Stupak food safety investigation expanded to include Salmonella in peanut butter
WASHINGTON - U.S. Congressman Bart Stupak (D-Menominee), chairman of the House energy and commerce subcommittee on oversight and investigations, and full Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-California), yesterday expanded the subcommittee’s food safety investigation to include the recent salmonella outbreak attributed to peanut butter.
The subcommittee on oversight and investigations held 16 hearings on food and drug safety over the past two years, including two involving a 2007 outbreak of salmonella from peanut butter.
Stupak issued the following statement:
“My subcommittee’s two-year investigation into the safety of our nation’s food supply essentially began when peanut butter contaminated with salmonella was discovered in February 2007,” Stupak said. “Today our investigation has been expanded to include the latest outbreak involving salmonella in peanut butter, which has sickened at least 448 people nationwide including 25 in Michigan.‬‪
“We have held 16 hearings over the past two years on food and drug safety, and have drafted legislation to provide the FDA the regulatory and financial tools to protect the American people. Food safety will remain a top priority for the Subcommittee and I remain committed to advancing legislation to address the weaknesses that allow 76 million Americans to be sickened by food borne illness every year.”
Good thing he is on the case. And good thing he has requested more money for the FDA in this latest disgorgement of tax dollars.
By the way salmonella happens all the time. It's not the result of FDA oversight or lack thereof now or in the past...The idea that food borne illneses be prevented by putting more FDA cops in facilities is absurd. And in terms of value per dollar spent how about investing in the Critical Path to pursue personalized medicine instead of spreading fear about peanut butter.
