<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
Senator Susan Collins (Maine) serves on the Health, Education, Labor,
and Pensions (HELP) Committee which will consider legislation of the
Food Allergen Consumer Protection Act (S. 2499). I recently contacted
Senator Collins to request her support for this legislation. I have
provided the text of her response below. It would appear from her
statements in the fourth paragraph that she supports the "status quo"
voluntary Code of Practice for the food industry to self-regulate its
treatment of food allergens. She further indicates that if these prove
to be insufficient, should would be open to a legislative solution to
this problem.
She further makes the point that she conducted an in-depth investigation
into the safety of food imports, and that many of her food safety
provisions were introduced in the Imported Food Safety Act of 2001 and
incorporated into the bioterrorism legislation signed into law in June
2002.
I would like to suggest that the participants on this list serve offer
Senator Collins evidence that the voluntary Code of Practice by food
manufacturers does not adequately provide the necessary labeling
information for celiacs to determine if the ingredients are derived from
wheat, rye, oats or barley. Your personal experiences might educate her
to the real and present domestic "bioterrorism" inflicted on
food-allergic consumers whose lives depend on knowing what ingredients
are in the products they consume.
Senator Collins is a fair and reasonable representative for my state. I
have supported her efforts in the past and hope to support her in the
future. I trust that your respectful, factual, and detailed accounts of
how current labeling requirements are insufficient will be favorably
considered by Senator Collins in coming to her decision on this issue.
William Raleigh
Maine
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August 29, 2002
Thank you for contacting me to express your concerns regarding food
allergies. I appreciate your taking the time to share your thoughts
with me.
Millions of Americans have food allergies. Recent findings reveal that
eight foods cause 90 percent of all food related allergic reactions.
Many believe that improved labeling of these and other allergens in
prepared foods might minimize the health threats to those who suffer
fact food allergies.
On May 9, 2002, Senator Ted Kennedy introduced the Food Allergen
Consumer Protection Act (S. 2499), which would require food package
labels to identify known food allergens. The bill sets forth criteria
for defining food allergens and labeling and would mandate the
development and dissemination of recommendations for improved printing
of training of medical responders, stricter control a I manufacturing
conditions, and improved data collection of food related allergic
reactions S. 2499 has been referred to the Health, Education. Labor, and
Persians (HELP) Committee, on which I serve
In response to demands from consumers and Members of Congress, the food
industry has worked closely with consumer groups to produce guidelines
for the labeling of allergic ingredients in foods. The food industry has
also created its own "Code of Practice to self-regulate its treatment of
food allergens. Both the code and the guidelines are being implemented
nationwide. I am closely following the implementation of the code and
guidelines. If, however, the code and guidelines prove to be
insufficient, I am open to a legislative solution to this problem.
I support providing consumers with information about the products they
buy and the food they eat. I am a strong proponent of food safety laws
that require all food to meet stringent safety standards. In 1998 and
1999, in my capacity as chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on
Investigations, I conducted an in?depth, 16 mouth investigation into the
safety of food imports and held hearings on this issue. The
Subcommittee's investigation found that weaknesses in FDA import
controls make the system vulnerable to terrorist attack, fraud, and
deception.
I introduced the Imported Food Safety Act of 2001 to address these
problems. This legislation was intended to fill one gaps in the food
import system and provide the FDA with stronger authority to protect
American consumers against tainted food imports. I am pleased that many
of my food safety provisions from this bill were incorporated into the
bioterrorism legislation passed by Congress and signed into law by the
President on June 12, 2002.
Again, thank you for contacting me. I appreciate having the benefit of
your views and will keep them in mind if the HELP Committee considers
this legislation.
Sincerely,
Susan M. Collins
United States Senator
172 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-2523
Fax: (202) 224-2693
Email: [log in to unmask]
*Support summarization of posts, reply to the SENDER not the Celiac List*
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