Renewed Push for One Food-Safety Agency

October 11, 2006 — 

Recent food contamination concerns have revitalized calls for a single food safety agency.

On Monday, three new cases of food-contamination concerns were reported. All involved vegetable products, two involving E. coli and one involving botulism. These cases and last month's E. coli related spinach recall has refreshed interest in and a call for a single government agency to be responsible for food safety.

The bill, the Safe Food Act of 2005, was introduced in the Senate by Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and in the House by Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn). The single agency would be responsible for all food safety and oversight. Proponents say it would streamline prevention, tracking and containment of outbreaks, tasks which are now spread out among 12 federal agencies and sub-agencies.

The call for a single agency repeatedly surfaces. Among the arguments against it focuses on the logic of putting live-animal inspection with that of organic produce. Others argue the answer is more funding.

Source:
Pork Magazine's Pork Alert
October 10, 2006