California Senator Introduces Food Safety Legislation
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) introduced a piece of legislation Nov. 30 that would require food manufacturers to take responsibility for keeping food free of contaminants.
The Processed Foods Safety Act would amend Poultry Products Inspection Act, the Federal Meat Inspection Act and the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act to prohibit the sale of any food that has not been certified to be pathogen free, according to a statement from Sen. Feinstein’s office.
“Food producers must be obligated to produce food that is free of pathogens.” Senator Feinstein said. “It is the responsibility of the food producer, not the consumer, to make sure our food safe to eat.
“Anyone who visits the websites of the USDA or the FDA can see that recalls are not a rare occurrence. In the last month, these two federal agencies recalled thousands of pounds of beef because of E. coli contamination, packages of apples and carrots, which contained botulism spores, and dried plums, which contained traces of lead. Serious reform is needed. This bill would require companies that process any kind of food, from ground beef to frozen pot pies, to test their finished products and their ingredients to make sure that they are safe to eat and pathogen free.”
Feinstein’s proposed legislation would prohibit the sale of any FDA-regulated food that has not undergone a pathogen reduction step or has been certified to contain no verifiable traces of pathogens, according to the statement. The bill also would require manufacturers to inform consumers of every additive, including food colorings and flavorings.
