November 30, 2010 — Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) released the following statement today after the Senate passed the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, which will provide a comprehensive approach to food safety in order to prevent and respond to future outbreaks of food-borne illness.

Dodd is an original cosponsor of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, which will provide important new authorities for the FDA, including records access, mandatory recall authority, and more frequent inspections.

“Food-borne illnesses have become far too prevalent, contributing to 76 million illnesses, 325,000 hospitalization, and 5,000 deaths each year,” said Dodd. “Today the Senate passed historic legislation that will finally strengthen our food safety system by providing FDA with the tools necessary to effectively prevent, detect, and respond to food-borne illnesses. Thanks to this important legislation, Americans can finally have confidence in the system that ensures the safety of the food they buy at the grocery store, pack for their children’s lunches, and serve at their dinner table.”

Also included in the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act is Dodd’s Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act, which would require the development of consistent, voluntary federal guidelines for the management of food allergies in schools and provide the resources schools need to carry out the voluntary guidelines. Dodd, the father of a daughter with severe food allergies, has been a longtime advocate for improved food allergy guidelines.

“As the number of children with food allergies continues to rise and as a father with a daughter with food allergies, I worked to ensure that this bill included a provision I authored to provide relief for the children and families of those who struggle daily with food allergies. I am proud that the Senate passed legislation that provides voluntary federal guidelines for the management of food allergies in schools, which will protect the lives of millions of children with life-threatening allergies and provide children a safe and healthy learning environment.”