Safe Food Coalition

Safe Food Coalition Asks Congress to Give FDA Authority to Address Infant Formula and Other Food Safety Hazards

Members of the Safe Food Coalition sent the following letter to congressional leaders today, urging them to amend the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) authorizing statutes to give the agency the tools it needs to regulate infant formula manufacturers and respond to foodborne illness outbreaks. FDA has maintained that the agency cannot require infant formula and other food manufacturers to share pathogen testing results unless an FDA inspector is physically present in the plant. The agency has also pointed out that uncertainty about information disclosure rules have delayed foodborne illness outbreak investigations. The legislative provisions endorsed by the Safe Food Coalition members would allow FDA to require children’s food manufacturers to share testing data, and clarify when information disclosed by FDA to state authorities would remain confidential.