U.S. Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. 26th District of Texas

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Food & Product Safety

Food Safety

Americans spent more than $1 trillion on food in 2005, nearly half of it in restaurants, schools, and other places outside the home. Federal laws give food manufacturers, distributors, and retailers the basic responsibility for assuring that foods are wholesome, safe, and handled under sanitary conditions. A number of federal agencies, cooperating with state, local, and international entities, play a major role in regulating food quality and safety under these laws. The combined efforts of the food industry and the regulatory agencies often are credited with making the U.S. food supply among the safest in the world.

Nonetheless, public health officials estimate that each year 76 million people become sick, 325,000 are hospitalized, and 5,000 die from foodborne illnesses caused by contamination from any one of a number of microbial pathogens.

The 110th Congress has faced calls for a review of federal food safety agencies and authorities, and proposals for reorganizing them have been introduced. At issue is whether the current system has the resources and structural organization to protect consumers from these dangers. Also at issue is whether federal food safety laws, first enacted in the early 1900s, have kept pace with the significant changes that have occurred in the food production, processing, and marketing sectors since then.

This Congress has been particularly concerned with the safety of products like peanut butter, spinach, and products from China. Congressional investigations continue into salmonella poisoning from peanut butter and poisoned wheat gluten from China. You have my commitment that I will work my colleagues to ensure that we continue to have the safest food supply in the world.

For related websites, please visit the following links:

U.S. Consumer and Product Safety Commission

CPSC Recall List

CPSC Product Safety Standards or Guidance

Recent Recalle - Recalls.gov

Related Documents:

Press Releases - Burgess: Protecting Our Littlest Consumers 7.31.2008

Press Releases - Protecting Our People Requires More Than Playing the Politics of Tobacco 7.30.2008

Monthly Burgess Bulletin - From the Neighborhood Safety Network and Consumer Product Safety Commission: Recalled Magnetic Toys 3.18.2008

Press Releases - Rep. Burgess Says More than Band-Aide Solutions are Needed to Fix the FDA 1.29.2008

Press Releases - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: House Bill Ushers in the Next Generation of Product Safety 12.19.2007

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