The newly-created White House Food Safety Working Group has launched a Web site to provide information about the group’s activities and progress.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, both Midwesterners, head up the working group, which was created to help reinforce the nation’s food safety inspection mechanism.

“The Working Group will be an important tool for gathering ideas as to how we can strengthen the food safety system to be more accountable and accessible to the public it protects, flexible enough to quickly resolve new safety challenges that emerge, and able to meet the robust needs of our rapidly changing world,” said Vilsack.

“Families have enough to worry about. You shouldn’t have to wonder if the food you buy at the grocery store is safe,” said Sebelius. “The Web site will help ensure all Americans can share their thoughts and contribute to this important process.”

The website, www.foodsafetyworkinggroup.gov will be an important resource for people who want to stay apprised of the Working Group’s progress, learn about food safety tools and practices, and share their views on how to improve the food safety system. The Web site features social bookmarking tools including an RSS feed and a widget that can be downloaded to help individuals stay informed.

Representatives from the White House Food Safety Working Group recently met to outline principles to meet President Obama’s goal of a stronger food safety system. In the weeks to come, the Food Safety Working Group will provide additional opportunities to engage stakeholders in conversations and help shape these principles.

Vilsack said the group intends to seek an update of the nation’s food safety laws to make the nation’s regulatory system more effective. The approach will focus resources according to risk, apply the best available science and high quality data to the decision-making process, and strive for better coordination among federal and state, local and international public health agencies.