Congressmen tour produce facility

HAMMONTON, NJ -- The chairman of the House of Representatives Agriculture Committee, Robert Goodlatte (R-VA), and Rep. Frank A. LoBiondo (R-NJ) toured the Frank Donio Inc. produce facility here on the morning of Aug. 18.

David Arena, president of Frank Donio Inc., lead the congressmen on the tour and discussed various issues concerning the produce industry. "The focus of our conversation centered on country-of-origin labeling, food safety and the need for New Jersey agriculture to remain viable," Mr. Arena said in a statement. <.p>

Mr. Arena felt confident that the representatives would take the concerns regarding country-of-origin labeling and relay them to the rest of Congress.

Officials said that Rep. Goodlatte's visit to New Jersey marked the first by a chairman of the House Agricultural Committee since the 1940s.

"I am happy to be here at Donio Produce," Rep. Goodlatte said. "It's a wonderful operation. The folks at Donio do a great job of producing and distributing their product."

Mr. Goodlatte said that the nation's food supply was one of its more important assets, and businesses like Frank Donio Inc. help ensure the quality of the food supply. He added that the safety of the food Americans eat has become part of national security.

Mr. Goodlatte, who also sits on the House Select Committee on Homeland Security, said that preservation of the food supply is critical. "I think we have the safest food supply in the world," he said. "We have a very good system that ensures that food is properly handled and properly processed. The thousands of products in our food supply, like the produce here today, that feed millions of people is one of the wonders of the world."

Rep. LoBiondo said he was "honored" to bring Rep. Goodlatte to Frank Donio Inc. and New Jersey, and thanked the Donio family for hosting the representatives.

"What Donio Produce has done, the innovations and square footage that are here in this latest addition, are absolutely incredible," Mr. LoBiono said. "They are unmatched anywhere in the nation. I again want to say thank you to the Donios. You've made me feel like family once again."

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