House Passes Major Food Safety Legislation

Costa: Our Food SafetyLaws Have Not Had Reform In More Than Fifty Years

WASHINGTON,D.C. –Yesterday, the House of Representatives passed HR 2749, the Food SafetyEnhancement Act by a bipartisan vote of 283-142. Congressman Jim Costa(D-Fresno) supported the legislation, and was deeply involved in crafting thelegislation. The legislation provides several long-overdue changes to ournation's food safety network to continue to provide the world's safest food toAmericans.

"Today'spassage of the Food Safety Enhancement Act is a good first step in modernizingour food safety system. This is still a work in progress, but this progress islong overdue," Costa said. "While American food still continues to beamong the safest in the world, it is not surprising that recent food safety problemshave caused Americans to lose confidence in our nation's ability to keep ourfood safe. We lack an effective risk-based system which ensures the bestmanagement practices and facilitates a strong relationship between federal andstate agencies to better prevent and control food safety threats at all levelsof food production."

Earlierin the year, Costa introduced the Safe FEAST Act, which would establish newfood safety requirements for domestically produced and imported food toidentify and prevent potential sources of food-borne illness. Manyprovisions in Costa's bill were included in the final version of HR 2749 suchas risk-based safety standards for certain raw commodities. Mr. Costa was alsoinstrumental in negotiating several changes to the bill based on concernsraised by the agriculture community, including changes to provisions ontraceability, quarantine, records access as well as additional provisions toprotect farms.

Thebill mandates that FDA establish a risk-based system for inspecting foodfacilities. It also requires all imported foods to meet U.S. safety standardsand directs food manufacturing companies to implement a food safety plan tocontrols hazards.

"Weestablish science-based, risk-based standards for producers and processor bothdomestically and abroad- to make our food safer. This means ensuring ourforeign partners - whether they are growing leafy greens or peppers orproducing peanut butter or pot pie - are also meeting the highest safetystandards before their products make their way to American tables," Costaadded.