WASHINGTON–The Senate wants answers about the federal probe into tainted pet food.
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the Senate Whip, has long been working on food purity and food safety issues. And he is a member of the Senate Ag Appropriations subcommittee.
Durbin announced on Monday that a hearing on the pet food recall will take placeThursday afternoon, in Chicago. Witnesses will include Food and Drug Administration officials and outside specialists.
this from Durbin….
April 9, 2007
SENATE HEARING ON PET FOOD CONTAMINATION TO BE HELD THURSDAY, APRIL 12th
[CHICAGO, IL] – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today confirmed that the U.S. Senate will hold an oversight hearing on the ongoing investigation and the regulatory mechanisms that govern the pet food industry as the widespread recall of contaminated pet food continues. Durbin, a member of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, has worked with Senator Herb Kohl (D-WI), the Chairman of the Subcommittee, to schedule the hearing which will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 12, 2007 in Room 192 Dirksen Senate Office Building.
Witnesses (see below for full list) will include FDA officials who will be questioned on the timeline of the investigation, the source of the contamination, and the agencys regulatory and inspection responsibilities. The hearing will also include outside experts who will discuss the current state of the pet food industry, as well as regulatory or resource shortfalls that led to the widespread recall of tainted pet food.
————————————-
United States Senate
COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
NOTICE OF SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING
The Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies will meet in open session at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 12, 2007 in Room 192 Dirksen Senate Office Building.
The program includes: Hearing to examine the current pet food recall.
Witnesses:
Panel 1:
Dr. Stephen F. Sundlof, D.V.M, Ph.D., Director, Center for Veterinary Medicine, Food and Drug Administration
Panel 2:
Mr. Duane Ekedahl, Executive Director, Pet Food Institute
Mr. Eric Nelson, President, American Association of Feed Control Officers
Dr. Elizabeth Hodgkins, Veterinarian
Dr. Claudia A. Kirk, Associate Professor of Medicine and Nutrition, University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine
