Monday, March 10, 2008

The Feb. 28 editorial "Bad Beef" highlighted the disturbing reality that our nation's food safety system has failed. As public confidence continues to deteriorate, Americans are shocked to learn the federal government lacks the authority to recall tainted food. Our hope is that food companies will act quickly to protect public health, but the events over the past year illustrate the cracks in the system.

We need legislation that grants the Agriculture Department and the Food and Drug Administration the authority to recall tainted food products and that implements a product-tracing system; I have championed bills toward both ends for years.

But we must focus on the root of the problem by ensuring that contaminated food is identified before it ever reaches store shelves. We can achieve this by creating a single food agency -- streamlining the federal bureaucracy, working with the private sector to create economic incentives for effective controls and requiring foreign countries to certify that their products meet U.S. standards.

These initiatives are critical to preventing future incidences of tainted products such as bad beef.

DIANA DeGETTE

U.S. Representative (D-Colo.)

Washington

The writer is vice chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee.