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American Frozen Food Institute Calls on House Committee to Make Necessary Revisions to Upcoming Food Safety Legislation

McLean, VA – American Frozen Food Institute President and CEO Kraig R. Naasz issued the following statement in anticipation of this week’s House Energy and Commerce Committee consideration of food safety legislation.

“The frozen food industry remains committed to food safety as our highest priority. As the voice of the frozen food industry, the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) continues to champion enhanced food safety efforts. While the general spirit of the ‘Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009’ coming out of the House Subcommittee on Health is positive, AFFI feels strongly there are some key provisions that should be addressed as the House Energy and Commerce Committee takes up the legislation this week.

“In the area of preventative controls, the bill currently overreaches by authorizing the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to prescribe specific controls for all food companies regardless of risk. By attempting to make the varied operations in food production fit into one-size-fits-all regulations, the residual effects would be to stifle innovation rather than encouraging companies to tailor their food safety plans to fit their type of business operation.

“AFFI remains opposed to levying registration fees on food producers. Food safety is a shared responsibility, and the food industry shouldn’t be required to pay for the government’s portion as well. While the proposed amount of the fee was reduced in the subcommittee, provisions in the bill will cause the fee to increase over time without providing for a commensurate increase in service.

“Finally, the bill currently places authority to force food facilities to revise their hazard analysis with the district director. This provision seems to run counter to a federal food safety law, as it would result in possible variations of interpretation or implementation at the district level. There should be coordination with the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition in making these decisions to ensure standard application across the board.

“This is a tremendous opportunity to modernize our nation’s food safety laws through meaningful reform. However, AFFI believes the committee must address the bill’s current flaws to be fully effective in meeting its stated goals. AFFI intends to withhold its support of this legislation pending the resolution of these important issues by the committee.”

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The American Frozen Food Institute is the national trade association promoting and representing the interests of all segments of the frozen food industry. AFFI works to foster industry development and growth, and advocates before legislative and regulatory entities on the industry’s behalf. For more information, please visit http://www.affi.com/ccLib/Editor/scripts/www.affi.com.