Klobuchar Calls for Passage of Food Safety Legislation     Klobuchar legislation could have allowed

"U.S. Senate"

03/13/2010

Klobuchar legislation could have allowed the FDA to catch recent salmonella contamination weeks earlier



Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar called for swift passage of food safety legislation pending in the Senate following a recent salmonella contamination that has caused over 150 products to be pulled from the shelves. Klobuchar is an original sponsor of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009, which will strengthen the Food and Drug Administration’s authority and resources to ensure a safe food supply and help prevent outbreaks from occurring.

“I believe the first responsibility of a government is to protect its citizens,” said Klobuchar. “The recent recall is just another example of the broken system that continues to allow contaminated food to make it to our store shelves. We must act quickly to strengthen our food safety system and protect the public from future harm.”

The latest recall is the result of salmonella contamination at Basic Food Flavors, a company that makes flavor enhancers used in a wide variety of processed foods. According to Consumers Union scientists, the number of products recalled due to salmonella contamination could rise to 10,000. Under current law, the Food and Drug Administration does not have the authority to immediately order a food recall but must work with food producers to organize recalls on a voluntary basis.

The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009 was passed out of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions last year, but has yet to be brought to the Senate floor for consideration. Similar legislation has passed the House of Representatives last year.

Klobuchar has been a strong advocate for food safety. Last April, she introduced the Food Safety Rapid Response Act of 2009 along with Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-GA). The bill will promote a more rapid and effective national response to outbreaks of foodborne sickness. The legislation uses the procedures of the Minnesota Department of Health, Minnesota Department of Agriculture and the University of Minnesota as a national model for improved food safety surveillance. Klobuchar will work to include the Food Safety Rapid Response Act when the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act is brought to the floor.