GMA Urges Congress to Adopt its Proposal on Improved Safety of Imported Food

The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), Washington, D.C., has testified before the House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health regarding its proposal to improve the safety of imported food. GMA president and CEO Cal Dooley outlined GMA’s Commitment to Consumers: The Four Pillars of Imported Food Safety, a comprehensive proposal designed to protect consumers by strengthening, modernizing and improving the system governing food imports.  
 
“Last week, GMA issued Commitment to Consumers: The Four Pillars of Imported Food Safety, a unique and comprehensive proposal dedicated to preventing problems before they arise and strengthening FDA’s oversight and enforcement with respect to imported food,” said Mr. Dooley.  “The ‘Four Pillars’ approach is the key to strengthening America’s food safety net and bolstering consumer confidence in the safety and security of the food supply.”   
 
In his testimony, Mr. Dooley outlined the specific details of GMA’s “Four Pillars” proposal:
 
Under pillar I, all U.S. importers of record would be required to adopt a foreign supplier quality assurance program and verify that imported ingredients and products meet U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) food safety and quality requirements. The program would be based on FDA guidance and industry best practices, and would be monitored and enforced by the FDA.  
 
The second pillar of the proposal outlines a “qualified importer” program that allows importers to provide additional data to assist FDA in targeting resources toward imports that are likely to present foreseeable risks and away from those that are known to be in compliance. U.S. importers of record would share test results, data and supply chain information with the FDA in a confidential manner. Qualifying products and ingredients would receive expedited treatment at the borders, allowing the FDA to train its resources on products that pose a greater potential risk.
 
The third leg of the proposal focuses on building capacity within foreign governments so that as products move around the world there is a greater assurance of safety and quality.  
 
Finally, recognizing that FDA must be armed with the appropriate resources to administer this program and adequately fulfill its food safety mission, the fourth pillar seeks to expand the capacity of FDA, by providing the Agency with the resources it needs to get the job done.
 
Mr. Dooley also used the hearing as an opportunity to address numerous food safety proposals that have been introduced on Capitol Hill.
 
“We believe that the adoption of our four pillars is by far the best way to strengthen our nation’s food safety net and bolster consumer confidence in the safety, security and quality of the food supply. By focusing our efforts on prevention, and by expanding and improving our ability to detect threats, we believe that our proposal will do far more to ensure the safety and quality of imported foods and ingredients than the adoption of the majority of the proposals outlined in the Food and Drug Import Safety Act of 2007,” concluded Mr.  Dooley.