---

WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO), Vice Chair of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, today reacted to the ongoing salmonella outbreak and the continued lack of identification of the source of the contamination. The outbreak in salmonella first indicated tomatoes were the source, but now the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) indicates that peppers are also likely.

“It is absolutely outrageous that we are 90 days into the salmonella outbreak and the FDA and CDC still cannot determine the source of contamination,” DeGette said. “Currently, over 1200 cases of salmonella have been reported, hundreds have been hospitalized, while the outbreak has affected 42 states, including Washington, DC and even Canada. The salmonella outbreak continues to spread, with nearly 30 cases a day, because we do not have a national, comprehensive food traceability system that would quickly track our foods from the field to the fork. An effective traceback system would allow us to quickly identify the source of the contamination, while protecting our producers, growers, and distributers whose  industries are being devastated.  Now the FDA is saying that tomatoes are safe, but only because they have a short shelf life.  We still don’t know the source of the contamination, and that is inexcusable.”

U.S. Rep. DeGette has championed and advocated for both mandatory recall and traceability since 2002.  The mandatory recall authority has been included in the Energy and Commerce Committee’s discussion draft, the Food and Drug Administration Globalization Act of 2008. DeGette is also working with the Committee to include traceability, H.R. 3485 as well.