Reuters AlertNet Lite - U.S. tours food, import sites in safety drive

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U.S. tours food, import sites in safety drive

06 Aug 2007 21:01:18 GMT
Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Senior Bush administration officials are visiting food plants and import facilities this week as they to prepare a plan for battling an unsettling wave of tainted imports, officials said on Monday.

Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt and Food and Drug Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach toured a Maryland seafood firm, which relies heavily on imports, on Monday.

Throughout the week, officials will inspect other facilities around the country, including a busy bridge at the U.S.-Canadian border in New York state, the department said.

The information gathered will go toward a high-level report next month designed to bolster oversight of food and other products making their way across U.S. borders.

The Bush administration is taking heat for recent discoveries of dangerous imports -- toothpaste and seafood tainted with chemicals, lead-laced toys, toxic pet food -- from China and other countries.

The cases prompted Bush to create a new commission in July, headed by Leavitt but including the departments of State, Agriculture, and Commerce, which is due to make recommendations for improving import vigilance by Sept. 17.

U.S. officials have already taken some steps to block risky imports, such as banning imports from several Chinese companies and increasing testing on Chinese fish imports. The FDA, which oversees about 80 percent of the U.S. food supply, also created a new food safety position earlier in the year.

The Bush administration insists the push is not specifically targeted at China.

But it did send a mission to Beijing last week to discuss import safety, and it is asking the Asian nation to take additional measures to ensure safety, including registration of exporter firms and permission for audits by U.S. officials.

China itself is seeking to crack down on unscrupulous exporters, but says worldwide cooperation is needed. It also blames the media and protectionist policies abroad.

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Last updated:Mon Aug 6 21:02:01 2007