FDA Food Safety Modernization Act of 2010

Trust for America’s Health Commends Passage of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act of 2010

Washington, D.C., November 30, 2010 –

Trust for America's Health (TFAH) applauded the U.S. Senate today for the passing the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act of 2010 (S. 510). The bill finally gives the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the authority it needs to help prevent foodborne illnesses - for the first time ever.

The bill focuses on preventing illnesses, by ensuring safety through the entire food production process. Under this legislation, food processors are required to identify potential hazards in their production processes and put in place programs to eliminate those hazards. The bill also requires the FDA to inspect all food facilities more frequently and allows them to recall contaminated food.

“It is unbelievable that in today’s modern world, 76 million Americans needlessly get sick from food every year. This bill provides the preventive measures to significantly bring that number down,” said Jeffrey Levi, PhD, executive director of TFAH. “This bill will modernize the food safety system for the first time in 100 years, so we can catch up with a century of progress in how food is grown, processed, and eaten.”

The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act of 2010:

■Requires FDA to inspect high-risk food-processing plants at least once every three years, rather than once every 10 years (the current rate);
■Provides FDA with mandatory recall authority – something the agency did not have;
■Requires imported food to meet the same safety standards as domestically produced food;
■Directs FDA, in consultation with the United States Department of Agriculture, the National Organic Program, and the Department of Homeland Security, to develop standards to prevent the contamination of leafy greens, fruits and vegetables; and
■Requires food processors to identify where contamination may occur in their food production process, and take the steps necessary to prevent it.

Trust for America’s Health is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to saving lives by protecting the health of every community and working to make disease prevention a national priority.

www.healthyamericans.org