Kevin Kowalcyk December 10, 1998 -
August 11, 2001
First proposed in 2003, Kevin's
Law was named in memory of two-year-old Kevin Kowalcyk,
who tragically died in 2001 after eating a hamburger contaminated
with E. coli bacteria.
A full six years later, the law
first gained major attention from the American public in 2009
when the story was highlighted in the Oscar-nominated film
Food
Inc.
Kevin's Law would have given
the U.S. Department of Agriculture the power to close down
plants that produce contaminated meat, authority that the
USDA presently does not have power to exercise.
The law
specifically calls for the USDA to identify the pathogens
that threaten human health (such as Salmonella,
E.
coli, Listeria
monocytogenes) as well as give the department the authority
to close down plants that habitually threaten the public health.
The Center for Foodborne Illness(CFI) is the legacy of 2-year-old Kevin Kowalcyk. His sudden death from E.coli inspired his mother, Barbara Kowalcyk (left), to
establish the organization in 2006.
Sad to say, the bill never became law but "died in committee" and was never brought forth for larger review.
However, n the current Congress, the spirit of Kevins
Law is contained in several pieces of legislation, all of which focus on FDAs oversight of food:
FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (S. 510) by Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL), introduced March 3, 2009.
Food Safety Modernization Act (H.R. 875) by Congresswoman Rosa
DeLauro, (D- CT) introduced February 4, 2009. Food Safety Enhancement Act (H.R. 2749) by Congressman John Dingell, (D-MI) introduced June 8, 2009.
To this day, none of these proposed pieces of legislation have ever made it out of committee.
Meanwhile, CFI continues to support the re-introduction of Kevins
Law to enhance USDAs oversight of meat and poultry products.
What you can do
For more information on what you can do, contact the The Center for Foodborne Illness, or Safe Tables Our Priority (S.T.O.P) and urge your local government representatives to support legislation like Kevin's Law to help prevent foodborne illness and fatalities - now and in the future.
Children like Kevin, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with compromised
immune systems face a greater risk of severe illness due to contaminated food.