Food Safety Bill Should Be Passed by the End of the Year

Opinion By: Sandra Eskin Read time:
Food Safety Bill Should Be Passed by the End of the Year

Millions of Americans are sickened with food-related illnesses in the United States every year, with hundreds of thousands of people hospitalized and thousands more dying as a result. 

Congress has a historic opportunity to address this critical issue. A food safety bill moving through the U.S. Senate this week has strong, bipartisan support. Lawmakers should act quickly to pass the bill by the end of the year and give the U.S. Food and Drug Administration enhanced authority to oversee the safety of the nation's food supply.

People across the country strongly support increased oversight to ensure our food is safe to eat. Recent polls conducted for the Pew Health Group show U.S. voters overwhelmingly support new food safety measures. Multiple high-profile outbreaks in recent years linked to peanut butter products, peppers, spinach and other foods have resulted in illnesses and deaths. Alarmingly, children are the most susceptible to foodborne illnesses and their long-lasting—and too often deadly—consequences. Approximately half of all reported foodborne illnesses occur in children, with the majority of these cases occurring in those under 15 years of age.

This summer, the U.S. House of Representatives passed its version of a sweeping food safety bill, which includes increased inspections of domestic food facilities and greater oversight of imports. It's time for the Senate to act now to make our food safe.

Sandra Eskin is the director of the Pew Health Group's Food Safety Campaign. 

This op-ed appeared on The Hill's Congress blog.

America’s Overdose Crisis
America’s Overdose Crisis

America’s Overdose Crisis

Sign up for our five-email course explaining the overdose crisis in America, the state of treatment access, and ways to improve care

Sign up
Quick View
America’s Overdose Crisis

America’s Overdose Crisis

Sign up for our five-email course explaining the overdose crisis in America, the state of treatment access, and ways to improve care

Sign up

MORE FROM PEW

A pair of white and black Adélie penguins standing in the middle of a clump of snow face opposite directions. Seeing Antarctic Change, Scientist Calls for Stronger Action
A shipyard with towers in the foreground, a barge on a river, and a blue sky in the background. Louisiana Primed to Take Helm of Offshore Wind Supply Chain
About a dozen people stand examining large blue bins full of whole fish in a warehouse. Some people are in green clothes, others in blue, and all wear ballcaps. A few hold clipboards. Reducing Risk Strengthens the Seafood Supply Chain
A worker in a seafood market dumps bright orange shrimp from a blue bin onto a bed of ice between a lot of other seafood laid out for sale. Other workers are visible in the background, as are the arms of shoppers placing orders from the other side of the ice bed. Seafood Industry Benefits From Greater Vessel Transparency
Composite image of modern city network communication concept

Learn the Basics of Broadband from Our Limited Series

Sign up for our four-week email course on Broadband Basics
Quick View

How does broadband internet reach our homes, phones, and tablets? What kind of infrastructure connects us all together? What are the major barriers to broadband access for American communities?

Pills illustration
Pills illustration

What Is Antibiotic Resistance—and How Can We Fight It?

Sign up for our four-week email series The Race Against Resistance.
Quick View
Pills illustration

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria, also known as “superbugs,” are a major threat to modern medicine. But how does resistance work, and what can we do to slow the spread? Read personal stories, expert accounts, and more for the answers to those questions in our four-week email series: Slowing Superbugs.