More expense added to our already high grocery bills. This is one of the last bills that was passed during the lame duck session in December 2010 by a Democratic majority who had just lost in the November election:
The two rules proposed by the FDA would require food producers to develop and enact comprehensive plans to prevent contamination of their products. Those plans would be submitted to the FDA for approval and enforcement.
Friday’s rules overhaul food safety on the farm and in the production facility.
They will force growers to ensure the safety of fertilizer, irrigation water and water used in packing sheds, for example. Farm workers will be given better sanitation facilities, and equipment will have to be easy to clean.
On the processing side, food manufacturers will be required to create and test schemes for fighting contamination.
The public will have 120 days to comment before the new rules go into effect.
The FDA said Friday that it will release three more food rules soon.
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