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Will Food Safety Standards be Spoiled?
Posted by Kerry Trueman on March 7, 2006 - 3:09pm.
Do you want to know whether the food you're buying contains potentially carcinogenic ingredients or known contaminants such as mercury? Yeah, me, too. When it comes to food safety standards, less is definitely not more.
But some states have stricter labeling laws than others. And now a Coalition of the Shilling, featuring food lobbyists, supermarket chains, and trade organizations, has pressured the House of Representatives into drafting a bill to create a set of uniform federal standards, replacing all state statutes and regulations relating to warning labels, sanitation standards in restaurants, and other food safety issues.
For states with lax standards, the federal standards might actually represent an improvement. But other states, such as California, which has some of the most stringent laws in the country, would see their standards essentially gutted if this bill passes. Arsenic in water? Lead in calcium supplements? Mercury in tuna? Relax! Those nutty Californians, they worry too much.
House Resolution 702, providing for consideration of the National Uniformity for Food Act (HR 4167) was passed on March 2nd by a vote of 216 to 197; the 216 votes in favor were from Republicans, the 197 against, from Democrats, a handful of maverick Republicans, and one Independent. The House of Representatives may vote as early as tomorrow on the bill and it's nearly certain to pass, thanks to its 227 co-sponsors, including members of both parties.
It's hard to argue that consumers will benefit from less stringent safety standards, but The National Uniformity for Food Coalition, one of the special interest groups who've lobbied mightily for less regulation, claims that “the citizens of all states deserve the same level of food safety.”
Unfortunately, that level looks to be lower than the 9th Ward of New Orleans, and it's going to muck up food safety standards if it does pass.
“It's a perfect storm of insider access, big money and bad policy,” Andy Igrejas of the National Environmental Trust told the AP. “They're sweeping away 200 state laws without a hearing, all because very wealthy interests want them to.”
Oddly enough, the same people who are always hollering about “states' rights” are behind this legislation. Can anyone explain to me why states should be allowed to make their own laws regarding guns and abortion, but not food safety standards?
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Big food corporations and the biotech industry understand that consumers are more and more concerned about food safety, genetic engineering, and chemical-intensive agriculture, and are reading labels more closely. They understand that pesticide and mercury residues and hazardous technologies such as genetic engineering and food irradiation will be rejected if there are truthful labels required on food products.
Industry-sponsored H.R. 4167 is gaining momentum and must be stopped! Act now! Preserve local and regional democracy and protect yourself and your family from unsafe food by sending an email or calling your Representative and urging them to vote “No” on H.R. 4167.
From what I hear, the bill is being pushed heavily by food lobbyists most of whom are former republican aides and even relatives of republican legislators (seriously) and the bill is sort of being sahuttled thru without any committee investigation or review. It’s simply just being voted on. The effect appears that all labeling will have to be consistent with the federally imposed labeling. If a state wanted to require additional consumer warnings they would be in violation of the federal statute. An interesting philosophical stance from the party that suppossedly champions state’s rights. But not as oppossed to corporate rights to profit.
How can we let this happen? “We The People” have to stop this!
http://www.nrdcaction.org/action/index.asp?step=2&item=53354
Lets act together and make a change