<I>Salmonella</I> Outbreak Prompts Crackdown on Processors

The Georgia Senate Wednesday unanimously approved legislation to impose stricter guidelines on food processing plants in response to the nationwide salmonella outbreak linked to a Peanut Corp. of America plant in south Georgia.

The bill, which now moves to the House, would require processing plants to report suspicions of contaminated food and results of food testing to the state Department of Agriculture. Companies would have to inform the agency of positive test results for contaminants within one business day of discovery.

The legislation also would give the commissioner of agriculture the right to test any food if there are reasonable grounds to suspect contamination.

Agency officials would have access to companies’ testing records without having to obtain a warrant.

The bill underwent a big change from previous versions with addition of an amendment that a food processor could be exempted from the Department of Agriculture’s testing rules if it submits a safety plan and the state approves it.

Read the text of the bill here.

The bill was sponsored by Senator John Bulloch, who may be reached 404/656-0040.

Source: Atlanta Business Chronicle