Food Safety Advocates Threaten to Stall Farm Bill

MARY CLARE JALONICK
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON — Safety of the nation's food supply has become a point of contention as Congress considers a new Farm Bill, with a massive beef recall highlighting doubts about the government's attempt to change the rules governing federal meat inspections.

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif) said she will block the Senate bill if it includes a House-passed provision that would allow some smaller meat processing plants to opt out of federal meat inspections in favor of state inspections. The bill hasn't even emerged from committee yet.

"In recent months, the safety of our domestic food supply has been called into question," Boxer said at a news conference Tuesday with food safety advocates. "Congress should be focused on more stringent food safety standards, not rolling back the federal government's crucial role in protecting our people."

Millions of pounds of ground beef from a New Jersey plant were recalled over the weekend, after several people became sick from E. coli food poisoning, and bags of leafy greens were recalled in several states last month. Last year, an E. coli outbreak traced to bagged baby spinach was blamed for the deaths of three people and for sickening hundreds more across the country.

Disagreements over food safety could be yet another obstacle to legislation that is already tangled in arguments over tight budgets and the scope of government payouts to wealthy farmers. The House passed its version of the multibillion legislation in July, and the Senate Agriculture Committee hopes to consider its version of the bill this week.

Boxer and several consumer groups are concerned that the House Farm Bill would reduce the safety of meat inspections. The provision, supported by House Agriculture Chairman Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) and Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D-N.D.) would allow some state-inspected meat to cross state lines, provided that the state guidelines are identical to federal guidelines.

Under current law, only federally inspected plants can ship meat across state lines.

Boxer said the House bill would lead to inconsistent inspections and could put the country's health at risk.

"Allowing uneven and lax state standards to replace a uniform federal standard is not appropriate," she said. "It is irresponsible."

Supporters of the House provision argue that it would help smaller processors who are inspected only by their states. Peterson said he included the requirement that state inspections be identical to federal inspection to address concerns of food safety advocates.

"The provision will allow growth and expansion opportunities for small businesses without compromising the safety of these products," he said.
Pomeroy pointed out that the beef that was recalled over the weekend was from a federally inspected plant.

"There is absolutely no intention of diminishing in any way the highest standards of public health and safety in these state plants," he said.

Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) said Tuesday that he will not attempt to change the inspection standards in the bill he is expected to introduce this week. But the House provision has some supporters on the agriculture panel who are heavily involved with farm bill negotiations, including Democratic Sens. Kent Conrad of North Dakota and Max Baucus of Montana.

Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) also wants food safety to be a focus of the farm bill. He said last week that he will offer an amendment that would phase out all of the government's food safety oversight within two years so Congress can find a better way to ensure the country's food is safe.

"That will give us one year to plan a better system, and one year to put the system in place," Durbin said.

Responsibility for food labeling and food safety is spread out over many different federal agencies, including some within the Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration.

Illnesses from E. coli are down significantly from a decade ago, although rates inched up from 2004 to 2006.