H.R.1332 - Safe FEAST Act of 2009 Sponsor: Jim Costa / 111th Congress

Title
111th Congress - To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to the safety of the food supply. hidemore...
Summary
To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to the safety of the food supply. (by CRS)
Status
The bill has been introduced.

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Food safety bills with similar names, agendas by Karen Chung, Mar 12, 2009 (6:27pm)

Companion bills S. 510 (FDA Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009) and H.R. 1332(Safe Food Enforcement, Assessment, Standards, and Targeting Act of 2009): Both bills give the Food and Drug Administration wider authority. If passed, both bills would require imported food products to adhere to the same the FDA standards as domestic food products. Both S. 510 and H.R. 1332 would give the FDA the authority to access records of food safety production during emergencies, deny below-standard, uncertified food imports, increase the frequency of inspections of food facilities, enhance surveillance systems, and mandate the recall of a food product if an affected company fails to do so upon the FDA’s request. Furthermore, H.R. 1332 would set new standards for fruits and vegetables. Both measures seek to partially fund these activities by collecting fees from food facilities.

H.R. 875 (Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009): H.R. 875 would split the Food and Drug Administration into a Food Safety Administration and a separate agency responsible for the regulation of drugs and devices. According to the bill’s sponsor, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-3), food crises such as the recent salmonella outbreak occur because of the existence of a complicated, outdated food safety system that creates the potential for miscommunication. Consider pizza. According to the Washington Post, depending on what is on the pizza and its state upon delivery, different agencies are responsible for inspecting it. For example, a frozen cheese pizza falls under FDA’s jurisdiction. One with pepperoni would be the responsibility of the United States Department of Agriculture. If there are eggs on the pizza, “it depends whether the eggs are inside the shell, in liquid form or have been processed.”

Although the FDA is responsible for inspecting around 80% of the food industry, its non-food responsibilities combined with its lack of funds leave a dysfunctional agency that is incapable of sufficiently handling our food safety needs. H.R. 875 would create a single agency to effectively address food safety and equip that agency with the regulatory tools to recall products, mandate inspections, access records, and penalize companies that violate safety regulations.

Dismissing the food industry’s previous anti-regulation stance, many groups in the industry laud S. 510 and H.R. 1332 as crucial regulatory steps to prevent the increasingly frequent foodborne illness crises and outbreaks. Why the sudden shift? Although the food industry may like for us to believe that their shift in positions is an ethical move motivated by the recent outbreak which killed nine and sickened hundreds, it is most likely a strategic move. Bills like S. 510 and H.R. 875 have been introduced year after year without passing, but with the national salmonella outbreak fresh on everyone’s minds, one of these bills is more likely to pass this year than ever. By throwing their support to S. 510 and H.R. 1332, the industry is probably attempting to avoid the structural overhaul that H.R. 875 seeks to implement.

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