Rep. Sykes’ INFANTS Act Advances in Bipartisan House Energy & Commerce Health Package

Rep. Sykes' INFANTS Act Advances in Bipartisan House Energy & Commerce Health Package

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The House Energy & Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on legislative proposals on Wednesday, including Rep. Sykes' H.R. 2472, the Improving Newborns' Food and Nutrition Testing Safety (INFANTS) Act.

The INFANTS Act strengthens oversight of infant and toddler food safety by establishing testing, monitoring, reporting, and recall requirements for manufacturers and federal regulators.

Specifically, the bill would:

• Require the owner, operator, or agent in charge of a food facility that manufactures or processes food in final product form, including infant and toddler food, to:
• • Collect representative samples of each food manufactured or processed and test those samples at least once per quarter for contaminants, including toxic elements like lead, cadmium, mercury, and arsenic;
  • Prepare a written sampling plan for sampling and testing and ensure it is carried out; and
  • Maintain records of sampling and testing and allow those records to be inspected and copied by FDA.
• Specify that foods manufactured or processed by facilities that fail to follow sampling and testing requirements are adulterated under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act;
• Require records to be provided to FDA, at FDA's request, in advance of or in lieu of an inspection, within a reasonable timeframe, within reasonable limits, and in a reasonable manner;
• Clarify FDA's mandatory recall authority over infant or toddler foods that bear or contain a contaminant that renders the product adulterated;
• Clarify that manufacturers of infant formula must notify FDA within 24 hours if they acquire knowledge that the infant formula they manufacture does not contain adequate nutrients or is otherwise adulterated or misbranded; and
• Require manufacturers of powdered infant formula to establish and implement an environmental monitoring program to verify the effectiveness of sanitation and hygiene controls where food has the potential to be exposed to Cronobacter spp. or Salmonella.

"Families deserve confidence that the food they feed their children is safe," said Rep. Sykes. "This bipartisan legislation strengthens oversight, improves transparency, and ensures regulators can act quickly when infant and toddler food safety is at risk."

The INFANTS Act's inclusion in this hearing demonstrates a bipartisan interest in strengthening protections for infants and toddlers. Rep. Sykes will continue to advocate for its consideration and passage.