On November 30, 2009, Senator Dianne Feinstein’s office (CA) announced the senator has introduced legislation that aims to make food products and production safe from pathogens and pathogen-related illnesses by requiring “food producers take responsibility for keeping food free from [these] harmful pathogens.”According to the news release issued by the senator’s office, the bill would amend the Poultry Products Inspection Act, the Federal Meat Inspection Act, and finally the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act “to prohibit the sale of any food that has not been certified to be pathogen free.”
As Feinstein states in the news release, “[s]erious reform is needed. This bill would require companies that process any kind of food, from ground beef to frozen pot pies, to test their finished products and their ingredients to make sure that they are safe to eat and pathogen free.”
Food safety issues have been in the news all year long. Recently, a lawsuit was being brought in Massachusetts against beef producers for selling contaminated ground beef that allegedly caused the illness of several children and the death of two individuals. And, as this blog posted yesterday, a California company has issued its second ground beef recall since this summer.
The Obama administration has made food safety an issue of concern and has appointed a food safety working group to suggest changes that can be made from food production to food consumption that will increase safety.
Additionally, the House of Representatives passed a food safety bill earlier this summer that has some controversy associated with it for the additional regulatory powers the legislation would give the Food and Drug Administration.
Finally, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee passed, unanimously, a Senate food safety bill that is similar to the House-passed measure. As this blog posted on this bill, “[t]he Senate bill gives the FDA the power to issue mandatory food recalls. Under current law food recalls are issued voluntarily by companies, usually at the behest of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Additionally, ‘the Senate panel added whistle-blower protections and unspecified grants to states to beef up food safety capabilities. It also would require the government to take into account organic agricultural standards and other factors when writing food safety rules.’”
Food safety issues are not going away. We shall see whether or not Feinstein can include her measure in any food safety bill the Senate brings to the floor for consideration.
To read previous blog posts about food safety issues click here.
To read the press release on the Feinstein bill click here.
Posted: 12/08/09
