KENNEDY ON FOOD SAFETY AGREEMENT WITH CHINA

The following press release was published by the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions on Dec. 1, 2007. It is reproduced in full below.

WASHINGTON, DC- Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, released the following statement in response to the food safety agreement reached with China. "I commend Secretary Leavitt for this achievement. These agreements are worthwhile initiatives with Chinese authorities to assure the safety and quality of food, drugs, and medical devices imported from China, and to investigate problems with Chinese products. They don't change the fact that the FDA needs new safety authority and significantly increased funds to do its job, as the FDA Science Board's recent report makes clear."

Source: Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions