permaculture

["Lawrence F. London, Jr." <venaurafarm@bellsouth.net>]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [SANET-MG] S.510 back from the dead to unleash army of FDA 
agents
Date: Thu, 9 Dec 2010 11:17:31 -0700
From: Jeff Schahczenski <jeffs@NCAT.ORG>
To: SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU

Thank you Gale,

The following is one of the better summary statements and I would also 
suggest reading the more general statement from NSAC at 
http://sustainableagriculture.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Sustainable-Food-Safety_FINAL.pdf

> From my understanding nothing in the Food Safety legislation that has passed the Senate 
> and will likely become law will be ideal (what legislation is).. it does provide 
> protections and resources to better assist farmers of all sizes and types to better 
> "deal" with admittedly a greater level of regulation. However, it is better 
> to constrain the FDA in legislation (and in the ultimate rule making to follow) then it 
> is to let FDA act in an arbitrary manner, which may have been the result if this 
> legislation would not have passed


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Washington, DC December 1, 2010 - The National Sustainable Agriculture 
Coalition is pleased with emerging House leadership plans to attach the 
Senate-passed Food Safety Modernization Act (S 510) to another House 
bill and send it as a package back to the Senate for final approval. 
The maneuver was necessitated by a requirement that legislation 
involving revenues in any way originate in the House.  Our coalition is 
disturbed, however, by the continued statements by agribusiness groups 
opposing the Senate bill.

“The produce industry trade groups are of course entitled to their 
position and entitled to try to stop the food safety bill in its 
tracks,” said Ferd Hoefner, NSAC Policy Director.  “But we think such an 
effort is seriously misguided.  Family farm and sustainable agriculture 
groups applaud the Senate for moving away from a “one-size-fits-all” 
approach.  Rather than backing rigid, one-size-fits-all regulation of 
the type favored by industry to squeeze out family farmers, the Senate 
improved the original bill through a series of carefully crafted and 
balanced amendments to ensure improved food safety without creating 
unnecessary barriers to farm profitability, good land stewardship, or 
enhanced access to local, fresh, healthy food.  House leadership is 
making the right call in passing the balanced and bipartisan Senate bill.”

Given the misinformation being spread by parts of the agricultural 
industry about the Senate bill, NSAC is writing to Congress to remind 
Members that under the Senate bill as passed yesterday, all of the 
following are true:

    * FDA's current authority is in no way diminished;
    * Qualified food facilities, including farm-based facilities, still 
must register with FDA;
    * Qualified facilities that are very small or that are farms that 
direct market their crops must submit evidence to FDA of either Federal 
or State and local food safety compliance;
    * FDA and State and local authorities may inspect or conduct 
investigations of all qualified facilities;
    * FDA may issue recall notices or quarantines if an FDA 
investigation reveals a food safety problem in a qualified facility; and
    * If FDA determines, in the absence of a formal investigation, that 
there are material conditions in a qualified facility that threaten food 
safety, then FDA can issue a recall (if appropriate) and require 
additional federal measures to assure any problems are corrected.

NSAC is an alliance of 40 grassroots family farm, food, rural, and 
conservation organizations working together to advance federal policies 
that support a transition to a more sustainable farm and food system.