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Democratic senators are expressing alarm about planned budget reallocations at the Food and Drug Administration that they fear will threaten the nation’s food safety system.
In a letter to FDA Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods Jim Jones released Wednesday, Democratic Sens. Richard Blumenthal (Conn.), Tina Smith (Minn.)
Continue Reading Publisher’s Platform: Senators step up to help save FDA funding of state inspection programs
A group of U.S. legislators are demanding answers from the USDA and Boar’s Head company officials regarding egregious food safety violations at a production plant that has led to dozens of hospitalizations and at least 10 deaths.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-CT, is heading the group of lawmakers.
As a result
Continue Reading Lawmakers want to know why USDA, Boar’s Head did not take action to avoid Listeria outbreak
A senator and representative are calling for a single agency to be established to deal with food safety in America.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-CT, and Sen. Dick Durbin, D-IL, have introduced the Federal Food Administration Act in their respective chambers. The legislation would establish the Federal Food Administration, which would
Continue Reading Legislators introduce bill to consolidate food safety responsibilities at federal level
Editor’s note: This column and profiles of the 16 food safety champions (four not pictured above) was originally published by Quality Assurance magazine. It is reprinted here with permission. To read profiles of the individual food safety professionals referenced in the column, please click here.
Describing the U.S. food safety system as “hopelessly fragmented and outdated,” a congresswoman is pushing for the creation of a single federal agency to secure the nation’s food supply.
Currently, the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture each have jurisdiction over food, with the FDA responsible
Continue Reading Congressional duo continues push for switch to single food safety agency
The Senate Appropriations Committee approved the agriculture appropriations bill for fiscal year 2016 on Thursday after discussing a handful of amendments. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) proposed an amendment to increase the funding allocated for implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), but it was ultimately voted down. This came
Continue Reading Amendment to Increase FSMA Funding Fails in Committee
Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) have requested that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) study whether creating a single food agency would increase efficiencies, reduce costs and improve safety. In January, Durbin and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) introduced bills to establish such
Continue Reading Senators Ask GAO to Examine Options for Food Safety Oversight
Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) are asking Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to finalize USDA’s Salmonella and Campylobacter performance standards as soon as possible. In January, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service’s (FSIS) proposed changes to the Salmonella and Campylobacter Verification Testing Program created brand-new
Continue Reading Senators Want USDA to Finalize Poultry Pathogen Standards
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) is proposing legislation that would require recalls of meat and poultry contaminated with pathogens. “As it stands now, if foods like ground beef and sliced turkey are found to be unsafe, the U.S. Department of Agriculture lacks the authority to issue a mandatory recall,” Gillibrand said.
Continue Reading FSIS Would Have Mandatory Recall Authority Under Proposed Bill
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) have introduced bills in Congress that would establish a single, independent federal food safety agency. 
Food safety oversight is currently split up among 15 agencies in the Departments of Health and Human Services, Agriculture, and Commerce. The Safe Food Act of
Continue Reading Lawmakers Introduce Bills to Create Single Food Safety Agency
