Dear Ken:
Thank you for contacting me concerning food safety legislation.
I appreciate learning your thoughts about this important matter.
As you may know, on December 19, 2010, the Senate passed the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act by unanimous consent; H.R. 2751 was the final vehicle for the legislation. The bill underwent deliberative and thoughtful consideration and ultimately received overwhelming bipartisan support at both the committee and floor levels of the Senate.
Many of the concerns that I have heard from folks throughout South Dakota have been addressed in the final legislation, including a provision that would provide regulatory flexibility for small processors and small farmers that have less than $500,000 in annual sales and primarily market directly to consumers within the same state or within 275 miles. The bill also targets only foods already regulated under the FDA.
Following the Senate’s approval, the House of Representatives passed the bill on December 21, 2010 by a vote of 215-144; President Obama signed the bill into law on January 4, 2011.
I have long believed that there is room for improvement in our food safety and inspection system. The current system hasn’t been comprehensively updated since 1939, and given the 76 million cases of food borne illnesses every year, it is clear that the current system isn’t working. The recent outbreaks of food borne illnesses underscore the urgency of enacting changes to the current system, and as such, I voted for this important bill.
This legislation was in development for more than a year, and throughout that time I heard from numerous South Dakotans about the potential impacts this legislation could have on both consumers and producers. The bill gives the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) mandatory recall authority in cases in which a company does not voluntarily recall the contaminated product, requires food importers to ensure the safety of imported food. It also requires food facilities to develop food safety plans to prevent adulteration, as well as putting in place other safeguards to address the inadequacies of the current system.
At the same time, the bill also provides regulatory flexibility for small processors and small farmers. Contrary to some rumors that have been circulating, nothing in the bill would prohibit anyone from growing food for their own consumption. I strongly believe this legislation appropriately provides the authority necessary to quickly identify the source of adulterated food as well as to prevent it from entering the marketplace, while ensuring that producers are protected from overly burdensome requirements.
Protecting small agricultural producers from overly burdensome costs and regulations has always been one of my priorities in food safety legislation. Especially considering the tough economic conditions facing our country, it is important that we focus our food safety resources in an effective manner. It is important that new food safety requirements give special consideration to the unique role of small producers and small processing facilities, and I believe the legislation as enacted appropriately addresses those concerns while at the same time providing adequate resources and authority for ensuring the food we feed our families is safe.
I sincerely appreciate learning your concerns about this legislation, and I hope this information will be of interest to you. Thank you again for contacting me, and please keep in touch!
Sincerely,
Tim Johnson
Thank you for contacting me concerning food safety legislation.
I appreciate learning your thoughts about this important matter.
As you may know, on December 19, 2010, the Senate passed the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act by unanimous consent; H.R. 2751 was the final vehicle for the legislation. The bill underwent deliberative and thoughtful consideration and ultimately received overwhelming bipartisan support at both the committee and floor levels of the Senate.
Many of the concerns that I have heard from folks throughout South Dakota have been addressed in the final legislation, including a provision that would provide regulatory flexibility for small processors and small farmers that have less than $500,000 in annual sales and primarily market directly to consumers within the same state or within 275 miles. The bill also targets only foods already regulated under the FDA.
Following the Senate’s approval, the House of Representatives passed the bill on December 21, 2010 by a vote of 215-144; President Obama signed the bill into law on January 4, 2011.
I have long believed that there is room for improvement in our food safety and inspection system. The current system hasn’t been comprehensively updated since 1939, and given the 76 million cases of food borne illnesses every year, it is clear that the current system isn’t working. The recent outbreaks of food borne illnesses underscore the urgency of enacting changes to the current system, and as such, I voted for this important bill.
This legislation was in development for more than a year, and throughout that time I heard from numerous South Dakotans about the potential impacts this legislation could have on both consumers and producers. The bill gives the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) mandatory recall authority in cases in which a company does not voluntarily recall the contaminated product, requires food importers to ensure the safety of imported food. It also requires food facilities to develop food safety plans to prevent adulteration, as well as putting in place other safeguards to address the inadequacies of the current system.
At the same time, the bill also provides regulatory flexibility for small processors and small farmers. Contrary to some rumors that have been circulating, nothing in the bill would prohibit anyone from growing food for their own consumption. I strongly believe this legislation appropriately provides the authority necessary to quickly identify the source of adulterated food as well as to prevent it from entering the marketplace, while ensuring that producers are protected from overly burdensome requirements.
Protecting small agricultural producers from overly burdensome costs and regulations has always been one of my priorities in food safety legislation. Especially considering the tough economic conditions facing our country, it is important that we focus our food safety resources in an effective manner. It is important that new food safety requirements give special consideration to the unique role of small producers and small processing facilities, and I believe the legislation as enacted appropriately addresses those concerns while at the same time providing adequate resources and authority for ensuring the food we feed our families is safe.
I sincerely appreciate learning your concerns about this legislation, and I hope this information will be of interest to you. Thank you again for contacting me, and please keep in touch!
Sincerely,
Tim Johnson
