A U.S. representative has introduced a bill that would allow the FDA to share information with state and local entities for the purpose of investigating foodborne outbreaks and food recalls.
The bill, introduced by Rep. Deborah Ross, D-North Carolina, is named the Federal State and Food Safety Information Act. Ross said she introduced the bill in response to the current nationwide Listeria outbreak traced to Boar’s Head deli meats.
The inspection and regulatory powers related to the Boar’s Head situation fall within the authority of the USDA, but Ross said the FDA also needs more power to share information with other public health agencies.
“We must empower Food and Drug Administration to share information with the state and local agencies that are not only responsible for conducting the majority of food safety inspections nationwide but also with keeping Americans safe during times of crisis,” Ross said when announcing the proposed legislation.
The Boar’s Head outbreak has sickened at least 57 people, killing nine. All of the patients have been so sick that they required hospitalization.
The Boar’s Head plant in southern Virginia was repeatedly cited for violations in the past two years, including the presence of mold, mildew, insects a “rancid smell” and other problems according to reports byUSDA inspectors.
Ross’s proposed legislation would allow the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to share information with state and local regulatory agencies, which are responsible for conducting most food safety inspections, according to a press release.
The FDA does not currently have the authority to share this information because it’s considered proprietary.
Ross cited communication between federal and local agencies in North Carolina that resulted in the recall of lead-contaminated applesauce across the country last year as an example of how sharing information for food safety benefits people.
“In my home state of North Carolina, we saw how effective information sharing between federal and state agencies during a food safety crisis led to a food recall that saved lives in states across the country,” Ross said.
In part, the Federal State and Food Safety Information Act would allow for the FDA to share information with a state, local, Tribal or Territorial authority with counterpart functions related to the protection of public health, unredacted information in the possession of the Food and Drug Administration relating to any of the following:
(A) Foodborne illness surveillance data.
(B) Laboratory sampling testing information.
(C) Inspectional information and results.
(D) Distribution lists for recalls and outbreaks.
(E) Consumer complaints.
(F) Any other information the Secretary determines will assist such authority in protecting the public.
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