FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
GMA Statement in Response to New FDA Food Protection Plan
Contact:
Scott Openshaw, Director, Communications, 202-295-3957
Brian Kennedy, Director, Communications, 202-639-5994
November 6, 2007
Statement by Cal Dooley, president and CEO of the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), in response to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) issuance of its Food Protection Plan:
“On behalf of GMA and its member companies, I would like to thank Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt and Food and Drug Commissioner von Eschenbach for developing ‘Food Protection Plan: An Integrated Strategy for Protecting the Nation’s Food Supply.’ We are pleased to see that prevention is the cornerstone of the FDA’s plan for strengthening the safety and security of the nation’s food supply.
“While we are still reviewing the details of the FDA’s food safety proposal, it is clear that many of the elements of the Agency’s approach are similar to the plan unveiled by GMA in September. That proposal, ‘Commitment to Consumers: The Four Pillars of Imported Food Safety,’ calls for a doubling of the FDA budget over the next five years as well as for strengthening the food safety private-public partnership as the best way to modernize our nation’s food safety system and bolster consumer confidence in our food supply.
“We are pleased that the FDA is recommending the adoption of mandatory recall authority. 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 food they eat, we believe 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 Congress to enact food safety reforms that will strengthen America’s food safety net and bolster consumer confidence in the safety and security of the food supply. “
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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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