Source of
Article: http://www.foodpoisonjournal.com/
The Food Safety Enhancement
Act of 2009 passed out of Committee in the House today, without
opposition. The full House is expected to vote on the bill before the
July 4th recess. According to an article
in The Packer, the bill is receiving some lukewarm support -or at least,
something less than all out resistance - from food industry lobbyists. “Clearly the Democrats and
Republicans worked together this past week to try to create something they
both support,” said Tom Stenzel, president of the Washington, D.C.-based
United Fresh Produce Association. “A number of the changes we wanted to see
were able to get in.” I am usually bashing
lobbying groups for the food industry here, and was tempted to laud their
willingness to accept the Bill (even though they should be actively
supporting it.) Reading more quotes,
though, its really more of the same. The lobbyists may
recognize that increased inspection and traceback are actually good things,
long term, for the industry. More likely they realize that after the
parade of foodborne illness outbreaks, these changes are inevitable.
And so, they worked to water down the Bill, decreasing the user fees charged
to industry associated with inspections from the originally proposed $1,000
to $500. And they are not done: “(Committee members) have
shown a willingness to listen and create a system that works,” said Tom
O’Brien, Washington, D.C.-based representative for the Newark, Del.-based
Produce Marketing Association. O’Brien said there is more
work to do — notably
in relation to user fees —
but said the process has been remarkably collaborative so far. In other words, lobbyists
will work until it is the tax-payers are covering the cost of ensuring that
the industry adopts long overdue changes and improvements in food safety. |
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