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In the U.S. Senate:

Strengthens Food-borne Illness Prevention:

Hazard Analysis – Domestic food facilities are required to evaluate potential food safety hazards (such as pesticides, toxins, etc.) and implement preventive controls to mitigate the identified risk and prevent adulteration.

Produce Standards – FDA is given the authority to set commodity-specific standards to improve the safety of fresh produce.Imports – Certification from exporting countries that high-risk food meets U.S. food safety standards. Importers are required to verify the safety of imported food. FDA is given the power to qualify importers for expedited review and importation of food if importers go above and beyond basic standards to ensure the safety of imported food.Third-Party Inspection and Labs – FDA is given the authority to establish an accreditation system to enable qualified third parties to certify domestic and foreign food facilities’ compliance with U.S. food safety standards. FDA is empowered to recognize laboratory accreditation bodies to ensure U.S. food testing labs meet high quality standards.

Improves Food-borne Illness Detection and Response:

Surveillance – Enhances food-borne illness surveillance systems to improve the collection, analysis, reporting, and usefulness of data on food-borne illnesses.

Traceability – Requires the Secretary to establish a pilot project to test and evaluate new methods for rapidly and effectively tracking and tracing-back fruits and vegetables in the event of a food-borne illness outbreak. Also provides for expanded access to records in the event of an outbreak.Mandatory Recall – Gives FDA the authority to order a mandatory recall of a food product when a company fails to voluntarily recall the product upon FDA’s request.Suspension of Registration – Empowers FDA to suspend a food facility’s registration if there is a reasonable probability that food from the facility will cause serious adverse health consequences or death.

Enhances U.S. Food Defense Capabilities:

Directs FDA to promulgate regulations to assist food companies in protecting their products from intentional contamination, and calls for a national strategy to protect our food supply from terrorist threats and rapidly respond to food emergencies.

Increases FDA Resources:

Increases funding for FDA’s food safety activities. A portion of the additional funding proposed in the bill will come from targeted fees for domestic and foreign facilities.

In the U.S. House of Representatives:

The Safe FEAST Act of 2008

The Safe FEAST Act of 2008 introduced by Reps. Jim Costa (D-CA) and Adam Putnam (R-FL) amends the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act to place new mandatory food safety requirements on farm and food companies, to improve the safety of imported food, and to give FDA new powers to recall contaminated food. Americans continue to enjoy the safest food supplies in the world, but rising food imports and changing consumer preferences pose new challenges. The Safe FEAST Act of 2008 will modernize our food safety net, including new requirements to identify and prevent potential sources of food-borne illness. The Safe FEAST Act of 2008 will:

Establish tough mandatory safety standards for fruits and vegetables. In particular, the bill will give FDA the power to establish mandatory safety standards for specific fruits and vegetables – when risk and science demonstrate standards are needed. FDA would work with states to ensure that standards are being met and to consider ways to tailor those standards to meet local growing conditions.

Require food companies to complete a food safety plan. In particular, the bill will require that every food company conducts a food safety risk analysis that identifies potential sources of contamination, identifies appropriate food safety controls, and documents those controls in a food safety plan subject to FDA review if adulterated food is introduced into commerce.

Require food importers to complete a foreign supplier food safety plan. In particular, the bill will require that food importers document the food safety measures and controls being implemented by their foreign suppliers, and will require food importers to make a foreign supplier food safety plan available to FDA.

Build the capacity of foreign governments. In particular, the bill will direct FDA to develop a plan to help build the scientific and regulatory capacity of major exporters to the U.S. In addition, the bill will create a registry of private laboratories that meet FDA standards.

Adopt a risk-based approach to inspections at the border. The bill will enlist the private sector to identify those imports that deserve greater scrutiny and those imports that pose little or no meaningful risk. In particular, the bill will create a voluntary program to give expedited access to imports that pose no meaningful risk, according to FDA.

Give FDA mandatory recall power. In particular, our bill will give FDA the power to order a recall when a company has refused to conduct a voluntary recall and the food poses a risk of adverse health consequences.

For more information, visit www.costa.house.gov and http://adamputnam.house.gov/Food_Safety.shtml

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Did You Know?

The FDA oversees 80 percent of the nation's food supply, but only recieves 20 percent of food safety funding?
HACCP (Harzard Analysis and Critical Control Point) was originally developed for NASA to ensure the safety of food for consumption in space?
The FDA's entire budget is actually less than the budget for the school system in Montgomory County, MD, where FDA resides?
Some in Congress would impose "User Fees" on Food Companies as a way to increase FDA's budget. Such "fees" are really just new taxes on food and would undoubtedly be passed through to the consumer by way of higher food prices.
Current customs law already requires the importers of finished, packaged products, seafood, and some bulk foods to include country of origin labeling on the package. Beginning in 2008, fresh fruits and vegetables imported into the U.S. will also need to display their country of origin.