that must be addressed. As the former chairman and ranking member of the Senate HELP Committee--it was then known as the Senate Labor Committee--I have a little history on this issue. As chairman of the committee, I introduced the Food Safety Amendments with the intent of ensuring a safer food supply, similar to the goal of the legislation before the Senate today. I would like to point out that S. 510 is one of the few bipartisan pieces of legislation currently in the Senate.”