WASHINGTON, DC - The Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, chaired by Rep. Gregg Harper (R-MS) today held a hearing examining concerns over the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) food-recall process.
“Disease outbreaks from tainted food are an ongoing public health challenge," said #SubOversight Chairman Harper. “The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that each year one in six Americans - 48 million people - get sick from foodborne illness, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die. The number of multistate food illness outbreaks is increasing, affecting greater numbers of Americans. And the number of vulnerable people, older and immune-compromised individuals, is growing."
#FullCmte Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) told the story of Peter Hurley and his son, Jake, from Wilsonville, Oregon. In February 2009, Jake fell ill and doctors instructed Peter to give Jake his favorite foods to help encourage him to eat.
On left, Chairman Walden holds up the same container of contaminated food that he held up during the 2009 #SubOversight hearing (right).
“Well, Jake’s favorite food was Austin brand peanut butter crackers - which turned out to be the very thing that was poisoning him. When Oregon state officials tested the crackers, three of the six package contained peanut butter contaminated by salmonella," said #FullCmte Chairman Walden.
“Thankfully, Jake overcame his illness and it was great to see him, now a young teenager, and his dad during a visit to D.C. last year, " continued Chairman Walden. “More than 600 other people in 44 states were sickened. Nine people died."
#SubOversight ’s hearing followed a December 2017 report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG), which sounded the alarm over continued weaknesses in FDA’s food-recall process.
Ms. Gloria Jarmon, Deputy Inspector General of Audit Services, OIG, HHS, elaborated on the report, stating, “Because we selected a judgmental sample, the results are informative about deficiencies in FDA’s food-recall oversight process but are not representative of the full population of FDA recalls. For the 30 food recalls we reviewed, we found that FDA’s food-recall process was not always effective and efficient in ensuring the safety of the nation’s food supply. Specifically, we identified deficiencies in: FDA’s oversight of recall initiation, FDA’s monitoring of recalls, and the recall information captured and maintained in FDA’s electronic Recall Enterprise System (RES)."
Mr. Douglas Stearn, Director, Office of Enforcement and Import Operations, Office of Regulatory Affairs, FDA, shared a number of changes they have already completed since HHS IG’s investigation concluded. Among those actions are: establishing a monthly monitoring system that will indicate for staff when recall activity appears to have slowed, updating FDA’s Recall Audit Check Report and related instructions for documentation of them, and expanding their third-party recall audit check contract.
