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State Legislature
rejects ban on antibiotic treated meats for school lunches
(Salinas Californian, CA)
By Jake Henshaw
Lawmakers
Wednesday decided that schools should continue to decide what meat and
poultry to serve students, rejecting a proposal to ban products treated
routinely with antibiotic drugs.
At the
urging of the Senate Education Committee, Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shfater,
amended his measure, Senate Bill 416, to drop the ban in favor of encouraging
schools to buy meat products from animals only treated with drugs when they
are ill.
But schools have to report their reasons to state education officials when
they don't buy the meat and poultry from animals raised to largely without
drugs.
Florez said that the amendments ``are not the direction I want,'' but he
faced questions and criticism about the impact of his proposed ban on the
health of animals and the ability of schools to comply with his proposal.
The Senate Health Committee approved SB 173, Florez's bill to grant state
health officials the power to order recalls of contaminated food and
establish other steps to address threats to food safety.
The bill was amended to cover only growers and processors and to include good
farming practices as appropriate, his office said.
The bills next go to the Senate Appropriations Committee. 4-30-09
http://thecalifornian.com/article/20090430/NEWS01/90430015/1002
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