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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2009
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Houses Passes Sweeping Food Safety Bill

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(Newser) – The FDA would gain broad new powers to oversee food safety under a far-reaching bill passed by the House yesterday, the Washington Post reports. The measure—representing the first major changes to food safety laws since the 1930s—would give the agency vastly increased oversight of the nation's food chain from field to store, and would boost the number of food-related inspections. Support for the bill was sparked by a string of serious food-borne illnesses the last three years.

An annual $500 fee from food producers and importers would help fund the beefed-up FDA. The bill would "fundamentally change the way in which we ensure the safety of our food supply," said legislation author Democratic Rep. John Dingell. The bill's opponents, however, charge that it would burden food producers with extra paperwork and costs without necessarily improving safety. The Senate takes up its version of the bill later this year.

The bill's author, Democratic Rep. John Dingell of Michigan, has fought for better food safety standards for over 20 years.
The bill's author, Democratic Rep. John Dingell of Michigan, has fought for better food safety standards for over 20 years.   (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
The bill follows a string of food safety scandals involving everything from spinach to peanut butter to cookie dough.
The bill follows a string of food safety scandals involving everything from spinach to peanut butter to cookie dough.   (AP Photo/Mike Derer, File)
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Americans are dying because the Food and Drug Administration does not have authority to protect them, and American producers and agriculture are being hurt.
- Michigan Democratic Rep. John Dingell, author of the bill

It goes too far in the direction of trying to produce food from a bureaucrat's chair in Washington, DC. - Rep. Frank D. Lucas (R-Okla.)

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12 comments
VIEWING:
 
IN RESPONSE:
QueenAlli
Jul 31, 09 7:04 AM CDT
Where have you been for the past year when everything in the grocery store went up in price consistently? Packages got smaller while the prices got higher. You want to blame that on Bush? Your grocery bill has been going up and going long before Obama came into office.
Vote up! Vote down!
+4
IN RESPONSE:
chas_m
Jul 31, 09 9:45 AM CDT
Yes, who cares if food-borne illnesses and deaths have skyrocketed following the lassiz-faire administration of George W. Bush? Those people were probably weaklings and we didn't need them anyway, right?
Vote up! Vote down!
+6
IN RESPONSE:
wwwonderer
Jul 31, 09 10:24 AM CDT
And really CK? The $500 fee from food producers and importers is going to break the system? So some CEO has to take home $4,999,500 instead of a cool $5million? BOO HOO!?? I say make it at least $500 and a sliding scale for larger producers. All food manufacturers should see better business through increased consumer confidence.
Vote up! Vote down!
+5
IN RESPONSE:
radnip
Aug 2, 09 4:57 PM CDT
Oh please, does anyone think the $500 is NOT going to be deducted by that business? Hello? Does no one remember businesses DEDUCT expenses? The only thing this impacts is executive pay, because that's the only DISCRETIONARY expense.
Vote up! Vote down!
0
armywife
Jul 31, 09 4:14 AM CDT
well if it reduces the incidences of E.coli in children's peanut butter snacks, melamine in infant formula and *insert toxic substance* in *insert food product*, then i think it's money well spent. Reply
Vote up! Vote down!
+7

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