Bill to Improve Food Safety May Die

Despite being passed by the House and the Senate, the anticipated food safety bill may die in Congress.

According to Democratic and Republican Senate leadership aids, the food safety modernization act may die because Republicans object to giving it quick approval in the last few days of the congressional session, according to news reports .

The Food Safety Modernization Act  aims to place stricter standards on imported foods, give the government broad new powers to increase inspections of food processing facilities and force companies to recall tainted food.

Both Congressional chambers have already voted to approve the bill, but it needs a second approval because it violated a Constitutional requirement that bills that raise revenue initiate in the House, according to news reports.

“To pass it a second time, Democratic leaders attached it to a giant government-funding bill but Republicans blocked that measure Thursday, in part because it contained billions of dollars in earmarks.”

As a North Charleston foodborne illness attorney , I hope Congress is able to work together to pass this food safety modernization act, which would work toward reducing the number of foodborne illnesses . One in six Americans gets sick from food every year, and about 3,000 die from those illnesses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.