House Committee Passes Food Safety Reform Bill

On Wednesday, a U.S. House Committee passed a measure to increase government influence over the U.S. food supply,

The legislation would be the largest reform of the food safety system over the last half-century.

A number of outbreaks tied to lettuce, peppers, spinach, peanuts, and peanut butter in recent years has led government officials to push for giving the U.S. Food and Drug Administration more authority.

The bill passed by the House Committee will increase the FDA’s power, granting them mandatory recall authority, and requiring all food facilities to have food safety plans in place.

"But FDA will not be the only cop on the beat," said the committee chair, Rep. Henry Waxman.

"One of the most important changes that will occur under this bill is a new focus on prevention, and a shared responsibility between FDA and food manufacturers to keep the food supply safe," he told Reuters News.

The new legislation will also require the food industry to pay a $500 registration fee for each facility annually which will generate an estimated $189 million. 

According to lawmakers, the funding will be put toward increasing plant inspections, and a cap will keep any company from paying more than $175,000 in registration fees.

Plant inspections would now occur every six to 12 months at high-risk facilities under the new measure, and every 18 months to three years at low risk facilities.  Under current laws, many plants go years without being inspected.

Much of the food industry has shown support for the new bill, despite concerns over a few of the measure’s provisions.

"Because consumer confidence is the foundation of everything we do, manufacturers take food safety very seriously," said Pamela Bailey, chief executive of the Grocery Manufacturers Association.

"We look forward to working with Congress to swiftly enact food safety legislation," she said.

A similar bill has been introduced in the Senate, but there is no estimate on when the bipartisan legislation might be passed.

Representative Waxman said he wanted a strong vote from the committee to send a message about the need for urgency to pass the bill.

"I am hopeful that before too long, we can have a comprehensive food safety bill on President Obama’s desk," he said.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, every year an estimated 76 million Americans get sick from a food borne illness and 5000 die.

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