Posting Number: 2
Topic: Health
Title: Senate Passes Sweeping Law on Food Safety
Writer: Gardiner Harris and William Neuman
Publisher: New York Times
Date of Publication: November 30, 2010
About 1147 words
Legislation recently passed a vote of 73 to 25 that would help ensure that the food we consume is safe. This is important especially after the breakout of tainted eggs, peanut butter and spinach sickened many people in the last few years. The bill allows the F.D.A. new powers to recall tainted foods, increase inspections of food items, demand accountability from food companies, and also oversee farming. The legislation greatly increases the number of inspections of food processing plants that the F.D.A. will be in charge of conducting, especially on foods that are considered most high risk, although it's hard for instance peanut butter, a few years ago probably wouldn't have made it onto the list. As Food suppliers grow in size, problems at a single facility can sicken thousands of people all over the country, and stronger bills are on the way to being passed that would make food consumption safer for the public. The bill will allow the F.D.A. to demand immediate food recalls as well. An important part of the bill gives agency more control over food imports, including inspection of foreign processing plants, and the ability to set standards for how much fruits and vegetables are grown outside of the country.
Conclusion: In the last few years the United States had many civilians food poisoned simply because of the slow recall of tainted foods and the little amount of protection from the F.D.A. More bills are still in the process of being passed to ensure a good amount of safety, but this bill is the start of more government control over food agencies. Consumer advocates were jubilant over the Senate's action and it allows for safer consumption of foods that could have a chance of being tainted.
Opinion: I think that more government control over our food is a good thing as long as the F.D.A. doesn't overstep their power and start causing harm to smaller farmers and businesses. I think that the bill is necessary seeing how individual private corporations failed to protect the people from consuming tainted foods many times. Another good thing about the bill is it allows for the F.D.A. to be able to protect us from foods that are imported which is about one fifth of our food.
It could be tough to assure food safety and the businesses' profit compatible. Food safety is one of a top priority concern because it would be too late to make a move if they noticed something abnormal with that food. Control under FDA will enable the people to understand what has been going on with the product they've purchased, avoiding most of food-illnesses. At the same time, I'm in Gregg's side that profit for the smaller farms and businesses should also be protected from the bill. The administration should be careful not to abuse the law to keep both the economy and people's human body to stay healthy.
ReplyDeleteConsidering the fact that there have been problems of sickened people in the past, I think it is a good idea to ensure the food we consume is safe. In addition, since food is something necessary for survival and is consumed everyday, it should be come with a guarantee that it is safe.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree that letting the FDA have more power to make sure the food that we consume is safe is a good idea, but will it make the food more expensive? Also, is there anyway that the FDA will be regulated to make sure that it doesnt overstep its power?
ReplyDeleteI think that this is a great step to improve food safety. The FDA should have the power to check and regulate food as much as they want as long as they do not start to control the economy. In other words the FDA should be able to test and decline unsafe foods, but without doing so for their personal need or profit. If the FDA goes about their business correctly, then this law is great for the safety of Americans.
ReplyDeleteI feel that if the senate has this power to keep us safe and allow an organization to help us be safe from the bad stuff from countries that undermine the regulations.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very good thing as food safety is always an issue. I myself had a bad case of food poisoning the other day. It could of been caused by a lot of things I ate but the fact that the produce we buy is not safe for human consumption is a scary thought.
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