Food safety bill finally passed by Senate

Public health trumped politics within the U.S. Senate when a food safety bill really approved Tues. A recent flurry of salmonella and E. coli outbreaks has underscored that the FDA lacks the resources to adequately protect the population from impure food. Elevated examinations and mandatory recalls written into the food safety bill are funded to the tune of $1.4 billion.

While waiting on all bills, food safety bill goes by

Congress passed the food safety bill with a 73-25 vote. It’s one of the few things that will likely get done this year with Congress. All food processing plants and farms with a high risk of contaminants have to become inspected by the Food and Drug Administration each and every three years under the Food Safety Enhancement Act. Until now, the Food and Drug Administration, when it has conducted inspections at all, has done so about once a decade. The Food and Drug Administration does not have to wait for corporations to order recalls now with the food safety bill. Imported foods, of which the Food and Drug Administration currently inspects about 1 percent, may also be subject to stricter standards.

Food safety decisions based on national politics

The food safety bill is backed up by both large agribusiness and consumer advocate groups. The Senate waited on passing it for a year and a half because of national politics even though the House approved it in July 2009. Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., blocked the food safety bill last fall. The Tea Party certainly didn't like it. They said the government was overreaching. Glenn Beck made his opinion on the food safety bill very clear. He said it forced consumers to stop eating meat with prices being inflated. As the bill languished within the U.S. Senate, there were 85 recalls of FDA-regulated foods associated with 1,850 food-borne illnesses.

Encouraging bill is the food industry

It was good the food safety bill passed. The agribusiness and small farms conflict didn't stop it. All of the small farmers do not want huge standards. Major corporations have to deal with them. Of course agribusiness did not agree. It said nobody should be excluded. An amendment was added exempting small farmers by Sen. John Tester, D-Mont. This caused a lot of service from large agricultural groups to disappear. Clear regulations and the food sector having levels is something that even large corporations with recalls have said they will appreciate.

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-