The possibility of an extreme outbreak of food-borne illness is not being adequately addressed. As recent outbreaks of salmonella and e-coli in the United States and Europe and the prevalence of campylobacter indicate, there are major weaknesses in our food production system.

Congress needs to update our laws to address the challenges of the increasingly complex network that gets food from the farm to your table. My experience in the insurance industry has taught me that taking action to reduce exposure is exponentially better and less expensive than dealing with a large and fast-spreading problem after it occurs.

In addition to food-borne illness, we need to understand the implications of overuse of antibiotics in meat production. I commit to making food safety a priority before a national calamity thrusts it into the public awareness.

I will immediately become a co-sponsor of Kevin's Law.