The U.S. Senate has voted 73-25 to pass the Food Safety Modernization Act, a measure that would lead to the biggest overhaul in the nation’s food safety laws since the 1930s.
The Washington Post reports that the bill would grant new power to the Food and Drug Administration to issue food recalls directly, rather than waiting for food companies to issue voluntary recalls. It also would require the agency to regularly inspect farms and food processing facilities, something it does not currently do.
The bill, passed Tuesday with bipartisan support, would also place new responsibilities on farmers and food manufacturers to prevent contamination in part by developing written food safety plans. And it will establish the first safety standards for imported foods, a growing part of the American diet. Currently, only about 1 percent of such foods are inspected by the FDA.
Although the House approved a tougher food safety bill more than a year ago, House leaders have indicated, the Post said, that they would accept the Senate version to get the legislation to President Obama’s desk for approval as quickly as possible. Proponents hope the legislation will be signed into law by the end of the current lame-duck session of Congress.
The legislation comes after a series of outbreaks of food poisoning involving eggs, peanuts, spinach and other foods. Government statistics show food illnesses affect one in four Americans and kill 5,000 each year. Salmonella-tainted eggs alone sickened more than 1,600 people this summer. Tainted food has also cost the industry billions of dollars in recalls, lost sales and legal expenses.
Opponents have argued that the bill gives too much authority to the FDA and that the agency is looking to impose the same rules on small farmers and giant food conglomerates alike, placing a strain on those less equipped to comply with new regulations. However, an amendment added to the bill before Thanksgiving would exempt small farmers and those who sell directly to consumers at farmers markets and farm stands.
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