FDA's Response to Tainted Pet Food Assailed: Senators Say Better Reporting, Inspections Needed

Source: Washington Post

FDA's Response to Tainted Pet Food Assailed
Senators Say Better Reporting, Inspections Needed
By Patricia Sullivan
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, April 13, 2007; Page A08


Sen. Robert C. Byrd (D-W.Va.) said he hoped he didn't poison his dog "with a special snack or serving of food." Next to him is Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) (By Lois Raimondo-The Washington Post)

A Senate panel took the Food and Drug Administration to task yesterday for its "inexcusable" response to pet food contamination and a month's worth of expanding recalls that have left Americans fearful about what to feed their cats and dogs.

The Appropriations subcommittee, with a special appearance by the dean of the Senate, pressed the agency for better and faster reporting about tainted food and better and more-frequent inspections of pet food factories.

An industry representative noted that only 1 percent of the pet food on the market has been recalled as tainted, but Sen. Robert F. Bennett (R-Utah) said that's no comfort to those whose pets have been affected. "I'd like to know how lethal that 1 percent really is," he said....

Durbin, who requested the hearing and who plans to introduce legislation tightening regulations, said the contamination and the government's response expose a significant risk to human as well as pet food supplies. He proposed creating one food safety administration with the budget and staff to coordinate all food inspections. Pet food manufacturers "ought to be on notice to notify the FDA when there's a suspicion of a problem, or face penalties," he said....

The unexpected appearance of the Appropriations Committee Chairman, Sen. Robert C. Byrd (D-W.Va.), drove home the message that the issue is one that matters deeply to millions.

In rambling but heartfelt statements and queries, Byrd discussed his Shih Tzu, whom his late wife named Trouble, he said, and whom he calls Baby. The dog often spends his day at the Senate....

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/12/AR2007041202372.html?hpid=moreheadlines