Legislators, Food Safety Officials Visit Riverhead Potato Farm

Rep. Tim Bishop, D-Southampton, Suffolk County legislators, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg and over 25 other food and safety officials stopped at in Riverhead during their tour of Long Island farms on Tuesday morning.

Members of the FDA, New York Farm Bureau, U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Cornell Cooperative Extension met with local farmers to discuss how to structure new federal regulations on farming intended to make food safer for consumers.

The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, which was signed into law by President Obama on Jan. 4, amended the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to shift the FDA's focus towards prevention of food safety problems. The meeting with potato farmers and a look at their processing techniques was intended to educate government officials on how to improve the system without placing an unnecessary burden on farmers.

"This is the bedrock of Eastern Long Island," Rep. Bishop said. "We can't lose this."

Officials asked local farmers for their biggest concerns about the new legislation as they toured the farm's potato-cleaning facility.

Jimmy Zilnicki, who helps farm potatoes, said that one of the biggest issues facing his farm today is dealing with abstract safety instructions that don't specify how to meet regulations. Zilnicki said in the past, his farm was urged to make an "audit" for food safety, but was given no guidance for how to do it.

"Right now, nobody knows which way to follow," he said.

Both farmers and government agents at the meeting agreed that new regulations should be different for different kinds of crop.

"We must take account of diversity of commodities," said FDA Deputy Commissioner for Foods Mike Taylor.

After the meeting, Ray Kujawski of Kujawski Farms in Jamesport said the new legislation might need more labor, equipment and money for farmers, but was glad the officials were listening to their concerns.

"They need to take these factors into consideration before they make the laws," Kujawski said. "A lot of people make these laws without thinking of the consequences."