Lawmakers Call for FDA Reform Amid Salmonella Outbreak
U.S. oversight agencies have missed important opportunities to improve the safety of fresh produce in the country, and this week's foodborne illness outbreak tied to raw tomatoes is a renewed call for reform, according to Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.)
A salmonella outbreak in at least nine states appears to be linked to consumption of certain types of raw red tomatoes and products containing raw red tomatoes, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
In total there have been 87 reported cases of illness, 57 of which are in Texas and New Mexico, with the balance reported in seven other states, including Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas and Utah since April 23, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Food safety scares such as this one have plagued consumers, Congress and federal health regulators over the past few years. Other outbreaks included spinach tainted with E. coli and peanut butter and pot pies with salmonella. The spinach outbreak in 2006 caused the death of three people and infected more than 200 others.
"We are in danger of seeing a repeat of this situation with the recent salmonella outbreak involving tomatoes," said DeLauro, chair of the House Appropriations subcommittee on agriculture, who has held hearings on improving food safety. "It is long past time for the federal government to act. Congress should heed this call and move forward with reforming the food safety system," she said in a statement.
The outbreaks since 2006 have lead to dozens of hearings and proposals from the fresh produce industry and the FDA looking for tougher federal safety standards, inspection and regulation.
DeLauro said lawmakers need to embrace ways shown to prevent contamination, science-based performance standards, frequent inspections, and accountability for imported foods.