New authority wanted by FDA?

Here is what Rep. Rosa DeLauro had to say after today's hearing on imported safety at Agriculture and FDA Appropriations Subcommittee hearing, "Ensuring the Safety of Food Imports”.

“Based on the conclusions from today’s hearing, it is very clear that the FDA lacks the infrastructure to ensure the safety of imported foods and that the American consumer should be concerned. It was alarming to discover today that even with the significant problems the country is facing with imported foods, the FDA lacks a formal process that evaluates the food safety systems of other countries. It also was troubling to learn that significant work remains in developing an information technology system that could help address the problem.

“What is especially disturbing is that a former FDA official acknowledged that there were discussions about the problem of imported foods at the agency almost ten years ago. That is ten years that could have been used to create an evaluation process for food safety systems across the world, establish equivalency standards with other countries, and develop an effective IT infrastructure to help combat the problem.

“However, the subcommittee finally received an acknowledgement from the FDA that the agency needs additional authorities to carry out their mission. This is an unprecedented statement from an agency that has been reluctant to request additional authorities or additional funds. I hope we can take advantage of the momentum created by this acknowledgement and open a dialogue that results in real, significant reforms at FDA.”