WASHINGTON, July 7, 2009
Government Tightens Food Safety Standards
Panel Develops New Rules for Select Foods, FDA Outbreak Tracking in Effort to Make Food Safer
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A food safety panel established by President Barack Obama developed the new rules for eggs, poultry, beef, leafy greens, melons and tomatoes as well as for better coordination and communication among the agencies overseeing the nation's food supply (iStockphoto)
A food safety panel established by President Barack Obama developed the new rules for eggs, poultry, beef, leafy greens, melons and tomatoes as well as for better coordination and communication among the agencies overseeing the nation's food supply.
The panel was to announce Tuesday that the Food and Drug Administration and the Agriculture Department would adopt the standards, which follow a string of breakdowns in food safety.
Earlier this year a massive salmonella outbreak in peanut products sickened hundreds, was suspected of causing nine deaths and led to one of the largest product recalls in U.S. history. In the past month, Nestle Toll House cookie dough and 380,000 pounds of beef produced by the JBS Swift Beef Co. of Greeley, Colo., have been recalled due to connections with outbreaks of E. coli.
In March, Obama said he would create a special advisory group to coordinate antiquated food safety laws and recommend ways to update them. The FDA does not have enough money or workers to conduct annual inspections at more than a fraction of the 150,000 food processing plants and warehouses in the country, Obama said.
Under the new rules:
The FDA and the Agriculture Department also will create new positions to better oversee food safety.
The Agriculture Department inspects meat and poultry, and shares inspections of eggs with the FDA. The FDA inspects most other foods, but at least 15 government agencies are a part of the food safety system.
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- With 15 government agencies involved in food safety, it a wonder anything we buy from the store is safe. Unify the job under one agency and give it the manning needed for the job. Cut the positions from the 14 other agencies with their fingers in the batter and it should balance out.
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- To be honest, they just need to shutdown those greedy, corner cutting companies and let new upstarts take over who do the job better.
These mega-sized food packaging compnaies can mess up the food supply so quickly becuase they are so big, it's not funny anymore. - Reply to this comment
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- ajapierce - you are correct RE: mega-sized food packaging. If y'all want to avoid E. coli, stay away from Hormel, Con-Agra, and the feed lot beef mega-producers. Don't ever buy those big packages of frozen beef burger patties.
Buy your beef locally and you will have safe beef for a fraction of the cost of your grocery store. Get together with your neighbors and buy a whole beef - you'll spend less than $3.00 per pound once the meat is wrapped and in your freezer.
- ajapierce - you are correct RE: mega-sized food packaging. If y'all want to avoid E. coli, stay away from Hormel, Con-Agra, and the feed lot beef mega-producers. Don't ever buy those big packages of frozen beef burger patties.
- Finally, the government is protecting us rather than the corporations food industry.
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- FOOD SAFETY???
Definitely not a family value... huh neocons? - Reply to this comment
Ex-NBA ref Tim Donaghy 
