The measure would give the FDA authority and resources to register food processors, conduct quarterly inspections of food plants, inspect food producers in foreign countries, recall contaminated food, and impose fines on violators. Imports of foreign-grown produce and food are at record levels, and every year millions of Americans become ill and thousands die from contaminated food.
American consumers are overdue for far better and stronger safeguards.
Kaptur has recently brought attention to the problem of foreign produce lacking adequate inspection, including instances of tainted strawberries imported from Mexico which sickened school children in Michigan, and raspberries from Central America contaminated with cyclospora. Kaptur serves as the ranking Democratic member on the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee. Clearly, if we are to be serious about protecting the health and safety of the American people, then we need to commit greater resources to assure that their food and produce are of the highest quality. The explosive growth of imports presents us with a major challenge and a call to action.