Welcome: Terry Coleman, Dep. Comm. of Agriculture in Georgia and former Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives (a Democrat) and Oscar Garrison, Assistant Comm. of Georgia Department of Agriculture who will testify.

Mr. Chairman, our nation has always prided itself on having the safest food supply in the world. This confidence is founded on the hard work of those who grow, process, package and deliver our food, coupled with the oversight and inspections provided by federal agencies such as FDA and USDA working with comparable state regulatory authorities.

Let no one misunderstand, we are all outraged by the alleged violations of law and common standards of safety which are the focus of this hearing and our sympathy goes out to those who have been injured and suffered losses. Although I am a resident of Georgia where the production of peanuts is a virtual part of our state’s economy, there will be no statements of provincial protectionism from me, for it is those who are closest to the problem that are most infuriated by it, for we know that the vast majority of those who produce peanuts and the resulting products are decent, law abiding people.

Right now, peanut farmers are poised to plan this year’s crop. The uncertainty created by the actions of Peanut Corp. of America will cost them millions of dollars. They and many more in the chain of production have done nothing wrong but they are suffering the consequences of the questionable actions of one company.

These innocent individuals and companies are more concerned than almost anyone else that the cloud of suspicion be removed from the peanut industry.

As legislators we should be asking how we can make the system work better. I’m sure we can learn from this unfortunate experience how to reform our inspection systems at the federal and state levels. The Georgia General Assembly is in session now and will consider legislation to strengthen the role of our state inspections and oversight.

We have the responsibility to shape the scales of justice as it relates to food safety. But the architect whose eyes are focused rely on the actions of the most egregious will design a scales of justice which will not work, for it fails to account for the overwhelming weight of the majority who are honest and law abiding. That is our challenge as we go forward to ensure the safety to all without destroying the underlying industry.

I am confident that the peanut industry of my state and the nation will work cooperatively with this committee, this Congress and the legislatures of the various states to craft reforms that will restore the confidence of the American people in the safety of peanut products. To that end, I pledge my best efforts. For after all, the health of the American public and the fate of the peanut butter and jelly sandwich may rest in the balance.