is that sufficient to give us the whole traceability? >> i'm sorry. >> it's a mandatory recall and i meant traceability. that's what has when you break my train of thought, huh. >> thank you for that clarification. the one-step -- the one-step up and one-step back traceability was a good first step into this area but i think the provisions in this bill are much improved on that. what we've seen over the years, since that law was passed, is that the fda itself has had trouble with identifying food products involved in major recalls and outbreaks. >> because it just doesn't go forward enough, forward or backwards; correct? and dr. jones, you're nodding your head, yes, as well. >> yeah, there's such a huge food production chain if there is one point in the chain where records aren't good -- if bruno's produce doesn't know where it's produce come from -- >> exactly. i want to ask you, i've read all of your testimony and listened to you hear today. you don't object in general to the concept of traceability, do you? mr. ambrosio. >> no and mr.

in particular we look for to working with you to address your concerns about traceability. we recognize that the discussion draft is stocks fda to assess the cost benefits and feasibility of traceability technologies and gives fda the power to exempt certain foods. furthermore recognize that discussion draft and stocks fda to compile a province of public meetings, however, we believe the studies, meetings and pilot roger should be completed before fda this is how to assign the food industry the responsibility for tracking food product and which coding and identification systems may be the best suited to this task as you anticipate in the draft, the cost and feasibility of requiring every manufacturer to maintain the full pedigree of every ingredient in every food may outweigh the public health benefits. to address concerns raised during the pinette product recall, we urge you to consider whether intimated distributors and brokers should include on the labeling of their bulk ingredients the identity of the increases apply here. in general we support proposals to get the fda

the first one is traceability. as you know, mr. chairman, i have been working on these traceability issues for many, many years. and when i first started, people said it couldn't be done, but then as we realized with time, not only can it be done, and in slightly different ways within industry, but if we want to ensure this integrity of the food system, it has to be done. what i fondly call the salsa scare of last year is the perfect sample of why. we found people being second by salsa, and we couldn't figure out why. is destroyed or the much the entire profit of the tomato crop for that whole year to get as everybody thought it was tomatoes that had to salmonella. as it turned out, after months and months and months of increased sickness amah of increased scrutiny, we found out that no, it wasn't the tomatoes at all. it was jalapenos and they were from texas. and what i found out that we can go to a particular sector of the field and find those jalapenos, and we can do it quickly. so traceability is going to be essential and i loo

fresh food industry -- traceability of every an agreement that went to the product. for example of a local restaurant chain makes cookies trying to track every single ingredient that comes up with its pacific food colored dye may be a problem with them and like to make sure we make that work for the safety of consumers but not in a way that impairs companies from doing their work and also unintended consequences of giving copies of all test results could be less testing. as companies go through lots of tests for products that never make it to market, would it be to test hundreds of samples each day to be available or a change to the testing of products in the marketplace. with regard to the country of origin labeling and disclosure, to list every increase in on a website will increase the cost of resources and not necessarily bring added value and the recent general levels such as the same and this product may contain ingredients from one or more of the following countries. also praising them for as of making sure all enforcement standards and the officers and audito

i am pleased that the legislation we are considering is going to improve the traceability of food because when tainted food is discovered it is critical that we know where it has come from, where it has gone and what stores in this old man. if sales are limited to a certain area targeted recall could take place which would be more attractive for consumers and businesses and i am also pleased to see that the mandatory country of origin labeling for food is included in the bill. i think in today's environment this is really essential information for consumers to know where their food comes from. this is a long and complex bill and i to along with my colleague, mr. murphy from connecticut, want to salute those who have worked on this issue. rosa delauro has been tireless and to know that she brings passion and intellect to what she does and so some of the ideas from her legislation our embedded in this. i look forward to our conversation. i hope that what we are asking the fda that you are up to it, i thank you have lived on fees for a long time and i still have questions i like to know dire