Press Releases
House Agriculture Committee Begins Food Safety Discussion
Washington, DC,
April 2, 2009
Liz Friedlander (202) 225-1564 James Ryder (202) 225-0020 Witnesses at today’s hearing included three former Federal food safety officials and several food companies that interact with Federal food safety agencies. This is the first of several hearings that the Agriculture Committee plans to hold this year to consider food safety issues. “While it’s true that our current food safety system and those entrusted to produce wholesome and safe products do a good job most of the time, it’s clear that there are gaps in the system, and some modernization and improvements are needed,” Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin C. Peterson said. "As we examine food safety issues we should judge each proposal as to whether it contributes to or reduces the ability of our farmers and ranchers to provide our consumers with the safest, most affordable, most abundant food supply in the history of the world," said Ranking Member Frank Lucas. Written testimony provided by the witnesses is available on the Committee website: http://democrats-agriculture.house.gov/hearings/index.html. A full transcript of the hearing will be posted on the Committee website at a later date. Witness List Panel I · Mr. Chandler Keys, III, Head of Government and Industry Relations, JBS, LLC., · Mr. David D. Dever, CEO and President, Pandol Brothers Incorporated, · Mr. Tony DiMare, Vice President, DiMare Homestead, Inc., and DiMare Ruskin, Inc., Panel II · John Hanlin, Ph.D., Vice President Food Safety, SUPERVALU INC., o Accompanied by Mr. Mike Erlandson, Vice President Government Affairs, SUPERVALU INC., Panel III · Elsa Murano, Ph.D., President, · Michael Taylor, J.D., Research Professor, Department of Health Policy, George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, Washington, D.C. · Ms. Carol L. Tucker-Foreman, Distinguished Fellow, The Food Policy Institute, Consumer Federation of http://democrats-agriculture.house.gov ### |