by Laurie Childree

Created on: January 05, 2011

According to CNN President Obama is expected to sign a bill that will completely overhaul the food safety system in America; an overhaul this extensive hasn’t been seen since 1938. Enforcing new rules for the prevention of food contamination and the ability to order food recalls instead of merely suggesting them would be granted to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  The ability to track the sources of contamination would also be put into place.

The new safety bill requires the assessment of contamination causes and that measures are taken to prevent them by the food manufactures. The bill is so detailed that over a five year period an increase of $1.4 billion in food safety spending by the government. The impact felt by consumers in the expected increased food prices would not be felt for three years as it is expected to take that long to write and implement the rules. All of this is dependant on the FDA getting the needed funds at a time when Congress if divided over the increasing deficit in the federal budget.

The new food safety bill is expected to provide faster food recalls. While companies will be provided with a chance to recall any food found to be unsafe if they do not the FDA will be able to issue the recall. There have been rare instances in the past where pressure from states and courts had to be applied before companies would issue a recall; this will no longer be an issue once the FDA is able to perform the recalls.

Under the new bill regulators will have more authority to shut down processing plants when they are suspected of providing contaminated food aiding to make stopping tainted foods from entering the market place easier. The FDA will be required to track food through the supply chain in order to find the source of tainted food.

Part of the bill that President Obama is expected to sign includes the creation of a database on the FDA website showing the name and status of all products that have been recalled. High risk facilities are to be inspected by the FDA a minimum of one time over the next five years, after that they are to be inspected every three years. 600 facilities overseas are to be inspected in the next year and the number of inspections doubled annually during the next five years. The new safety bill legislation will require food being imported into the United States meet standards for food safety set by the FDA.

According to the FDA imported foods make up 15 percent of the U.S. food supply. 80 percent is

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