We thank you for introducing this important legislation. Americans are exposed to unnecessary risks from food-borne illness because the Food and Drug Administration lacks the necessary authority, technology and funding to inspect both imported and domestic food products adequately. The problem is especially critical with regard to imported food. The General Accounting Office recently issued a report documenting the fact that fewer than two percent of food products subject to FDA regulation are inspected each year, down from eight percent in 1992.
Consumers enjoy the expanded choice in food products made possible by a world market.
We are not, however, prepared to trade expanded choice for basic food safety protection. Foods imported into the United States must meet the same health standards as those produced in this country. The Imported Food Safety Act complements President Clinton's Food Safety Initiative in addressing weaknesses in FDA's inspection system. Most Americans are not aware of how primitive and time consuming present detection methods are. We are confident that the project you propose can, within a short time, produce new technology that will make possible important improvements in our ability to control food-borne pathogens.