FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Grocery Manufacturers Association Outlines Food Safety Reform Agenda at Industry Conference
Contact:
Scott Openshaw, Director, Communications, 202-295-3957
Brian Kennedy, Director, Communications, 202-639-5994
April 6, 2009
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) President and CEO Pam Bailey today outlined the association’s food safety reform agenda at a gathering of industry experts in Miami, Florida.
“Because product safety is the foundation of consumer trust, our industry devotes enormous resources to ensure that our products are safe, and continually strives to improve the safety of our products,” said Ms. Bailey. “In addition to stepping up our own efforts, we are advocating legislative and regulatory reforms that will modernize our nation’s food safety net, prevent problems before they arise and bolster consumer confidence in the safety and security of the food supply.”
GMA has developed a comprehensive food safety reform proposal that places new regulatory mandates on food companies and that provides the FDA with the resources it needs to protect American consumers, including:
·A requirement that all food manufacturers have a food safety plan in place.
·A requirement that all food manufacturers have a foreign supplier safety plan.
·An increase in FDA food-related spending.
·The establishment of new federal agricultural standards for fresh fruits and vegetables.
·The adoption of a risk-based approach for FDA inspections.
·The establishment of mandatory recall authority for FDA in certain circumstances.
“Our industry has a tremendous track record of success when it comes to product safety, but we can do even better. We have a rare opportunity to enact meaningful reforms, and we urge Congress and the Obama Administration to enact those reforms right away,” Bailey concluded.
Ms. Bailey spoke to several hundred attendees during the opening session of the joint Grocery Manufacturers Association-Food Marketing Institute supply chain conferences, currently underway in Miami, Florida.
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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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