Today, Congresswoman Deborah Ross (NC-02) introduced the Federal and State Food Safety Information Sharing Act. This legislation will help keep Americans safe by giving the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the statutory authority to share important information with state and local regulatory agencies, which conduct most food safety inspections. FDA currently lacks this authority because the information is considered proprietary. In North Carolina, communication between local and federal agencies led to the recall of lead-contaminated applesauce across the country – demonstrating the benefits of timely information sharing for food safety when it is necessary to protect the public.

 

Currently, states conduct 60% of food processing inspections completed for FDA. The Federal and State Food Safety Information Sharing Act would allow FDA to share information with the entities that are conducting a majority of food inspections across the country.

 

“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,” said Congresswoman Ross. “We must empower FDA 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. This legislation is a commonsense solution that will improve government operations, keep people healthy, and save lives."

 

Bill text is available here.

 

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