One Step Closer Towards Greater Food Safety
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The New York Times reported that on Thursday, the House passed legislation to require more frequent inspections of food processing plants and to grant the government the authority to actually order that tainted foods be recalled.
This will allow the Senate to consider the legislation in the fall. While the legislation was supported by a vast majority of Democrats, the Republicans were split with many fearing that the new rules would add greater burdens on farmers.
The legislation seeks to remedy problems in the food safety system that have been discussed for decades. Its chief sponsor, Representative John D. Dingell, Democrat of Michigan, said it would “fundamentally change the way in which we ensure the safety of our food supply.”
The measure would require the Food and Drug Administration to conduct inspections every 6 to 12 months at food processing plants that it deems high-risk. These could include plants that have experienced food safety problems in the past or that handle products that spoil easily, like seafood.
Other processing plants that deal with lower-risk food items would need to be inspected at least once every three years. Supporters of the new legislation argue that the current system allows some facilities to go for 10 years or more without an F.D.A. inspection.
This new system will be funded by a yearly fee of $500.00 paid by the food processing plants. For larger companies with multiple plants, there will be a cap of $175,000.00. This fee would cover approximately 40% of the F.D.A.'s costs to implement the increased inspections.
Another significant part of this legislation is the power it grants the F.D.A. to order recalls of tainted food, since under the current system, it can only ask companies to recall such foods. Additionally, there will be increased inspection requirements on imported foods and a system whereby the F.D.A. will better be able to trace food products and ingredients to identify the source of food-borne illnesses.