DELAURO ON CONFIRMATION OF CANTALOUPE LISTERIA OUTBREAK

Washington, DC — Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-3), Ranking Member on the Labor, Education, Health, and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee, issued the following statement today in response to the Food and Drug Administration’s confirmation of cantaloupes as the source of a Listeria monocytogenes outbreak.

35 people 10 states have been sickened, and four people have died in this outbreak of Listeria, the first associated with cantaloupe. Jensen Farms of Colorado recalled all cantaloupes shipped between July 29 and September 10 to at least 17 states.

“This tragic outbreak is yet another example of how important it is to fully fund the FDA and support the Food Safety Modernization Act— we have charged them with the responsibility to protect the American public, and we must give them the tools to do so. House Republicans have made it clear that funding for food safety is not a priority, and have slashed funding for the FDA by millions of dollars. This is unacceptable.

“We know that it is possible to prevent these kinds of outbreaks, and to better protect American consumers. We should not be cutting funding for the FDA, and effectively tying their hands when it comes to food safety. This is a matter of life and death, and I urge my Republican colleagues to make the safety of American families a priority, and to fully fund the FDA.”

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