In The News

Snag threatens food safety bill

Not even a day after the U.S. Senate voted 73-25 in favor of a bill that would overhaul the current food safety system in this country, it has already hit a snag.

That’s because the Senate bill, the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act – S510– contains a section that would allow the FDA to assess fees on food importers and producers if their products are recalled or they fail food safety inspections.

These fees could be considered tax provisions, and under congressional rules they must originate in the U.S. House.

The Senate sent its version of the bill to the House for approval on Tuesday, Nov. 30, when the issue was discovered.

According to Congressional Quarterly , the House, which passed its version of the bill in July 2009, is deciding whether to send the bill back to the Senate for another vote.

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