Senator Roberts Supports Food Safety Reform Bill

Senator Roberts Supports Food Safety Reform Bill; CattleNetwork

U.S. Senator Pat Roberts today announced the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee approved a bipartisan food safety reform bill to modernize the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) ability to protect consumers.

The bill, S. 510, the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, would improve FDA’s authorities and resources regarding food-borne illness prevention, food-borne illness detection and response, food defense capabilities, and overall resources.

“While I have concerns regarding a few sections of this bill, and I hope to continue working with my colleagues on those provisions,” Senator Roberts said, “I am pleased that this bill takes a targeted, risk-based approach to food safety.”

Following the bill’s introduction, Senator Roberts expressed concerns with its impact on trade agreements due to several provisions directly interacting with U.S. trade partners.

Roberts negotiated changes incorporated into the manager’s amendment to ensure nothing in the bill shall be inconsistent with World Trade Organization obligations. ...