Industry (again) urges Senate to schedule vote on food safety bill

GMA president and CEO Pamela Bailey said in a statement: “Now more than ever the time is right for the Senate to pass the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act. The food and beverage industry is committed to partnering with Congress, the Obama Administration and the FDA to strengthen and modernize our nation’s food safety system.”​

The GMA is the world's largest trade association representing the food, beverage and consumer packaged goods industries.

It has consistently expressed its support of the bill, particularly as its members have been increasingly hit by massive ingredient recalls, such as those involving salmonella-tainted peanut products, in which more than 3,900 products were recalled, and hydrolyzed vegetable protein, in which 10,000 pounds of the commonly used flavor enhancer was contaminated. Such recalls are expensive, and can also damage consumer confidence in a food manufacturer’s reputation, even if the cause of contamination is further down the supply chain.

Bailey said: “The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act will provide the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with the resources and authorities the agency needs to help strengthen our nation’s food safety system by making prevention the focus of our food safety strategies. We urge the Senate to vote on this important, bipartisan bill as quickly as possible.”​

If passed, the bill would give the FDA the authority to order product recalls – whereas at the moment it is up to companies to recall products voluntarily if they suspect that they are contaminated. The bill would also improve oversight of imported foods, require companies to submit detailed food safety plans and would give the FDA greater access to company records.

The Food Safety Modernization Act has been stalled in the Senate since it was passed unanimously by the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee in November, and a companion bill – the Food Safety Enhancement Act – passed the House more than a year ago, last July.

Earlier this month Senate leaders collaborated to release a bipartisan agreement on the bill, signaling that it is likely to be debated in the Senate when it reconvenes in September.