The Food Industry Dioxin Working Group (FIDWG), a group of production agriculture and farm input, processing and retail food interests, sent a letter on December 7 to the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy Melody Barns, to express their deep concerns over the draft dioxin risk assessment out of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The letter outlined areas of concern including the failure of EPA to reach out to the food industry or other key stakeholders given that agriculture would be significantly impacted if EPA follows through with this process. The group indicated that “EPA’s proposal is not only at odds with international standards, it also deviates significantly from federal policy.” EPA’s proposal contains a dioxin exposure threshold lower than the European Union and the World Health Organization.
The National Chicken Council was among one of the 16 trade associations to provide input and sign on to this letter. The letter was also sent to the Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Health & Human Services Kathleen Sebelius; EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, and U.S. Trade Representative just to name a few.
The letter sent to the White House is available here Final Coalition Dioxin Letter 12 7 11.
