Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) has introduced legislation that would give the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service mandatory recall authority for meat and poultry products, regardless of whether pathogens present have been named as adulterants.

Gillibrand said, “Our food safety system is failing to protect Americans, leaving thousands of people hospitalized every year with preventable illnesses. Poultry and meat known to be contaminated should never end up on market fridges and freezers or our kitchens. The USDA must have the authority to recall products that test positive for contaminants, and consumers need to know when food has been recalled.”