Governmental Affairs -- Food Safety & Labeling

Food Safety

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Food Safety

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension (HELP) Committee reported unanimously S. 510, The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, in November 2009.  Among its provisions,        S. 510 provides FDA mandatory recall authority, requires the adoption of food safety plans, studies traceability projects and recognizes the use of accredited third party certification programs.  S. 510 now waits for full Senate consideration.  

 

N.G.A. strongly support providing the Federal Food and Drug Administration the necessary authority and resources to improve our food safety system for consumers in today’s global marketplace. The House and Senate should pass legislation to improve our food safety system by focusing on preventive measures that will  be risk and science based, contain reasonable cost effective regulatory standards, have transparent and measurable benefits, be affordable and not have unintended consequences.  N.G.A. supports S. 510.

 

S. 510, The Food Safety Modernization Act (Chairman’s Mark) (.pdf 196 kb)

House Passes H.R. 2749

H.R. 2749, The Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009, passed the House of Representatives Thursday July 30^th by a 283 to 142 margin.  N.G.A. President and CEO, Tom Zaucha, sent a letter Members of the House urging them to vote for H.R. 2749.  The bill would require more government inspections and oversight of food manufacturers while expanding FDA authority to be able to order recalls. It also would require the FDA to develop a system for better tracing food-borne illnesses, and the government could impose new penalties on those who violate the law. Food companies would be required to create detailed food safety plans. The House passed the bill 283-142.

 

Tom Zaucha Letter to House of Representatives in Support of H.R. 2749 (.pdf 40.5 kb)

H.R. 2749 as passed by the House (.pdf 390.6 kb)

View a Summary Outline of H.R. 2749 (.pdf 39 kb)

House Committee Favorably Reports Food Safety Bill

The House Energy and Commerce Committee recently favorably reported H.R. 2749, The Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009.  Among other things the legislation would give FDA additional food safety inspection authority while requiring certainly facilities (including wholesalers and manufacturers) to pay an annual $500 facility registration fee.  The majority of other House food safety bills have been folded into H.R. 2749, which is now the primary food safety bill in the House. 

View a Summary Outline of H.R. 2749 (.pdf 39 kb)

View the Legislation (.pdf 217 kb)

Issue Brief on Food Safety Legislative Landscape

Law firm Kelley Drye has provided a new briefing paper addressing the leading bills in the House and Senate that propose to expand FDA regulatory and enforcement authority through amendments to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act: The FDA Globalization Act of 2009 (H.R. 759) and the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009 (S. 510), and highlights other key bills proposing potential alternative and/or supplemental changes in food regulatory programs.  To view this brief click here.

N.G.A. Comments to FDA on Product Tracing Systems for Fresh Produce (.pdf 43 kb)