WASHINGTON, D.C. – Testifying before an Agriculture subcommittee this week, Congressman Adam Putnam (R-Fla.) urged support for legislation to modernize and improve the nation’s food safety laws.
“Our governing food safety laws are outdated and must be reformed,†said Putnam. “The latest outbreak of Salmonella Saintpaul not only called into question the integrity of the system designed to protect our nation’s food supply but also caused significant disruptions to the food supply network and many growers.â€
Putnam urged the Subcommittee on Horticulture and Organic Agriculture to move forward with bipartisan legislation Putnam introduced with Congressman Jim Costa (D-Calif.), HR 5904, the Safe Food Enforcement, Assessment, Standards and Targeting Act (Safe FEAST).
“This comprehensive measure would modernize our food safety network and would put into place new food safety standards all along the food chain from farm to consumer,†said Putnam.
Since 2001, Putnam has represented Florida’s 12th Congressional District, which includes most of Polk County and portions of Hillsborough and Osceola counties. As chairman of the Republican Conference, he is the third ranking member of his party’s leadership in the House of Representatives.
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[Please note: Additional information about HR 5904 is available on Congressman Putnam’s Web site at: http://adamputnam.house.gov/Food_Safety.shtml]