FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
GMA Applauds Bush Administration’s Focus on Prevention in Effort to Improve Safety of Imported Food
Contact:
Scott Openshaw, Director, Communications, 202-295-3957
Brian Kennedy, Director, Communications, 202-639-5994
November 6, 2007
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) President and CEO Cal Dooley today welcomed the White House Interagency Working Group on Import Safety’s focus on prevention in its proposal for improving the safety of imported food, and announced GMA has embraced mandatory recall authority for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in certain circumstances.
“We are pleased to see that the White House Working Group on Import Safety proposal calls for more resources for the FDA, focuses on prevention and reflects many of the components of our ‘Commitment to Consumers: The Four Pillars of Imported Food Safety,’ proposal that was released in September and is designed to strengthen America’s food safety net through a stronger private-public partnership,” said Cal Dooley. “In addition, GMA and its member companies support the Bush Administration’s proposal to give the FDA mandatory recall authority.”
The White House Interagency Working Group on Import Safety today released its plan for improving the safety of food and consumer products sourced overseas. The foundation of the plan is prevention – seeking ways to prevent food-related contaminations and outbreaks before they happen. In addition to promoting mandatory recall authority for the FDA in certain circumstances, the proposal includes a series of regulatory and legislative solutions for improving the safety of imported foods and food ingredients.
“Because the FDA is our partner in ensuring the safety and security of the food supply, and because consumers must be able to trust the brands they buy and the food they eat, GMA believes mandatory recall authority should be granted to FDA to expedite the agency’s ability to more rapidly respond whenever there is a significant risk of an adverse outcome, or whenever food companies refuse FDA’s request to voluntarily recall a product. We look forward to working with the Bush Administration and the Congress to enact prevention-minded reforms that will make our food even safer and bolster consumer confidence in the safety and security of the food supply,” concluded Mr. Dooley.
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The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) represents the world’s leading food, beverage and consumer products companies. The Association promotes sound public policy, champions initiatives that increase productivity and growth and helps to protect the safety and security of the food supply through scientific excellence. The GMA board of directors is comprised of chief executive officers from the Association’s member companies. The $2.1 trillion food, beverage and consumer packaged goods industry employs 14 million workers, and contributes over $1 trillion in added value to the nation’s economy. For more information, visit the GMA Web site at www.gmaonline.org.
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Based in Washington, D.C., the Grocery Manufacturers Association is the voice of more than 300 leading food, beverage and consumer product companies that sustain and enhance the quality of life for hundreds of millions of people in the United States and around the globe. Founded in 1908, GMA is an active, vocal advocate for its member companies and a trusted source of information about the industry and the products consumers rely on and enjoy every day. The association and its member companies are committed to meeting the needs of consumers through product innovation, responsible business practices and effective public policy solutions developed through a genuine partnership with policymakers and other stakeholders. In keeping with its founding principles, GMA helps its members produce safe products through a strong and ongoing commitment to scientific research, testing and evaluation and to providing consumers with the products, tools and information they need to achieve a healthy diet and an active lifestyle. The food, beverage and consumer packaged goods industry in the United States generates sales of $2.1 trillion annually, employs 14 million workers and contributes $1 trillion in added value to the economy every year.
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