Americans will have to wait a little longer now to feel safe about their food supply again.

US food safety bill defeated - or just delayed?
The sweeping bill to overhaul the US food safety system was rejected yesterday over fears of imposing excessive burdens on farmers and that its hurried legislative passage had prevented proper scrutiny. But the bill’s passage into law is likely to have been delayed rather than defeated as Democrat supporters moved quickly to ensure it is brought back to the House of Representatives.
The legislation, which aims to step up inspections of food plants as well as oblige processors and manufacturers to take more responsibility for the prevention of food-borne illnesses, failed to secure enough votes to pass through the House on Wednesday. The bill needed to pass with a two thirds majority after being tabled under speeded up procedures that prevented amendments and capped debating time to 40 minutes. The ballot of 280 in favor of the bill, with 150 against, meant the measure fell short by seven votes.
Although the bill received unanimously approval from the Energy and Commerce Committee last month, 23 Democrats and two thirds of Republican members voted against it. Concerns that the bill had been hurried through the House appeared to have played an important role in the hold-up.
The legislation, known as the Food Safety Enhancement Act, would also grant the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) new powers to scrutinize food processors’ sanitation records and demand recalls of tainted products, as well as set up a tracking system for domestic and imported products. Processors would be required to pay a charge of $500 per facility to fund increased inspections by the FDA.
Fuente: http://www.foodnavigator.com/
Aporte: Alejandra Lavín