Food Safety Bill Continues Movement Toward Senate Passage

After the Senate’s passage of cloture by a 74-25 procedural vote on Wednesday, the long-stalled food-safety bill moved another step closer to passage on Thursday with Democrats and Republicans signing off on a compromise amendment protecting small farmers.

The amendment, sponsored by Sens. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Kay Hagan (D-N.C.), could be rolled into the food safety bill or could be voted up or down separately. Under the amendment, small producers - those selling most of their food directly to consumers, local restaurants and retailers within a 275-mile radius and earning $500,000 or less in annual sales - will continue to be regulated at the state and local level.

Changes to the amendment give the Food and Drug Administration the authority to withdraw an exemption from a farm or facility that has been associated with a foodborne illness outbreak. In addition, the distance from a facility or farm that is eligible to be a "qualified end-user" has been reduced from 400 miles to 275 miles, and language clarifying that farmers' market sales are "direct-to-consumer" for FDA’s purposes has been revised.

In addition, the bill would require more frequent inspections at food-processing plants and would give the government more authority in food-recall cases.

The House passed its version of food-safety legislation in July 2009.

Read more at The Hill.