A beautiful day and Capitol-view terrace served as backdrop for the celebration where the Partnership honored Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., for her commitment and support of food safety education programming.

"It is just very encouraging that during the 10 years of the Partnership's existence the roster of its association members has expanded so dramatically and impressively, Johanns said. "I think this reflects a broad recognition that everyone involved in this industry has a stake in making sure that our food supply remains abundant, it remains safe, and that American consumers enjoy the highest possible level of protection from foodborne illness.

Commissioner von Eschenbach said, "We look at food safety from a process of prevention, intervention through to response.  One of the most important groups in that process is, in fact, consumers."

DeLauro said, "Education is a daunting task and a big responsibility – a shared responsibility. To be sure laws must be updated and enforcement must be more vigilant – but when it comes to food safety, the true front lines in our battle against foodborne illness are the individual consumers making individual decisions about how he or she handles food. And the best weapon we can provide is knowledge. No one does that better than the Partnership. And I am certain that over the next 10 years, you will continue to extend your reach as the national standard bearer for increased awareness, quality information, and better policy – improving the science and practice of food safety education."

To view the transcript of Secretary Johanns’ remarks and the press release, go to www.fightbac.org.