There are three hearings in the House of Representatives this week, all related to the Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak.
The first is focused solely on traceability, the second is dedicated to how the FDA has spent a special supplemental appropriation it had been given, and the third, more generally, to the “lessons learned” for both public health and the industry through this outbreak.
Here are the hearings and the participants:
Wednesday, July 30th — 1:00 p.m.
1300 Longworth House Office Building
Subcommittee on Horticulture and Organic Agriculture — Public Hearing.
RE: To review legal and technological capacity for full traceability in fresh produce.
WITNESS LIST:
Panel I
The Honorable Diana DeGette, Member of Congress from the First Congressional District of Colorado
Honorable Adam Putnam, Member of Congress from the Twelfth Congressional District of Florida
Panel II
Dr. David W.K. Acheson, M.D., Associate Commissioner for Food Protection, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Rockville, Maryland
Dr. Lonnie J. King, Director, DVM, National Center for Zoonotic, Vector-Borne, and Enteric Diseases (ZVED), Center for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia
Panel III
Mr. Anthony J. DiMare, Vice President, DiMare Homestead Inc., DiMare Ruskin Inc., and DiMare Johns Island Inc., Ruskin, Florida
Mr. Henry L. Giclas, Vice President, Strategic Planning, Science and Technology, Western Growers Association, Irvine, California
Mr. Bryan Silbermann, President, Produce Marketing Association, Newark, Delaware
Mr. Thomas E. Stenzel, President and CEO, United Fresh Produce Association, Washington, DC
Panel IV
Dr. James R. Gorny, Ph.D., Executive Director, Postharvest Technology Research and Information Center, University of California, Davis, California
Ms. Jean Halloran, Director, Food Policy Initiatives, Consumers Union, Yonkers, New York
Dr. Michael Osterholm, Director, Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
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Wednesday, July 30th — 1:30pm
House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture
1:30pm, 2362-A Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
202-225-2638
WITNESS LIST:
Stephen Sundlof — FDA’s Food Center Director
Michael Taylor — Research Professor of Health Policy at George Washington University
Jeffrey Levi PhD — Executive Director of Trust For America’s Health
Gibb Patrick — Farmer, representing Georgia tomato growers
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — –
Thursday, July 31, 2008
U.S. House of Representatives
Committee on Energy and Commerce
Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
10:00 AM in room 2123 Rayburn House Office Building
“The Recent Salmonella Outbreak: Lessons Learned and Consequences to Industry and Public Health”
WITNESS LIST:
Panel I
Mr Ed Beckman
President
California Tomato Farmers
Fresno, California
Mr. Parker Booth
President
Ace Tomato Co., Inc.
Manteca, California
The Honorable Charles H. Bronson
Commissioner of Agriculture and
Consumer Services
State of Florida
Tallahassee, Florida
Mr. Reginald L. Brown
Executive Vice President
Florida Tomato Growers Exchange
Maitland, Florida
The Honorable A.G. Kawamura
Secretary
Department of Food and Agriculture
State of California
Sacramento, California
Mr. William Hubbard
Senior Advisor
Coalition for a Stronger FDA
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Panel II
Lonnie J. King, D.V.M.
Director
National Center for Zoonotic,
Vector-Borne and Enteric Diseases
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Atlanta, Georgia
Timothy Jones, M.D.
State Epidemiologist
Communicable and Environmental
Diseases Services
Department of Health
State of Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
David W.K. Acheson, M.D.
Assistant Commissioner for Food Protection
Food and Drug Administration
U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services
Rockville, Maryland
Kirk Smith, D.V.M., PhD.
Supervisor
Foodborne, Vectorborne, and Zoonotic
Disease Unit
Acute Disease Investigation
and Control Section
Department of Health
State of Minnesota
St Paul, Minnesota
Panel III
Shaun Kennedy, PhD.
Director
National Center for Food Protction
and Defense
The University of Minnesota
St. Paul, Minnesota
Michael R. Taylor, J.D.
Research Professor of Health Policy
The George Washington University
School of Public Health and Health Services
Washington, D.C.
Mr. Hank Giclas
Vice President
Strategic Planning, Science & Twchnology
Western Growers Association
Irvine, California Association
Washington, D.C.
Donna Garren, Ph.D.
Vice President, Health and Safety
Regulatory Affairs
National Resturant
Washington, D.C.
Mr. Thomas E. Stenzel
President and Chief Executive Officer
United Fresh Produce Association
Washington, D.C.
Robert E. Brackett, Ph.D.
Senior Vice President and Chief Science
and Regulatory Affairs Officer
Grocery Manufacturers Association
Washington, D.c.
We are pleased to see the witness list filled with many who have had their views on this matter brought to public attention through the Pundit.
We sincerely hope that the important issues raised during this outbreak will be dealt with effectively and that progress will be made so that consumers can have even safer food, the industry will be able to grow and prosper, and the public health infrastructure will be stronger and more purposeful.
