Food Safety Act: 18 Changes To Food Safety The New Law Will Bring (PHOTOS)

The Food Safety Modernization Act, passed by the U.S. Senate December 22 and headed for President Obama's signature, aims to enhance the safety of food produced in America and imported from overseas, and to prevent food-borne illness.

The $1.4 billion bill mainly expands the reach and regulatory powers of the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA oversees production of all food products with the exception of meat, poultry and dairy, which fall under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Here are 18 key changes the Food Safety Modernization Act will bring to food production and consumption in America:

Comments

[thundermummy]

07:27 PM on 01/05/2011

I would much rather see the money that this legislation requires to be enacted be instead given to the top 5% of Americans by income so America can continue to be the greatest country on earth, free from socialism and evolution in schools. Thank You.

[mintrose]

12:53 PM on 01/02/2011

i just wanted to share this remarkable video ( about an hour and a half ) i watched for my degree in public health ....here is the link: http://www.sprword.com/videos/foodinc/

after watching this video, you might realize that whatever is being done for food safety .... is not enough .... an entire overhaul is needed ....

i can only do my part .... please share this link with everyone you know .... spread the word .... please refrain from eating factory farmed foods, corn and corn derivatives, and all soy (90% of all soy in America is pure Monsanto) ..... ' we can change the world with every bite ' .... thank you ....

[janie@atthelake]

12:37 PM on 12/31/2010

bookmarked.

[P Andrew]

07:02 PM on 12/29/2010

While some of these changes are good the effect will be to drive the smaller and speciality businesses out of business. And since the FDA is controlled and staffed with people from the giant food corporations we will likely further increase the monoply held by a few giant corporations. Smaller local and regional producers can be easily squeezed out by fees and regulatory harrassment. This bill while masquerading as food safety really is designed to eliminate small businesses. It's another attack on the middle class.

[Marturia]

11:59 AM on 01/07/2011

"The bill also includes exemptions for small food companies and local farms that may be unable to reach standards designed for larger companies." #8, Produce Safety Standards.

[Agustina lopez novillo]

02:58 PM on 12/29/2010

Go to your local food market, the food is fresh and your know where it is coming from.

[slocomgp]

01:33 PM on 12/29/2010

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/17/smithfield-pork-pigs-abuse-humane-society_n_798310.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/29/alfalfa-sprouts-recall-salmonella_n_802189.html

[lilady]

01:17 PM on 12/28/2010

More common sense. In addition to washing your hands frequently; wash all produce thoroughly as well, especially if you are not going to cook it. Pre-washed salad is a definite no-no and a misnomer as many food borne outbreaks have been caused by "pre-washed" salad and greens.

I am a health care professional whose work involved investigating and reporting of infectious diseases. I am also a homemaker who prepares "from scratch" all my meals. You must assume that all chicken, turkey and raw eggs are contaminated and require careful preparation, scrupulous cleaning of cutting boards and knives to eliminate cross-contamination with other foods and cooking to avoid salmonella and camplobacteria illnesses. Recipes that include raw eggs are not part of my recipe collection; look for recipes that have been adapted to use cooked eggs.

E-coli infection from hamburgers that are undercooked have been implicated in severe life-threatening and deadly outbreaks. "Natural" apple cider has also transmitted the deadly bacteria due to the pressing of apples that were cross-contaminated with cow manure. If you want to eat beef that is medium rare or rare, limit your consumption to a thick steak, which may have some surface contamination which is destroyed by searing on the grill.

Do not rely on "pop-up" timers on chicken and turkey to determine doneness. Instead, invest a few dollars in a digital thermometer and be certain to test the thigh on whole birds for safe temperature readings.

[slocomgp]

12:57 PM on 12/29/2010

Fanned for good advise. Happy New Year!

[MikeyJaii]

12:34 AM on 12/28/2010

Common sense to wash your hands, not once but as many times so you can see your own face on your hands before you touch anything and put it in your mouth.

[rikster]

04:46 PM on 12/26/2010

"Produce Safety Standards"...."Funds for staff expansion"......Homeland Security....? this whole thing sounds very strange. sounds like something has purchased control of the food supply..

[slocomgp]

12:59 PM on 12/29/2010

"Produce Safety Standards"­...."Funds for staff expansion"­

Sounds pretty important to me.

[HerrMonk]

12:18 AM on 12/26/2010

My dream is that someday Homeland Security will oversee every single aspect of my life.

[Hagenj]

02:50 PM on 12/26/2010

STEP BY STEP THEY MARCH TO THAT END.

[Ozark Homesteader]

10:53 PM on 12/25/2010

I wish the regulations on foreign producers and importers were tighter.

Producers also need a better way to appeal than they have now. I don't see that happening with the new legislation.

[innerpuppie]

09:36 PM on 12/25/2010

I've read the positives and I've read the negatives. I'll go with the positives since most of the negatives come from Republicans who believe that all of these new changes should be left to the folks who produce or import the food. These new laws/rules aren't perfect but they sure are a lot better than what we've had which is mostly nothing. Sadly, when profit/money is involved, business' don't self-regulate very well when they have to choose between their bank accounts and slipping crappy food through the system hoping that no one dies - or - maybe they don't hope - maybe they just don't care...

[greengoodsguide]

08:16 PM on 12/26/2010

The FDA already had the power to keep food safe BEFORE this. They just chose not to enforce the existing laws or use their inspection power.

Now the onerous recordkeeping may put small producers out of business, which was one of the reasons this law was passed and the result Food Inc. wanted.

The new law also has a rather unbelievable clause in it that gives the WTO some really scary powers.

Do some reading. This is another case of Shock Doctrine Law. Create the catastrophe and then have the industries that created it write the law with the help of their pals in congress so that it will increase their profits and put their competitors OOB.

[pathsofnature]

07:11 PM on 12/25/2010

If the FDA really cared about food "safety" they would close down all factory farms and bring back real food to the public. Disease comes from overcrowded filthy factory farms not small farms thata actually do good for this world.

And there stance on dangerous chemicals is a joke. Aspartame, artificial colors, sodium nitrate, monosodium glumatate, and the dozens of other chemical slop we attempt to call food should be banned.

[magicmary]

01:54 PM on 12/26/2010

Why do people still buy that stuff? I gotta hand it to the foodies of the world - they are making food that goes from dirt to plate interesting and appetizing!

[IMOPINIONH8D]

07:00 PM on 12/26/2010

I agree with what you are saying but I dont think they could raise enough poultry without factory farming. Predators are hell on chickens

[Marturia]

12:27 PM on 01/07/2011

"Predators are hell on chickens."
True. We purchase fresh eggs from a nearby 'free roaming' ranch. It's all they can do to protect the birds from foxes, ferrets, coyotes, bears, even other birds like hawks and eagles. It's not easy getting fresh eggs from 'the chicken to the kitchen'.

[Amanda Donovan]

11:08 AM on 12/25/2010

its a start............

[roudy]

10:56 PM on 12/24/2010

This should have been done 30 years ago, and is still much to weak with regard to imported foods.