Food Safety: Selected Issues and Bills in the 110th Congress (CRS Report for Congress)
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| Release Date |
Revised Jan. 2, 2008 |
| Report Number |
RL34152 |
| Report Type |
Report |
| Authors |
Geoffrey S. Becker, Resources, Science, and Industry Division |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
| Older Revisions |
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Premium Sept. 4, 2007 (22 pages, $24.95)
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Summary:
A series of widely publicized incidentsâfrom adulterated Chinese seafood imports to bacteria-tainted spinach, meat, and poultry produced domesticallyâhave made food safety an issue in the 110th Congress. Numerous proposals were introduced in 2007 that would alter aspects of the current U.S. food safety system; some of these bills could receive consideration in 2008. This report provides an overview of the current system, highlights major issues in the debate to improve it, and describes the bills.
Reorganization of Food Safety Responsibilities. Critics believe that the current system is fragmented and inefficient, threatening food safety; others believe that, while improvements could be made, reorganization is not the most appropriate response. The Senate-passed version of H.R. 2419, the omnibus farm bill, would establish a commission to recommend changes.
Food Import Oversight. U.S. food imports have been increasing significantly, raising questions about whether U.S. safeguards, generally established at a time when most Americans obtained their foods domestically, sufficiently protect public health. Pending proposals would variously require foreign countries and establishments to seek U.S. certification before importing into the United States; expand oversight of food imports; and/or charge fees on such imports to cover oversight costs.
Notification and Recall Authority; Traceability. Generally, neither the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) nor USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has explicit statutory authority to order a recall of adulterated foods, to require a company to notify them when it has distributed such foods, or to impose penalties if recall requirements are violated. P.L. 110-85, which comprises wide-ranging FDA amendments, includes a requirement that FDA establish a registry for reporting potentially adulterated foods. The Senate-passed version of the farm bill contains a similar requirement for FSIS-regulated foods. Still pending are numerous bills containing provisions for mandatory recall authority. Several bills also would require agencies to set up systems for tracing foods from their source of production to final sale.
State-Inspected Meat and Poultry. Federally but not state-inspected meat and poultry may be shipped across state lines. Both the Senate- and House-passed versions of the pending farm bill would allow state-inspected products into interstate commerce, but under very different approaches.
Other Proposals. Other pending food safety-related measures would curtail the non-medical use of antibiotics in animal feeds; address the labeling of products from cloned animals; and provide incentives aimed at improving the safety of fresh fruits and vegetables.
