America Gets One Step Closer to Food Safety Reform

Update 12/21/10: It took more than a year-and-a-half of pushing, but on December 21, 2010, Congress passed the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (S. 510). The move came after more than 1,800 Change.org members signed our petition asking Congress to pass the food safety reform bill. You can read more about this victory here.

The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (S. 510), also known as the food safety reform bill, seemingly operates under Murphy's Law. The House originally passed the contentious legislation back in July of 2009, where it then sat stalled in the Senate for well over a year. The bill hit another roadblock when Sen. Tom Coburn threatened to derail the legislation by refusing to support it. Another snafu occurred a mere two weeks ago when the House sent the bill back to the Senate, claiming that the legislation was invalid because it contained tax-related provisions. All revenue-generating measures must originate in the House.

But finally — after a long and bumpy road through Congress — the bill seems poised to become law. Senators stripped the bill of its illegal revenue-generating provisions and passed it again last night. Now S. 510 will make its way back to the House and — barring any further complications — will wind up on President Obama's desk as early as this week.

"Families in Nevada and across America should never have to worry about whether the food they put on their tables is safe," Sen. Harry Reid (D-N.V.) said, according to Politico. "This is a common-sense measure with broad bipartisan support."

The bill may have bipartisan support in Congress now, but it's been quite controversial throughout its history, even amongst sustainable foodies. Drumming up support for the legislation has taken a Herculean effort from non-profits like Consumers Union, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), and the Center for Foodborne Illness Research and Prevention. It's also taken a lot of very public pushing from famed foodies like Michael Pollan, Marion Nestle, and Eric Schlosser. Some folks even shared personal stories of loved ones lost to foodborne illness. And while this summer's massive salmonella-tainted egg scandal was scary, the recall's silver lining was that it illustrated exactly why America needs comprehensive food safety reform legislation.

If S. 510 does finally get signed into law, it would provide the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with the power it needs to issue mandatory food recalls. Right now, the agency can only ask producers to voluntarily recall contaminated products. The legislation would also mandate more frequent inspections of America's major food production and processing sites. Under current laws, large-scale producers like Wright County Egg and Hillendale Farms might get a visit from federal inspectors once every 10-to-15 years. More frequent inspections — and the prospect of hefty fines and violations — would certainly push a lot of unscrupulous producers to clean up their acts.

The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act seems like it's finally on the right path. But as this bill's long history has shown us, changing circumstances can quickly throw S. 510 off-track. If you support comprehensive food safety reform and an FDA overhaul, sign our petition asking Congress to immediately pass the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act.

Photo credit: Benimoto via Flickr