WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO), Vice Chair of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, offered the following statement on today’s Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee Hearing, “How Do We Fix Our Ailing Food Safety System?” .

“Last summer’s outbreak of salmonella in jalapenos and the recent occurrence of contamination in peanuts makes it clear that Congress must pass comprehensive food safety reform,” said DeGette. “I will continue to work on the legislation before the Committee that includes two of my priorities – mandatory recall authority and traceability. The American people expect government to have the tools and resources to ensure the safety of our food supply. I agree with Chairman Waxman that we need to do this now – but in the longer term, we must address structural changes to our system, such as a unitary agency for food safety.”

Congresswoman DeGette has reintroduced two major food safety priorities: H.R. 815, the SAFER (Safe and Fair Enforcement & Recall) Food Act, gives the FDA and the USDA the authority to force a recall of contaminated foods.  Under current law, recalls are completely voluntary even when public health is at risk.  The United States is one of the only industrialized countries in the world that lacks this basic recall power, despite having the ability to recall toys and many other products. H.R. 814, the TRACE (Tracing and Recalling Agricultural Contamination Everywhere) Act, requires the Secretaries of Agriculture and Health and Human Services to establish a product tracing system for all food products from their origin to the market, enabling faster recall in the event of contamination.

The Food and Drug Administration Globalization Act of 2009 has been introduced by Chairman Emeritus John D. Dingell (D-MI), Chairman Bart Stupak (D-MI), and Chairman Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ). The measure includes a mandatory recall provision built upon legislation introduced by DeGette, in addition to traceability language.