FDA Food Safety Modernization Act easily passes Senate Vote (Nov. 30)

from Obama Food-o-rama blog (here in Google Blogger)

The U.S. Senate on Tuesday morning November 30, 2010 passed sweeping legislation that

could profoundly alter America's food safety scenario, the $1.4 billion FDA Food Safety Modernization Act. The vote, after months of debate and changes, was 73-25, with all "nays" coming from the GOP. President Obama issued a statement form the White House, lauding the move.
"We are one step closer to having critically important new tools to protect our nation’s food supply and keep consumers safe," President Obama said. "I urge the House – which has previously passed legislation demonstrating its strong commitment to making our food supply safer – to act quickly on this critical bill, and I applaud the work that was done to ensure its broad bipartisan passage in the Senate."
The House passed a far more comprehensive version of the legislation in July of 2009, and members must now approve the Senate version before the President can sign it into law. That could be a problem, as a coalition of food industry groups continue to protest an easing of FDA regulations for smaller farmers and processors.
S510 is the first overhaul of the federal food safety regulatory system in over seven decades,and is a prevention-focused bill that will boost the FDA's inspection mandate, give it mandatory recall authority, and require food facilities to put food safety plans in place. It will also regulate imported foods. Until recently, the bill had wide bipartisan support, but the addition of the Tester Amendment, introduced by Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT), which eases FDA regulations for "small, local food processors and producers" had caused much controversy, and was modified on the way to inclusion in the legislation. It now includes FDA oversight on Farm Sales to Wholesale establishments. Read it here.
Many of those issues were ironed out with much behind-the-scenes work over the Thanksgiving holiday, as Senate staffers worked busily to make changes and regain support. After today's vote, Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), one of the sponsors of the bill, thanked the long-suffering staffers for their work.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack also issued a statement today lauding the Senate action.
“As a co-chair of President Obama’s Food Safety Working Group, I commend the Senate on today’s passage of the food safety bill," Sec. Vilsack said. "There is no more fundamental function of government than protecting consumers from harm, which is why food safety is one of USDA’s top priorities."