Here's the letter I sent to my Representative in Congress and my two Senators:
My family eats a lot of seafood because it is healthy, supposedly. To my dismay, I learned today that China is the leading supplier of imported seafood to the US, supplying 16 percent of ALL the fish we eat.
Given the profound gaps in Chinese product and food safety laws and programs, this is a serious danger to me and my family.
Then I learned that FDA inspects only 2 percent of seafood imports and rejects about 1 in 10 shipments.
This is unbelievable! Food production hazards and inadequate inspection are imperiling my family! Such a failure rate demands correction. This seafood rejection rate and the enormous number of recalls of food, toys and other products, demonstrate we need comprehensive reform of our food and consumer product safety programs.
I want to be sure that the food I eat and the products I use are safe. Recalls announced after hazardous goods are in the market and being consumed are too little and too late.
Congress MUST increase the resources of federal agencies that police the safety of the nation's products and food supply. They must conduct more frequent inspections. They MUST impose meaningful penalties for safety violations.
Producers, importers, distributors, and retailers MUST be accountable for the products they import and sell in the United States. We should require pre-shipment inspections and testing, and require certification and traceability for ALL food, products, and their components. The government agencies must have clear recall authority for contaminated food.
We need all these steps to prevent unsafe products from entering our marketplace and our homes. We must effectively protect American consumers at the end of a global production system. When that protection system is breached, we must alert consumers promptly and effectively! Safety in these matters is not an option!
The current Federal food and consumer product safety system is not working! Congress must enact substantial changes in these laws and programs to keep our families safe.
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