FDA head calls on Congress to pass mandatory testing for lead in food
The FDA commissioner urged Congress on Thursday to pass legislation mandating that food manufacturers test for lead in products imported to the United States.
WASHINGTON — The head of the Food and Drug Administration urged Congress on Thursday to pass legislation mandating that food manufacturers test for lead in products imported to the United States.
Dr. Robert Califf’s comment was in response to a question from Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, during a hearing that touched on the FDA's response to issues including lead-contaminated cinnamon applesauce pouches, which have sickened hundreds of children.
The applesauce pouches, from Florida-based company WanaBana, were recalled in the fall after they were found to have high lead levels. The pouches were imported from Ecuador.
Califf said the FDA oversees products from about 275,000 registered manufacturing facilities across the U.S. and abroad. Due to budget limitations, the agency often has to rely on the food manufacturers themselves to do their own testing.
FDA Commissioner Robert Califf at a House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing in Washington on Thursday.Anna Moneymaker / Getty ImagesMost times they do a good job, ensuring the products are tested, he said; sometimes they don’t.
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