Rep. DeLauro says the massive egg recall could have been prevented.

Last month’s Salmonella-related egg recall and a smaller recall of ground beef products have renewed the push on Capitol Hill for closer oversight of food production. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), who chairs a key subcommittee overseeing agriculture appropriations, says the recall of a half-billion eggs would have been prevented, had new egg safety rules been implemented sooner. But she says the recall of approximately 8,500 pounds of ground beef products from Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation exposes a gap in the nation’s food safety system.

“This recall highlights the need for legislation I recently introduced – The E. coli Traceability and Eradication Act – which would require USDA to regulate all strains of toxin-producing E. coli,” DeLauro says.

The Congresswoman says USDA only requires testing for E. coli 0157:H7, but she wants the agency to classify all toxin-producing E. coli strains as adulterants subject to testing.

“As we have seen recently with the huge recall of potentially salmonella-contaminated eggs, there is a dire need to improve and modernize our food safety system, and I will continue to work to make that a reality,” DeLauro says.