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Tainted Tomatoes? Enough is Enough

Target: U.S. Congress
Sponsored by: Consumers Union

Americans have suffered and died from tainted spinach, hamburger and peanut butter. Now, salmonella-laced tomatoes are sending others to the hospital in gut-wrenching pain. How did grocery shopping become a game of Russian roulette?

It's time that Congress get serious about implementing real food safety reforms and pass comprehensive legislation now.

In the case of the tainted tomatoes, the FDA has spent weeks trying to figure out where the contaminated produce came from. Fed Ex can track every package -- why don't we track our food? Since 2004 the FDA has lost nearly a third of its food safety and field staffers. And as more food comes from China, Mexico and elsewhere, less than 1 percent of imports are inspected.

Congress is writing bills right now to fix our broken food safety laws, but they need to hear from you -- the powerful industry lobby is already lining up to oppose significant reforms. Tell your lawmakers to improve our antiquated food safety laws now!

deadline: Ongoing...
goal: 10,000
 

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Tell Congress why you are concerned by the recent outbreak of salmonella in our tomatoes:
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Dear [Decision Maker],

With the recent outbreak of salmonella in our tomatoes now added to the long list of unsafe and deadly food recalls in our nation, I urge you to get serious about implementing real food safety reforms and pass comprehensive legislation now.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for the safety of much of the food we eat -- both food imported from countries like China, as well as food produced here in the U.S. But the FDA is failing to protect consumers, and needs more money and authority to get the job done.

In the recent tomato outbreak, the FDA could not tell the public where the salmonella contamination came from, nor could it trace back tomatoes to the source. We need a traceability system for high-risk produce such as tomatoes and leafy greens. We also need production and handling standards for produce.
We signed the “Tainted Tomatoes? Enough is Enough” petition!
# 6,847:
5:07 pm PDT, Sep 4, David Dupuy, Louisiana
# 6,846:
2:31 pm PDT, Sep 4, Jaime Cammarata, RD, Pennsylvania
# 6,845:
1:28 pm PDT, Sep 4, Jennifer Jorgenson, California
# 6,844:
1:45 am PDT, Sep 4, Kristin Sobditch, California
# 6,843:
5:55 pm PDT, Sep 3, Wendy Dockter, Colorado
# 6,842:
1:33 pm PDT, Sep 3, Name not displayed, Oregon
# 6,841:
7:32 am PDT, Sep 3, Benjamin Chadwick, Ohio
# 6,840:
10:37 pm PDT, Sep 2, Christine Lincoln, Texas
# 6,839:
9:49 pm PDT, Sep 2, Colleen Brown, Michigan
# 6,838:
3:25 pm PDT, Sep 2, Raighne Kotrla, California
# 6,837:
11:10 am PDT, Sep 2, Sheila Underwood, Michigan
# 6,836:
7:17 pm PDT, Sep 1, Name not displayed, Pennsylvania
# 6,835:
1:59 pm PDT, Sep 1, Sue Hawkins, United Kingdom
# 6,834:
9:31 pm PDT, Aug 31, Name not displayed, Minnesota
# 6,833:
2:49 pm PDT, Aug 31, Day Tor, Florida
# 6,832:
2:21 pm PDT, Aug 31, David Leeds, Ohio
This could hit anyone at any time-including legislators...
# 6,831:
9:14 pm PDT, Aug 30, Kathleen Piccardo, California
# 6,830:
8:34 pm PDT, Aug 30, Alicia Villar, Canada
# 6,829:
9:40 am PDT, Aug 30, Donna Adkins, North Carolina
# 6,828:
9:01 am PDT, Aug 30, Rhiyana Pineau, Georgia
# 6,827:
11:05 pm PDT, Aug 28, Rhonda Maxey, Oklahoma
A recent outbreak of salmonella & 2 outbreaks of Ecoli is just scarey. Food imported from other countries (outside the U.S.) should have even more strict inspections than food grown here. We don't know what their handling, processing procedures are like. Please help.
# 6,826:
9:23 pm PDT, Aug 28, Name not displayed, Massachusetts
I am appalled at the lack of food sagety on our grocery store shelves. I expect our country to have the highest standards of food safety.
# 6,825:
8:08 pm PDT, Aug 28, Kristen Young, Massachusetts
# 6,824:
5:22 pm PDT, Aug 28, Janna Spektor, California
# 6,823:
1:06 pm PDT, Aug 28, CD Scranton, New Jersey
# 6,822:
7:20 am PDT, Aug 28, Name not displayed, Washington
# 6,821:
5:32 am PDT, Aug 28, Srishti Kapoor, India
# 6,820:
6:17 pm PDT, Aug 27, Sandra Bryan, North Carolina
You are supposed to be our guardians - not in the pocket of corporate and factory farms. Have you no concern for your own children - have you no shame? Remember that you work for US...
# 6,819:
3:53 pm PDT, Aug 27, Lynn Ledgerwood, Washington
# 6,818:
2:47 pm PDT, Aug 27, Jacquelyn Waara, Florida
# 6,817:
10:20 am PDT, Aug 27, Shelby Davis-Cooper, Oregon
# 6,816:
8:34 am PDT, Aug 27, ANNA WALLACE, Illinois
# 6,815:
9:22 pm PDT, Aug 26, Name not displayed, Montana
# 6,814:
8:14 pm PDT, Aug 26, Pam Causey, Tennessee
# 6,813:
3:08 pm PDT, Aug 26, Janice Palesch, Missouri
# 6,812:
12:24 pm PDT, Aug 26, Lisa Flint, Washington
# 6,811:
5:30 am PDT, Aug 26, Kelly Kemp, California
# 6,810:
7:31 pm PDT, Aug 25, Name not displayed, Connecticut
# 6,809:
6:48 pm PDT, Aug 25, Debbie Owen, Texas
# 6,808:
4:36 pm PDT, Aug 25, Name not displayed, Texas
# 6,807:
2:42 pm PDT, Aug 25, Name not displayed, Alaska
Make our food safe again!
# 6,806:
2:25 pm PDT, Aug 25, Name not displayed, New York
# 6,805:
1:46 pm PDT, Aug 25, Jaclyn Davis, Florida
This is idiocy.
# 6,804:
1:41 pm PDT, Aug 25, Eva W., Pennsylvania
In this day of technology there is no reason people should be fearful they are eating tainted foods. The FDA or health board or someone should be overseeing this. People are DYING!!!!
# 6,803:
12:58 pm PDT, Aug 25, Neelima Dumpa, California
# 6,802:
12:37 pm PDT, Aug 25, Olga Jura, New York
# 6,801:
8:46 am PDT, Aug 25, Nikki Schmitt, Pennsylvania
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