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----- Original Message ----- From: "AgPress" <AgPress@mail.house.gov>
To: "News Distribution" <news@aglist.house.gov>
Sent: Thursday, July 16, 2009 3:45 PM
Subject: Press Release: House Agriculture Committee Continues Food Safety
Discussion
 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, July 16, 2009
 
 Media Contact:
April Slayton (202) 225-6872
 
 House Agriculture Committee Continues Food Safety Discussion
 
 
 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the House Agriculture Committee held a hearing
to review current issues in food safety. This is the fourth
 hearing on food safety held by the House Agriculture Committee and its
Subcommittees this year.
 
 Witnesses at today's hearing included farmers, ranchers, consumer group
representatives, and government officials from the U.S.
 Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. In
addition to the witnesses testifying, Agriculture Committee
Chairman Collin C. Peterson recognized Jeff Almer from Perham, Minn. to
speak about his mother who was a victim of the Salmonella
 outbreak caused by peanut butter in 2008.
 
 "Ensuring a safe food supply is a top priority for the House Agriculture
Committee, and we want to play a role in developing strong
 food safety policies that are practical and address the problems in the
system," Chairman Peterson said.
 
 "None of the producer witnesses at the hearing today would support the
Food Safety Enhancement Act as it is written," said Rep. Bob
 Goodlatte (VA-6). "It is clear that members of the committee and our
witnesses are concerned about the new authority the bill gives FDA to
regulate on the farm production practices. The notion that FDA can dictate
to farmers in every region of the country, growing and producing a vast
array of crops and livestock for a range of markets, is irrational. I will
continue to work with my colleagues to improve this food safety
legislation."
 
 Written testimony provided by the witnesses is available on the Committee
website: http://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. Larry Wooten, President, North Carolina Farm Bureau Federation, on
behalf of American Farm Bureau Federation, Raleigh, North Carolina
 Mr. J. Patrick Boyle, President, American Meat Institute, Washington, D.C.
Ms. Carol Tucker-Foreman, Distinguished Fellow, The Food Policy Institute,
Consumer Federation of America, Washington, D.C.
Sam Ives, DVM, Ph.D., Director of Veterinary Services and Associate
Director of Research, Cactus Feeders, Ltd., on behalf of
National Cattlemen's Beef Association, Amarillo, Texas
Mr. Kent Peppler, President, Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, on behalf of
National Farmers Union, Mead, Colorado
Mr. Bob Reinhard, Director of Food Safety for Sara Lee, and Chairman,
Technical and Regulatory Committee, of the National Turkey Federation,
Downers Grove, Illinois
Mr. Nicholas Maravell, Owner and Operator, Nick's Organic Farm, LLC,
Potomac, Maryland
Mr. Drew McDonald, Vice President National Quality Systems, Taylor Farms,
Inc.
 
 Panel II
 Mr. Jerold Mande, Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety, U.S. Department
of Agriculture, Washington, D.C.
Ms. Cindy Smith, Acting Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory
Programs, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C.
Mr. Mike Taylor, Senior Advisor to the Commissioner, U.S. Food and Drug
Administration, Rockville, Maryland
 
 ###
 
The U.S. House Committee on Agriculture web site
http://agriculture.house.gov    has additional information on this and
other subjects.