Governmental Affairs -- Food Safety & Labeling

Food Safety

---

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.

Bi-Partisan Food Safety Legislation Introduced in the Senate

Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Judd Gregg (R-NH), along with Senators Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and Richard Burr (R-NC) have introduced S. 510, the “FDA Food Safety Modernization Act”.  The legislation is co-sponsored by Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT), Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Saxby Chambliss (R-GA).

The legislation includes many of the food safety principles N.G.A. supports, such as additional resources for Food and Drug Administration inspections of foreign and domestic food facilities and  imports, as well as give the agency mandatory-recall powers when a company does not respond voluntarily. It also directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a pilot project to test and evaluate new methods for rapidly and effectively tracking/tracking fruits and vegetables in the event of a food-borne illness outbreak.  Third parties would also be authorized to certify the safety processes of facilities.

S. 510 by Senator Durbin (D-IL) FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (.pdf 346 kb)

Food Safety Legislation Awaiting Action

Food safety continues to be a paramount issue for many Representatives and Senators.  On Tuesday February 10^th the House Energy and Commerce Committee further raised awareness by holding a hearing on the recent salmonella outbreak from the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) compelling the testimony of Stewart Parnell, President of PCA.

A number of bills addressing food safety and traceability have already been introduced in the 111^th Congress.

Included are:

1. H.R. 759 by Chairman Dingle (D-MI), known as the “Food & Drug Administration Globalization Act of 2009”. (.pdf 380 kb)  Aspects of the bill include:

• Food facilities registration fees—to be set by Secretary of HHS
• Fresh Produce Standards
• Traceability of Food

2. H.R. 814 by Congresswoman DeGette (D-CO) would require mandatory traceability (farm to fork) of meat, poultry, and eggs.

 

3. S. 425 by Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) would establish a food traceability system.

 

4. H.R. 875 by Congresswoman DeLauro (D-CT) would establish a single food safety agency called the “Food Safety Administration” under the Department of Health & Human Services”

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