Senate Food Safety Bill

The Senate voted Wednesday to move ahead with debate on food-safety legislation that would give the Food and Drug Administration more power to prevent illnesses caused by contaminated food and give the agency the power to recall, inspect and enforce stricter standards on those contaminated foods.

The Senate made the 74-25 decision, but still face opposition declining to expedite the process by bringing the legislation to the floor.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., however, warned colleagues Thursday the Senate would work over the weekend if Republicans delay passage of food-safety legislation, according to news reports.

“Senate Democrats will have only four weeks between the Thanksgiving weekend and Christmas Eve to pass unfinished legislation. Their agenda will be much tougher to enact next year when Republicans take control of the House,” according to The Hill .

The proponents of the food safety legislation say it would help food producers prevent outbreaks and provide government with more tools to keep food products safe. Opponents, however, argue the legislation will cause problems for small farms and includes undefined measures like BPA regulation, a chemical found in most plastic products.

As a South Carolina personal injury lawyer , I look forward to hearing more about how this food safety bill will improve regulations and keep people free of food borne illness . The FDA estimates there are 76 million food-related illnesses a year, 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths in the United States.