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WASHINGTON – With a rare strain of salmonella sickening 145 people in the United States since mid-April due to contaminated tomatoes, Energy and Commerce Committee Vice Chair Diana DeGette (D-CO) today called on the federal government to adopt and implement a common-sense mandatory recall and traceability system for food products. While responsible companies have pulled tomatoes from their stores, a full recall has still not been issued. 

“This situation is another chilling example of the flaws in our nation’s food safety system,” said DeGette. “The government must have the authority not only to issue a mandatory recall, but also trace food products throughout the supply chain.  A mandatory recall system works hand-in-hand with a traceability network – first, the government could quickly identify where contamination is occurring and second, identify - from farm to fork -  where the products have been shipped so we can pull them off store shelves.  This targeted approach also would make recalls more efficient, as it protects the vast majority of businesses which produce and serve safe food.”

Earlier this year, the Energy and Commerce Committee released a food safety discussion draft, the Food and Drug Administration Globalization Act of 2008, which includes DeGette’s mandatory recall authority. Since then, the Committee has held hearings on the discussion draft for input. Meanwhile, the Energy and Commerce Committee is poised to hold another hearing Thursday.

“While I am grateful that this legislation contains mandatory recall authority, a traceability system would enable the recall authority to work more efficiently. If a mandatory recall and traceability system had been in place during this latest outbreak, we could have identified and contained it much more quickly.”

DeGette has introduced two major pieces of food safety legislation, H.R. 3484 and 3485, that would give the federal government mandatory recall authority and direct the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a product traceability system. H.R. 3484 has been incorporated into the Energy and Commerce Committee’s food safety legislation.