Durbin, DeLauro to introduce single food safety bill
January 20, 2015 |06:00 AM
Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., announced Monday that he and Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., will introduce a bill to establish a single food safety agency.
“Though the Food Modernization Act was an important step, it did nothing to improve the safety of meat and poultry and nothing to address the fragmented nature of our current food safety system,” Durbin said in a news release.
“Currently there are 15 different agencies that have food safety responsibilities,” Durbin continued. “This patchwork of oversight makes it harder to focus on the highest risks in our food system and makes foodborne illness outbreaks more difficult to manage.”
Durbin said that he and DeLauro “plan to introduce legislation in the coming weeks that would establish a single, well-organized agency to enforce a uniform set of food safety standards.”
“The Safe Food Act of 2015 is a culmination of an over 20-year effort to ensure the food we eat is safe,” he said. “I hope this Congress can pass a comprehensive food safety bill that President Obama can sign into law.”
“Though the Food Modernization Act was an important step, it did nothing to improve the safety of meat and poultry and nothing to address the fragmented nature of our current food safety system,” Durbin said in a news release.
“Currently there are 15 different agencies that have food safety responsibilities,” Durbin continued. “This patchwork of oversight makes it harder to focus on the highest risks in our food system and makes foodborne illness outbreaks more difficult to manage.”
Durbin said that he and DeLauro “plan to introduce legislation in the coming weeks that would establish a single, well-organized agency to enforce a uniform set of food safety standards.”
“The Safe Food Act of 2015 is a culmination of an over 20-year effort to ensure the food we eat is safe,” he said. “I hope this Congress can pass a comprehensive food safety bill that President Obama can sign into law.”
