In December 2010, Congress passed a food safety bill that significantly expanded FDA’s authority, including mandatory recall and inspections. But the bill does not ensure that FDA will use its new authority responsibly, nor does it address the revolving door between the agency and industry, epitomized by Michael Taylor’s current position as FDA’s food czar following his work for Monsanto. Most importantly, the Act does not address the underlying causes of most foodborne illness, namely the industrialized agriculture production and processing systems. These fundamental flaws mean that the bill will most likely do very little to actually improve food safety.…
Good News: FDA Extends Comment Period on Proposed Food Safety Rules
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that it will extend the comment period on the proposed rules under the Food and Safety Modernization Act by another 120 days. We now have until September 13, 2013 to submit public comments on the proposed rules.
Thank you to all the organizations and farms who joined us in writing a letter to the FDA, and to everyone who submitted comments to the FDA and contacted their legislators!
This extra time is vital for understanding the 1,200 pages of proposed rules and submitting comments. The FDA failed to base these rules on sound science, and instead proposed extensive, complicated new requirements that basically assume the worst of every situation and then force the farmers to find science on their own to prove that their farming methods are safe.…
Action Alert: Tell FDA to give farmers more time!
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed 1,200 pages of rules for farmers and food producers that would regulate every aspect of growing, harvesting, and processing foods.
FDA took two years to develop these proposed regulations under the federal Food Safety Modernization Act, in which Congress directed FDA to issue science-based regulations.
But FDA’s proposed rules are not based on sound science. Instead, the FDA has written extensive, complicated new requirements that basically assume the worst of every situation and then force the farmers to find science on their own to prove that their farming methods are safe. Many traditional and sustainable methods of cultivation will be guilty until proven innocent.
Although small, direct-marketing farms and processors are exempt from the new rules under the Tester-Hagan amendment, there are many family-owned and operated farms that don’t fall within the amendment. In addition, opponents of local foods are already looking for ways to undermine the Tester-Hagan amendment and impose these unreasonable regulations on every farmer and food producer, no matter how small.…
Press Release: Family Farmers and Organizations Ask FDA for More Time to Analyze New Food Safety Rules
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Family Farmers and Organizations Ask FDA for More Time to Analyze New Food Safety Rules
Joint Letter Says Comment Period Too Short for Complex 1,200-Page Proposal
AUSTIN, Texas – March 6, 2013 – Over 270 organizations, food businesses and farms requested an extension today of the comment period for two major proposed food safety rules. The groups seek more time to assess the effects of the 1,200 pages of rules on family farms and small food businesses.…
Call for Sign-On’s to Letter Requesting More Time on FDA’s Proposed Rules in Food Safety Modernization Act
Dear colleagues,
As you may be aware, the FDA released its long awaited proposed rules on Food Safety Modernization Act on January 4, 2013. Since then, organizations and individuals across the country are scrambling to digest the massive rules and identify what impact they may have on family farms and producers.
The sheer volume of rules – and the coming spring planting – make it very difficult to have enough time to properly analyze the rules and provide substantive comments to the FDA before the May 16, 2013 deadline.
A few organizations concerned especially about the impact of the rules on small-scale producers, have drafted a letter to the FDA requesting a 120-day extension on the comment period. We would like to submit this letter jointly with other organizations concerned about food safety. …
FDA Issues Proposed Food Safety Rules
…stay tuned for a full analysis and action items!
On January 4, 2013 FDA issued proposed rules under the Food Safety Modernization Act. The two sets of proposed rules address on-farm produce safety standards and hazard analysis plans for facilities.…
FARFA Files Joint Comments Urging FDA to Waive or Reduce Fees for Re-Inspections of Small Businesses
October 16, 2011
Submitted through www.Regulations.gov
Re: Food and Drug Administration
Docket No. FDA-2011-N-0529
Request for Comment, 76 Fed. Reg. 45818 (Aug. 1, 2011)
Dear FDA:
The Weston A. Price Foundation, the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance, and the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund jointly submit these comments on fees imposed under the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act.…
Food Safety Bill Passes: Now What?
People inside and outside the Beltway had trouble keeping up with the many procedural turns taken by the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act. In the end, the bill was voted on twice by the Senate and three times by the House. President Obama signed it on January 4, 2011.
The final bill gives FDA mandatory recall power and directs the agency to inspect facilities at least every 5 years. Some have lauded these as important improvements, particularly in light of the complete lack of inspection of the Wright County egg facilities or the Peanut Corporation of America’s Texas plant. But the bill does not ensure that FDA will use that recall or inspection authority responsibly.…
Frequently Asked Questions About the Food Safety Bill
**Disclaimer: The comments below are intended to try to explain the likely application of the bill and are not legal advice. The exact application of the Food Safety Modernization Act in practice will be significantly impacted by the FDA’s rulemaking process.**
Q: I sell grass-fed beef / grass-fed lamb/ pastured pork. Will I face new regulations under the Act?
A: No. The Act applies to FDA, not the USDA. Meats are regulated by USDA.…
House Passes Food Safety Bill With Tester-Hagan Amendment
This afternoon, the House voted 215-144 to approve the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (now HR 2751), including the Tester-Hagan amendment.
The bill has taken many bizarre procedural twists. Throughout the process, Agribusiness repeatedly tried to prevent the Tester-Hagan amendment from being included. Even today, members of the House critiqued the bill’s protections for small-scale direct marketing producers.…
