November 29, 2010
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Consumers Union (CU), the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports magazine, today strongly urged the U.S. Senate to approve the bipartisan food safety bill that would give the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the authority to order food recalls and set higher standards for food manufacturers. A vote on the bill (S. 510) is expected this evening.
The CU-endorsed legislation comes in the wake of a series of food-related outbreaks of illnesses and deaths, which led to recalls of common foods such as eggs, cheese, lettuce, and peanut products.
Jean Halloran, the director of food policy initiatives at Consumers Union, said, “The country is on the cusp of a fundamental improvement in our food safety laws. This is a once-in-a-generation moment. People on both sides of the political aisle agree that we can do a better job of keeping contaminated food off our plates. We’re so close, and we’ve got fewer hurdles ahead of us, but time is running short.”
Ami Gadhia, policy counsel for Consumers Union, said, “The race is on. If this strong bill isn’t sent to the president this year, we will lose an enormous opportunity to make food safer. The chance to reform our food-safety system doesn’t happen often. This effort has come so far, and the dangers are so serious, so we have to get the ball across the goal line this year.”
Media contact: David Butler, 202-462-6262