NEWS RELEASE

Committee on Energy and Commerce
Rep. John D. Dingell, Chairman

Dingell Releases Draft Legislation to Improve Safety of Imported Food and Drugs

Recent Reports of Tainted Imports Prompt Action

Washington, DC – Rep. John D. Dingell (D-MI), Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, today released draft legislation that would strengthen our country’s system for ensuring the safety of imported food and drugs.

The Committee is conducting a broad investigation into the safety of the nation’s food and drug supply, particularly the declining ability of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to conduct inspections and perform laboratory analysis. Recent reports of tainted imports including pet food, seafood, and cough syrup, have highlighted the need for legislative action.

“We are importing twice as much food as we were a decade ago, yet the FDA examines less than one percent of it,” said Dingell. “Tainted imports have slipped into our country undetected and the resulting problems will continue to grow if we don’t take steps to tighten safety measures.”

Dingell’s legislative proposal would create a user fee on imported food and drug shipments. Funds generated by the fee would be used to hire additional personnel at both the U.S. border and FDA labs to increase inspections. Funds would also be used to test import samples and research new testing techniques.

“Without regular inspections and analysis there is little incentive for food producers and importers to ensure that our food supply is free from harmful and sometimes fatal contaminants,” said Dingell.

The legislation would also prevent the Secretary of Health and Human Services from closing or consolidating any of the current 13 FDA field laboratories and grant the agency new authorities to:

• Issue mandatory recalls;
• Require country of origin labeling;
• Limits the number of ports of entry for food items;
• Halt imports of certain products until a foreign facility can demonstrate that significant steps have been taken to rectify an identified problem; and
• Increase civil monetary penalties for manufacturers or importers that violate the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

For more information about the draft legislation visit the Committee on Energy and Commerce website at http://energycommerce.house.gov.

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