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Small Farms Challenge Expansion of FDA's Authority (Wall Street Journal, MD) By JANE ZHANG Small to
mid-size farms and those growing organic foods are challenging the
congressional effort to expand the Food and Drug Administration's food-safety
powers. The farmers
say food-safety legislation that passed the Energy and Commerce Committee in
June gives the FDA authority to set production standards on their farms and
charge them the same registration fees large food processors would be
required to pay. The agency, they fear, could also require them to keep more
records so contaminated products could be traced more easily. "I'm
not against food safety if we have a problem,'' said Nick Maravell, who has a
165-acre organic farm here, about 40 miles from Washington, D.C. He said he
already keeps detailed records to comply with existing U.S. Department of
Agriculture rules for organic products. "To do it again would be time-
and cost-sensitive," he said. Smaller
farmers aren't alone. Cattle ranchers and grain farmers, already regulated by
USDA, don't want to be subjected to an overlay of FDA food-safety rules. The
legislation exempts farms and other facilities regulated by the USDA, which
oversees the safety of meat, poultry and eggs. But the farmers say the bill's
language is ambiguous, partly because many farms do more than grow crops or
raise livestock. Mr. Maravell, for example, grows and processes animal feed. The
pushback from farmers and ranchers fueled a turf battle in the House between
the Energy and Commerce Committee, which oversees the FDA, and the
Agriculture Committee, which oversees the USDA. Agriculture
Committee Chairman Collin C. Peterson (D., Minn.) earlier this month
threatened to hold hearings to stop the bill from reaching a full House vote,
and staff members from the two committees have been working on language to
clarify which farms would be regulated under the FDA legislation. An
Agriculture Committee aide said Monday that staff members from the two
committees are reviewing language in the hopes of finalizing an agreement.
But that may -- or may not -- satisfy farmers and ranchers. The House
could take up the legislation as early as this week. Similar legislation has
been introduced in the Senate, but it is unclear when that chamber will act.
The measures were introduced early in the new Congress after a string of
food-borne illnesses involving spinach, lettuce, peanut butter and hot
peppers and other foods. Major
consumer groups along with the Grocery Manufacturers Association, which
represents large food makers and processors, and United Fresh Produce
Association, which represents the fresh-produce industry, largely support the
legislation. Food companies say it would help boost consumer confidence in
the aftermath of E. coli, salmonella and other outbreaks. "The
outbreaks clearly demonstrate a number of food-safety problems originate on
the farm,'' said Caroline Smith DeWaal, food-safety director at the Center
for Science in the Public Interest, an advocacy group in Washington.
"It's critically important that food-safety measures to prevent
contamination of food and vegetables start on the farm and continue all the
way through processing.'' Small
farmers, however, fear unintended consequences. "I'm a little guy,"
said Mr. Maravell. "They are assuming I'm doing something like the
Salinas Valley." An E. coli outbreak involving spinach grown in
California's Salinas Valley led to a nationwide recall in 2006. Mike
Taylor, who advises FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg on food safety, said
farmers shouldn't be concerned. He said the FDA will consider the needs
of small producers and work with the USDA and other state and federal
agencies to carry out the new responsibilities. The agency would also solicit
public and food industry comment before making its regulations, Mr. Taylor
said. "The
bill has been responsive to the concerns of the farm community to make the
boundaries clear,'' he said. "This is not a one-size-fits-all new
system.'' 7-27-09 http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124873329161184987.html |
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