ASQ Offers Comments on Food Safety Issues to House Subcommittee

WASHINGTON, August 17 — The American Society for Quality cautioned a House subcommittee investigating food safety issues to “be wary of the drumbeat calling for more inspection as the way to address food safety problems, as this represents a simplistic solution to a complex situation and an expensive approach that cannot work.” 

The advice came in a written statement for the record (PDF, 62 KB) submitted by ASQ to the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, chaired by Rep. Bart Stupak of Michigan.  Rep. Stupak’s subcommittee is holding hearings on the capacity of the FDA to assure the safety of the nation’s food supply.

ASQ’s statement acknowledged the need for more effective inspection, especially in high-risk areas such as certain food imports.  But it also offered prevention-based options for ensuring food safety that are more in line with current quality practice. These options include more effective food supply chain management practices, better collaboration among federal and state agencies and expanded government/industry partnerships.  The statement also advocated more widespread global adoption of HACCP practices and the ISO 22000 international standard for food safety management.

Read the written statement. (PDF, 62 KB)