Wisconsin Ag Connection - National/World News - Food Safety Bill Approved by Senate HELP Committee

National & World Ag News Headlines

Food Safety Bill Approved by Senate HELP Committee
USAgNet - 11/23/2009

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee approved its version of a food safety bill on Wednesday by a voice vote.

The bill approved was a Chairman's mark of a bill authored by Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) that corrected a number of technical issues and made some positive changes, including clarifying compliance with international trade obligations.

At the Committee mark-up, more than a dozen other amendments were offered and withdrawn with an agreement to work on them prior to a floor vote. Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) offered three positive amendments related to performance standards, confidentiality and jurisdiction.

Like its House companion, passed in July, the Senate bill, S. 510, would grant the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authority to oversee everything from food production and processing to distribution and retail, and to ensure that imported food meets U.S. safety standards.

The Senate version approved this week is preferred by NAWG and some other agricultural organizations because it is more science-based, and it has been considered on a bipartisan basis. While most major obstacles have been removed, timing is dependent on the health care debate, which will likely push any floor action into next year.