President Obama signed the much heralded FDA Food Safety Modernization Act into law on Tuesday, January 4. The Act is supported by public health, industry and food safety groups, according to a report in Food Safety News.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will now have authority to regulate about 80 percent of the U.S. food supply and the Act gives the agency more muscle to call for mandatory food recalls for unsafe or adulterated foods instead of requesting the recall as has been customary. Foreign food manufacturing facilities that import into the U.S. will have to meet U.S. standards and growers and food plants will have to implement a food safety plan and provide the agency with test results. Grocery stores will also have to post notices about food recalls so consumers have that information while they are shopping.
The provisions are to be implemented over several years with the exception of the mandatory food recall powers by the FDA, which will go into effect immediately. An immediate recall power means the nation does not have to wait while the FDA negotiates with a company over whether its products are contaminated with E. coli, salmonella, or listeria.
At the same time, the GOP announced plans to cut FDA funding for the new safety laws, estimated to cost $1.4 billion.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate there are 48 million cases of foodborne illnesses, 128,000 hospitalizations because of foodborne illnesses, and 3,000 foodborne illness-related deaths every year in the United States.
The Florida product liability lawyers at Farah & Farah have many years of experience handling a wide variety of product liability cases in Florida, and it makes us well-equipped to handle the most complex product liability and adulterated food cases. Call us so we can begin an investigation into your case.
