The food safety panel established in March by President Obama announced new standards to help reduce salmonella and E. coli outbreaks. For Associated Press story, click here. The new rules are for
eggs, poultry, beef, leafy greens, melons and tomatoes as well as for better coordination and communication among the agencies overseeing the nation's food supply.
Under the new rules:
_The FDA will help the food industry establish better tracing systems to track the origins of a bacterial outbreak.Posted: 07/07/2009
_A new network will be established to help the many agencies that regulate food safety to communicate better.
_Egg and poultry producers will have to follow new standards designed to reduce salmonella contamination.
_The Food Safety Inspection Service, the Agriculture Department agency that inspects meat, will increase sampling of ground beef ingredients in an effort to better find E. coli contamination.
_The FDA will recommend ways that producers of leafy greens, melons and tomatoes can reduce disease strains, and require stricter standards in those industries within two years.
_The FDA and the Agriculture Department also will create new positions to better oversee food safety.
