United States-USDA Has to change.

UNITED STATES-USDA MUST CHANGE.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., and Sen. Richard Durbin,

D-Ill., said they would like to see the formation of a single government agency

responsible for keeping food safe in the U.S.

DeLauro and Durbin, in a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary

Tom Vilsack, said they are pleased that he agrees that the food safety

responsibilities of USDA and the Food and Drug Administration should be

combined to better prevent food-borne illnesses.

Vilsack, though, said Tuesday he does not yet know whether the proposed

single agency should be housed at USDA, FDA or separate from either.

"As you know, we have long advocated for an overhaul of our fragmented food

safety system," DeLauro and Durbin said in the letter, a copy of which was

obtained by Dow Jones Newswires. "The recent problems with peanut butter,

Chinese milk products, peppers, and other tainted foods reveal a food safety

system in crisis, one that is unable to respond effectively to the challenges

of a global food supply in order to prevent widespread outbreaks of food-borne

illnesses."

The USDA is responsible for overseeing safety measures for the U.S. meat

supply and the FDA is responsible for virtually every other type of food.

"We welcome the opportunity to discuss with you how to modernize the food

safety system while creating a single independent agency," DeLauro and Durbin

said. "We look forward to meeting with you and your new food safety team."