Congressman Dennis Cardoza
18th Congressional District of California

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Dennis Cardoza, Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Horticulture and Organic Agriculture, held a hearing this week to review the current strategies and standards used by the horticulture and organic sectors to prevent, monitor and control potential food safety hazards.

“In general, we have the safest, highest quality food supply in the world. However, there are times when the system fails,” said Congressman Cardoza “Part of the problem may be that there are currently 15 different federal agencies tasked with monitoring the safety and security of our food supply.  It is imperative that we bring our food safety requirements up to date for the benefit of producers and consumers alike.”

Among the witnesses to provide testimony before the committee were producers, growers, third-party auditors and representatives of the USDA and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.