Food Safety Bill Offers FDA More Clout In Contamination Fight
In a remarkably bipartisan vote, the Senate set aside ideology to pass a food safety bill Tuesday. A spate of food-borne illnesses in the last year has shed light on the need to provide the Food and Drug Administration with more resources to detect and prevent contaminated food. Elevated inspections and mandatory recalls written into the food safety bill are funded to the tune of $1.4 billion.
Whilst sitting on all bills, food safety bill passes
The food safety bill that passed the U.S. Senate by a vote of 73-25 is one of the few items of legislation that Congress was expected to deal with in its lame-duck session at the end of the year. The Food Safety Enhancement Act demands Food and Drug Administration inspections of food processing plants and farms with a high risk of contaminants once every three years. The Food and Drug Administration up until now would hardly ever do inspections. Every 10 years would be when it taken place if it did happen. The food safety bill also gives the FDA authority to order mandatory recalls, rather than the current practice of waiting for corporations to do so voluntarily. Imported foods, of which the FDA currently inspects about 1 percent, may also be subject to stricter standards.
National politics changes food safety
Agribusiness and consumer advocate groups both service the food safety bill. The Senate waited on passing it for a year and a half because of national politics even though the House passed it in July 2009. The food safety bill wasn’t approved last fall. Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Olka., is responsible for this. It was said to become overreaching government by Tea Party activists. Customers are being forced to become vegetarians with inflated meat prices based on Glenn Beck. There were 85 recalls of FDA-regulated food due to 1,850 food-borne illnesses right after the bill approved in U.S. Senate.
Promoting bill is the food sector
The food safety bill passed despite conflicts between agribusiness and small farms. Small farmers refused to become held to the same standards as major corporations. There should be nobody exempt based on agribusiness. After Sen. John Tester, D-Mont., added an amendment exempting small farmers, some large agricultural groups withdrew their support. However, even major corporations involved in recent recalls have said they will benefit from a food safety bill that provides clear regulation and levels the playing field in the food industry.
Citations
Washington Post
washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/29/AR2010112906058.html
USA Today
usatoday.com/yourlife/food/safety/2010-11-29-foodsafety29_ST_N.htm
Des Moines Register
desmoinesregister.com/article/20101130/BUSINESS01/11300359/1001/NEWS/Food-safety-bill-snagged-by-money-