WASHINGTON —Prompted by calls for stricter food safety standards from the foodservice industry and even presidential candidates, federal lawmakers here have introduced a bipartisan bill that many see as a way to better protect the U.S. food supply.
The Safe Food Enforcement, Assessment, Standards and Targeting Act of 2008, or “The Safe FEAST Act,” would establish new safety requirements for domestically produced and imported foods that proponents say would identify and prevent potential foodborne-illness outbreaks. —Prompted by calls for stricter food safety standards from the foodservice industry and even presidential candidates, federal lawmakers here have introduced a bipartisan bill that many see as a way to better protect the U.S. food supply.
The National Restaurant Association has thrown its support behind the measure, calling it “a good bill for the restaurant industry and its patrons.” —Prompted by calls for stricter food safety standards from the foodservice industry and even presidential candidates, federal lawmakers here have introduced a bipartisan bill that many see as a way to better protect the U.S. food supply.
The Safe FEAST Act seeks to establish mandatory produce safety standards that focus on higher-risk items like cantaloupe and green onions, provide increased recall authority for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and require international suppliers to follow the same safety standards required of domestic suppliers. —Prompted by calls for stricter food safety standards from the foodservice industry and even presidential candidates, federal lawmakers here have introduced a bipartisan bill that many see as a way to better protect the U.S. food supply.
The bill was sponsored by U.S. Reps. Jim Costa, D-Calif., and Adam Putnam, R-Fla. —Prompted by calls for stricter food safety standards from the foodservice industry and even presidential candidates, federal lawmakers here have introduced a bipartisan bill that many see as a way to better protect the U.S. food supply.
“Cases of foodborne illness present a health risk to consumers and risk consumer confidence in our food supply,” said Putnam, chairman of the Republican Conference. “The need for this legislation is clear.” —Prompted by calls for stricter food safety standards from the foodservice industry and even presidential candidates, federal lawmakers here have introduced a bipartisan bill that many see as a way to better protect the U.S. food supply.
Food safety also has emerged as an issue on the presidential campaign trail, with both Sens. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and Barack Obama, D-Ill., staking out positions following the recall of 143 million pounds of beef by Chino, Calif.-based Hallmark Meat Packing Co. and West-land Meat Co. earlier this year. —Prompted by calls for stricter food safety standards from the foodservice industry and even presidential candidates, federal lawmakers here have introduced a bipartisan bill that many see as a way to better protect the U.S. food supply.
Clinton said if elected she would increase the food safety budget of the U.S. Department of Agriculture by 50 percent to $1.5 billion per year over time. —Prompted by calls for stricter food safety standards from the foodservice industry and even presidential candidates, federal lawmakers here have introduced a bipartisan bill that many see as a way to better protect the U.S. food supply.
She also said she would push for a single “Food Safety Administration,” which would combine efforts by other departments and agencies. Clinton’s campaign team published a statement saying, “Hillary believes that the current regulatory system is broken, and that we can only meet the challenges we face through a single agency.” —Prompted by calls for stricter food safety standards from the foodservice industry and even presidential candidates, federal lawmakers here have introduced a bipartisan bill that many see as a way to better protect the U.S. food supply.
Obama also weighed in on the issue, pointing out that despite the beef recall in February, an estimated 37 million pounds had gone to school lunch programs. “This incident demonstrates yet again the inadequacy of the food recall process,” he said. —Prompted by calls for stricter food safety standards from the foodservice industry and even presidential candidates, federal lawmakers here have introduced a bipartisan bill that many see as a way to better protect the U.S. food supply.
Obama said that if elected he would provide additional resources to hire federal food inspectors and request that the agriculture department “examine whether federal food safety laws need to be strengthened.” —Prompted by calls for stricter food safety standards from the foodservice industry and even presidential candidates, federal lawmakers here have introduced a bipartisan bill that many see as a way to better protect the U.S. food supply.
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., the Republican presidential candidate, has not articulated his views on food safety. —Prompted by calls for stricter food safety standards from the foodservice industry and even presidential candidates, federal lawmakers here have introduced a bipartisan bill that many see as a way to better protect the U.S. food supply.
