November 29, 2010
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Re: Please vote YES on S. 510, the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, TODAY
Dear Senator:
Consumers Union, the non-profit publisher of Consumer Reports magazine, writes to urge you to vote for final passage of S. 510, the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, when it comes to the floor for a vote today.
This comprehensive bi-partisan bill will update our food safety laws, which are over 70 years old, and provide critical new protections to consumers against foodborne illness.
We also urge you to vote NO on an alternative food-safety proposal that may be offered by Senator Coburn. Unfortunately, this proposal would weaken current law, and would undermine public health protections.
Instead, S. 510, a bi-partisan bill that has been carefully deliberated on for over a year, will for help the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) prevent foodborne illness before it occurs, saving lives and money. S. 510 will require food processors to identify where contamination may occur in the food production process, and then require them to take steps to prevent the contamination. It will also require imported food to meet the same safety standards as food produced in the U.S.
After years of high-profile recalls, including half a billion eggs, deadly peanut products, and a global supply chain that means American consumers can be sickened by food made half a world away, S. 510 will finally give FDA the powers to help keep our plates safe.
We urge you to swiftly approve S. 510 in the full Senate.
Sincerely,
Ami V. Gadhia
Policy Counsel
Jean Halloran
Director, Food Policy Initiatives