The massive recall stemming from food-borne illnesses traced back to salmonella-contaminated eggs alarmed consumers and elevated concerns about the U.S. food safety regime.
Two of Iowa’s leading egg producers issued the voluntary recall after investigations traced the contaminated eggs to their henhouses.
The incident unfairly tarnishes the hard-earned reputation of other conscientious poultry and egg producers in Iowa. From generation to generation, Iowa farmers have pursued a unique livelihood that depends on their stewardship of limited natural resources to produce a wholesome food supply.
Representing Iowans in the U.S. Senate, I’ve worked to strengthen consumer confidence in American agriculture, including domestic and international markets.
The recent egg recall serves as a wake-up call for effective oversight and enforcement of the nation’s food safety laws. Stakeholders all along the food supply chain have a fundamental interest to support farm-to-fork food safety.
The American consumer deserves assurances that every reasonable effort is being made to prevent another salmonella outbreak from tainting their next carton of eggs. The recent salmonella outbreak raised several concerns, especially with regard to reports by former employees alleging food safety violations.
Federal law divides up food safety jurisdiction between the USDA and FDA. The Food and Drug Administration regulates shell eggs. The USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service deploys non-food safety regulators to egg farms to grade the quality of eggs for sale to consumers.
The complaints made to the USDA by two former workers of Wright County Egg deserve further investigation. In a letter I sent in September to the USDA, I asked if the USDA egg graders received complaints about food safety violations from egg farm employees. And if so, what, if any, action was taken. I also asked the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture to explain what, if any, process is in place to deal with food safety concerns that USDA graders may observe while on-the-job in the production facilities. Just because food safety isn't in their job description, it doesn't mean it should be ignored.
All too often, the federal bureaucracy fails to uphold basic standards of accountability. Playing the blame game, engaging in turf battles or resisting accountability is not doing the public any good.
Common sense says the right hand knows what the left hand is doing. If the USDA and FDA aren’t communicating concerns or possible violations relative to food safety, we need to make sure the communication gap is fixed.
I will continue to work to keep intact the integrity of the nation’s food supply, including pressing congressional leaders to call up and finish the final debate on bipartisan food-safety legislation that cleared the committee of jurisdiction months ago. Preserving the safety of the food supply from farm-to-fork is critical to maintain public health and confidence in American agriculture.