Bronson Lauds Multi Faceted Federal Food Safety Bill

Bronson Lauds Multi Faceted Federal Food Safety Bill

Tallahassee -- Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles H. Bronson is praising a bill that will tackle numerous weaknesses in federal food safety programs.

"This multi-faceted food safety initiative enables us to tackle food safety issues before foreign imports ever reach our shores as well as strengthening food safety programs here at home," Bronson said. "I applaud Florida U.S. Representative Adam Putnam for introducing legislation that addresses food safety from farm to fork and has the support of the many stakeholders involved, from food producers to regulators. Disagreements over how to keep our food supply safe have for too long prevented comprehensive legislation and Representative Putnam has enabled everyone to move beyond their differences and compromise."

The Safe Food Enforcement, Assessment, Standards and Targeting Act, or Safe FEAST, empowers the Food and Drug Administration to conduct mandatory recalls; establishes new safety requirements for domestic and imported food; establishes new safety standards for food importers; and requires food companies to show how they are identifying and addressing potential sources of food contamination.

Bronson’s department is responsible for ensuring a safe food supply through permitting, inspections and monitoring from the farm all the way through processing, distribution and retail sales.

The Safe FEAST bill gives the FDA the ability to require a recall of contaminated food, which currently is done on a voluntary basis. It requires that imported food meet the same safety and quality standards as domestically produced products and importers would have to establish for FDA review a written food safety plan that documents food safety measures and controls.

Safe FEAST also requires domestic and foreign food companies to conduct a food safety risk analysis that identifies potential sources of contamination and adequate controls to address the risks of adulterated food.

Industry leaders are also supporting the measure. Mike Stuart, the president of the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association said, "This is a thoughtful, pragmatic approach to food safety. It focuses the regulatory process on higher risk areas, while strengthening the overall safety framework."

Bronson says Congressman Putnam’s bill is crucial because food safety laws have not undergone a thorough review for over forty years. Nearly 25,000 cases of food-borne illness were reported in the U.S. in 2006. He’s hopeful the changes can help address these distressing statistics.