FDA chief supports food safety revamp bill

However, she also added that the Congress must be ready to spend on the additional infrastructure if consumers are to benefit in any way.

A version of the new legislation that would beef up the FDA’s food safety system was passed in the House in July. The extensive overhaul bill aims at renovating the FDA in a major way.

FDA chief wants that agency should not merely take action when outbreaks of food-borne illnesses occur. Rather it should have requisite tools that put a halt on them before they actually happen.

This can be achieved by setting new standards of excellence, increasing food safety checks and stressing on improved record-keeping by food producers.

Hamburg told the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee that the modifications can be done only with the help of considerable additional manpower and expensive new computer systems.

She said, “We are concerned that the bill does not provide a guaranteed consistent funding source to help FDA fulfil its new responsibilities.”

Till now, Hamburg has not mentioned as to how much money is required by her agency, but committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) has asked the FDA determine the cost estimates at the earliest. This is because he does not want to pass a bill that is marred by unstable funding.

Bill details
The House bill has an approximate price tag of $3.7 billion over five years. It will be partly financed by a $500 annual fee on food facilities.

The new bill requires food businesses to write safety plans that can aid in recognizing the possible sources of contamination and the steps that can be taken to eliminate the same.

Not only this, it would also make it necessary for the FDA to increase facility inspections, set optimum protection standards for produce and issue a set of directives to ensure that imported food meets the same quality standards as those set for domestically produced food.

Apart from this, it would also authorize the FDA to recall food if a company does not act willingly.

The bill would require the agency to develop more coordination with state and local health officials so as to keep a check on the outbreak of any epidemic.

Giving an optimistic statement on the passing of the new Bill, Harkin said, “Hopefully we can get this bill passed and to the White House before this year ends.”

Food safety measures being taken by the FDA

The FDA itself is taking stringent measures to beef up food security. Hamburg revealed that the agency is going to add 350 employees to its food safety operations.

Also, it is aiming at conducting 2,000 inspections of domestic food facilities this year.

Food safety is of utmost importance in the present times as the Senate bill’s sponsor, Illinois Democrat Richard J. Durbin and other supporters mentioned the recent deaths and illnesses that have occurred due to infected food.

Also, there have been many cases in the recent past where there have been recalls of spinach, cookie dough, tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, peanuts and other products.