Columns
Thursday, September 27, 2007
restoring consumer confidence in america's produce
It is a well known fact that fruits and vegetables are a key component of a healthy diet. Unfortunately, recent produce recalls have raised red flags about the safety of consuming those foods.
A year ago, there was a large-scale outbreak of food-borne illness caused by a virulent strain of E. coli in fresh bagged spinach. More than 200 people became ill, and three died. Since then, U.S. consumers have been bombarded with news of repeated cases of contaminated food – everything from peanut butter to seafood to pet food. This September, there was a recall of Dole bagged salad because of E. coli contamination.
It seems these fresh-produce recalls have become the rule rather than the exception in the United States – and that is unacceptable. It is increasingly clear that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) lacks the resources and the power to ensure the safety of our food supply. For example, it was recently reported that operations that grow and process leafy green produce are inspected by FDA only once every three years.
We need to restore the public’s trust in America’s fresh produce and the agency that regulates it. To do this, I have introduced the Fresh Produce Safety Act of 2007. My aim is to create, for the first time, an effective national food safety framework for all fresh produce.
Industry groups are acutely aware of the need to restore consumer confidence. The California leafy green produce industry has come up with a marketing agreement to certify the safety of its products. The Florida tomato industry has pushed the state to inspect and regulate its products. But this regional, patchwork approach is simply not adequate. We need a national program to ensure the safety of all fresh produce in every supermarket in America.
Under the Fresh Produce Safety Act, produce companies would be required to follow common-sense food safety guidelines, guidelines that are currently only voluntary. Obviously, there is not a one size fits all solution. It would be a waste of resources to require the same stringent controls for, say, apples that we would require for leafy green produce. That’s why my bill requires national standards tailored to specific types of produce and the particular risk factors arising from the way each is grown and handled. The legislation also requires stepped-up inspections of operations that grow and process fresh produce, such as spinach or lettuce.
Other key provisions of the bill include a surveillance system to identify and stop the sources of fresh produce contamination, and a research program to better understand and prevent contamination of produce. My legislation also would ensure imported produce is held up to the same standards as produce grown in the U.S.
The Fresh Produce Safety Act is timely for another reason. Eating fruits and vegetables promotes lower body weight, stronger bones, and lower risk of developing diet-related diseases such as diabetes. In recent years, major efforts and investments have encouraged people to eat these healthful foods. We cannot afford to have continuous instances of E. coli contamination and fresh produce recalls discourage people from adopting healthier diets.
I believe that with the Fresh Produce Safety Act we can once again give Americans confidence that their fruits and vegetables are safe to eat.
