Speaking in a testimony before the U.S. Senate on Wednesday, C. Manly Molpus, president and CEO of the Grocery Manufacturers of America(GMA) outlined a four-point plan that strengthened and favoured the current US food safety regulatory structure rather than embarking upon a "radical restructuring" of the agencies charged with overseeing the U.S. food supply.
"GMA is not convinced that scrapping a system that has worked so well for so many years is the best approach, especially when strategies exist to enhance the current system," said Molpus in testimony delivered to the Senate Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, Restructuring and the District of Columbia chaired by Senator Richard Durbin, D-Ill.
Senator Durbin proposed a bill this week to the Senate to streamline all Federal food agencies and it is in response to the proposal that Mr. Molpus delivered his testimony.
"Providing adequate funding, renewing emphasis on science, improving coordination between agencies and continued innovation to enhance and strengthen our current food safety system is the best course."
"Before we embark on radical restructuring of the food safety regulatory system, we should be absolutely convinced that there is no better or more efficient way to address the problems.
In our view the system is not broken but it does need nourishment," said Molpus.
Molpus recommended certain steps that government and industry should undertake to enhance regulation of the food supply including.
These include: increased staffing and resources for food safety agencies, especially FDA; committing to a renewed emphasis on scientific research; better coordination of resources and efforts of the agencies that oversee food safety; and improved import inspection with emphasis on countries that pose greatest perceived risks.
The GMA represents food, beverage and consumer product companies.
It has U.S. sales of more than $460 billion and GMA members employ more than 2.5 million workers across the United States.