“The last time our food safety laws had major reforms, President Eisenhower was in office,” said Costa, who is a member of the Committee on Agriculture. “American consumers deserve to have confidence in their food supply, and American farmers and processors are doing everything possible to produce the safest food in the world.” —Prompted by calls for stricter food safety standards from the foodservice industry and even presidential candidates, federal lawmakers here have introduced a bipartisan bill that many see as a way to better protect the U.S. food supply.
The foodservice industry also has been urging the federal government to enact stronger measures. —Prompted by calls for stricter food safety standards from the foodservice industry and even presidential candidates, federal lawmakers here have introduced a bipartisan bill that many see as a way to better protect the U.S. food supply.
“Food safety is one of the restaurant industry’s highest priorities, and we are working at the local, state, federal and international level to strengthen food safety systems and increase consumer confidence,” said Michelle Reinke, the NRA’s director of legislative affairs. “The Costa-Putnam bill is a laudable effort to move food safety forward in the Congress.” —Prompted by calls for stricter food safety standards from the foodservice industry and even presidential candidates, federal lawmakers here have introduced a bipartisan bill that many see as a way to better protect the U.S. food supply.
Steve Grover, vice president of food safety, quality assurance and regulatory compliance for Miami-based Burger King Corp., said: “I think clearly in concept the bill looks very good. We are 100 percent for improving the food safety net the government provides.” —Prompted by calls for stricter food safety standards from the foodservice industry and even presidential candidates, federal lawmakers here have introduced a bipartisan bill that many see as a way to better protect the U.S. food supply.
Kathy Means, vice president of government relations for the Produce Marketing Association, said her organization also supports the bill. “This certainly looks like an improvement over the food safety bills we’ve seen,” she said. “It is consistent with what we’re looking for, which is food safety rules that apply to both domestic and imported food alike, while allowing for regional and commodity differences.” —Prompted by calls for stricter food safety standards from the foodservice industry and even presidential candidates, federal lawmakers here have introduced a bipartisan bill that many see as a way to better protect the U.S. food supply.
The NRA particularly favors one element in the bill that establishes mandatory standards for fruits and vegetables. The bill seeks to update Good Agricultural Practices Guidance for safe production and issuance of regulation on safety standards, particularly when risk demonstrates standards are needed. —Prompted by calls for stricter food safety standards from the foodservice industry and even presidential candidates, federal lawmakers here have introduced a bipartisan bill that many see as a way to better protect the U.S. food supply.
For example, in 2006 Salinas Valley spinach that had been tainted by E. coli bacteria was blamed for three deaths and the sickening of 200 people nationwide. —Prompted by calls for stricter food safety standards from the foodservice industry and even presidential candidates, federal lawmakers here have introduced a bipartisan bill that many see as a way to better protect the U.S. food supply.
The bill also would mandate international suppliers who export products to the United States to adhere to the same standards established for domestic firms by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. It would establish the Foreign Suppliers Quality Assurance Program, to ensure that imported products meet FDA requirements. —Prompted by calls for stricter food safety standards from the foodservice industry and even presidential candidates, federal lawmakers here have introduced a bipartisan bill that many see as a way to better protect the U.S. food supply.
The measure also would give the FDA the authority to recall adulterated food if it felt a supplier was not responding rapidly enough. Currently, industry action is voluntary. —Prompted by calls for stricter food safety standards from the foodservice industry and even presidential candidates, federal lawmakers here have introduced a bipartisan bill that many see as a way to better protect the U.S. food supply.
Reinke said the bill’s bipartisan support is likely to help it gain momentum in Congress. —Prompted by calls for stricter food safety standards from the foodservice industry and even presidential candidates, federal lawmakers here have introduced a bipartisan bill that many see as a way to better protect the U.S. food supply.
Grover, however, was more circumspect about the bill’s future. “The devil’s in the details,” he said. “Let’s see how this turns out.” —Prompted by calls for stricter food safety standards from the foodservice industry and even presidential candidates, federal lawmakers here have introduced a bipartisan bill that many see as a way to better protect the U.S. food supply.