WASHINGTON – Sandra Eskin, director of the Pew Health Group's Food Safety Campaign, today issued the following statement regarding the markup of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act by the Senate Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions Committee:
"The Pew Health Group applauds the members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions (HELP) Committee for approving the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (S. 510) today.
"We are pleased that the Committee took this significant step towards improving the safety of the food we put on our dinner plates every day. Today's bill will help give the government clearer authority and stronger tools to safeguard our food supply.
"Now, we urge the full Senate to act quickly on this bill, including considering critical strengthening amendments that we believe are needed to bring our 70-year-old food safety laws into the 21st century. In January 2009, this Congress convened in the midst of a serious multi-state foodborne illness outbreak linked to peanut products; by the end of this year, Congress should deliver a strong food safety bill to the President's desk for signature to help prevent similar outbreaks in the future."
The Pew Health Group is the health and consumer product safety arm of The Pew Charitable Trusts, a nonprofit organization that applies a rigorous, analytical approach to improve public policy, inform the public and stimulate civic life. www.pewtrusts.org/health.