Congressman Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, sat down today with officials from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to discuss the impact that the agency’s proposed rulemaking will have on Michigan farmers as the FDA works to implement the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). Enacted in January 2011, the FSMA seeks to ensure the safety of the nation’s food supply, in part, by greatly expanding the size and scope of the FDA’s authority in such matters.
During the meeting, Upton shared the concerns he has heard from farmers in Southwest Michigan. FSMA implementation has frustrated the farmers, who say some of the proposed rules would harm farm operations that are already complying with food safety standards.
“From farm to table, it is critically important to ensure the food we consume is safe. No one understands that better or is more strongly committed to the goal of food safety than America’s farmers,” said Upton.
“If our food safety standards and procedures are to be effectively implemented, our local farmers must have a voice in the rulemaking process. Needless overregulation where our farmers are already doing the right thing does nothing but endanger U.S. agriculture.”
Fred Leitz of Leitz Farms, LLC, a fifth-generation family-owned farm in Berrien County, is one of many Michigan growers concerned with the potentially detrimental consequences of ill-conceived FDA rules.
“FDA needs to take into consideration the different sources of water and the regulations that apply. Southwest Michigan farms make great use of clean well water and should not have the same challenges as those making use of treated municipal water,” said Leitz.
“FDA needs to make sure that rules are applied fairly and uniformly so that the entire state doesn’t suffer from one incident with one producer. Michigan farms comply with all of the market based food safety initiatives for the sake of their customers and FSMA rules need to take into account the differences between market-demanded safety techniques and obtrusive regulations.”
