Improving Food Safety: Here And Abroad

Cleveland, OH - Senator Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, will introduce legislation next week that would require country of origin labeling for processed foods. In addition, Brown introduced the Food and Product Responsibility Act of 2007, which would safeguard U.S. consumers against unsafe food and products and promote sound business practices among distributors of food and products.

"From food to toothpaste, toys to tires, we must do more to protect our families from contaminated and defective imports," said Brown. "We need a new approach to import safety. We need to inform and protect consumers, while holding distributors accountable for the safety of the products they import."

Tainted imports from China and other countries have, in recent months, led to the recalls of hundreds of thousands of toys, tires, food products, and pet food products.

With 76 million Americans sickened each year from food borne illnesses, consumers are demanding stricter food safety laws. Food imports constitute a growing share of what Americans eat and what is sold on grocery shelves across the country.

Brown will introduce legislation that makes labeling more transparent and uniform for manufactured foods. The bill would make country-of-origin labeling (COOL) mandatory for processed foods. This would be an expansion of provisions in the 2002 Farm Bill that established country of origin labeling for fruits, vegetables, meat, and seafood. After repeated statutory and regulatory delays, the new labeling requirements are scheduled to go into effect in September of 2008.

"Consumers shouldn't have to buy blind when it comes to the food they put on the table, whether it's a piece of fruit from Mexico or a piece of fruitcake from China," Brown added.

The Food and Product Responsibility Act of 2007, introduced Sept. 20, would require that distributors of food and consumer products demonstrate the financial capacity to cover risks associated with recalls and product safety. In addition, Brown's Bill would grant the Secretary of Agriculture the authority to require recalls of meat, poultry, and egg products and grant the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the authority to require recalls for the products it regulates. It would also require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to submit an annual progress report to Congress.

SOURCE: Senator Sherrod Brown