Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Ranking Member on the Labor, Health, and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee, lauded the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for testing for a fungicide found in some imported orange juice.
 
The FDA’s actions are in response to an unnamed juice company informing the agency last month that it had found low levels of the fungicide carbendazim in their juice and in other company’s juices.

Carbendazim, which is used to control the growth of mold in agricultural products, is not approved for use in the United States, but is used widely elsewhere. Brazil, which supplies more than half of the United States’ imported orange juice, has used the fungicide for two decades. 
 
The FDA has said the level of carbendazim reported last month does not pose a threat to the public, but should it find higher levels that present a public health risk, it will act to remove the juice from the market.
 
“Maintaining the safety of our food supply is a paramount concern, especially when the food is imported from countries with different standards of safety. I am very pleased that the FDA has moved to better inspect the foods being imported into our country, but it is clear that we must do more,” said Congresswoman DeLauro.

“The FDA must hold all of the food entering the U.S. accountable to our high standards of food safety. To do this, we must fully fund the FDA and ensure it has the tools and resources it needs to fulfill their responsibility of protecting the American public.”