Senate Panel Passes Food Safety Reform Bill

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Senate committee passed legislation on Wednesday that would increase government oversight of the U.S. food supply, which has been battered by a series of high-profile recalls that have soured consumer confidence in the food safety system.

The bill would expand U.S. Food and Drug Administration oversight of the food supply by giving it the power to order recalls, increase inspection rates and require all facilities to have a food safety plan in place.

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee approved the legislation unanimously by a voice vote.

"There are very few things that are as important as ensuring that the food we eat and the food we serve our families is safe for consumption," said Sen. Christopher Dodd.

The Senate bill is similar to legislation passed by the House in July. Tom Harkin, chairman of the committee, told reporters the timetable for getting food safety passed in the Senate hinges on the progress of the healthcare bill.

"I really, honestly, I just don't see how we'll get to it before Christmas," Harkin said of the food safety bill.

It has been almost 50 years since oversight of the food supply was significantly overhauled, but momentum to reform the system has grown following high-profile outbreaks involving lettuce, peppers, peanuts and spinach since 2006.

An estimated 76 million people in the United States get sick every year with foodborne illness and 5,000 die, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Senate legislation would require FDA to inspect all food facilities at least once every four years and high-risk plants no less than once a year. Currently, many facilities can go several years without being inspected.

It also would implement traceability for fruits and vegetables, and require the FDA to conduct a pilot study for processed foods.

The House bill included a registration fee on processing plants to help FDA pay for things such as increased inspections. Harkin said he may adopt them as well but he is waiting for the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office to determine the price-tag of his bill.

"If this is for public protection it's something we all ought to pay for," said Harkin.

Big U.S. food companies, worried that more food scares may turn away customers and erode confidence in the food supply and FDA, have pushed for stronger food safety legislation.

Scott Faber, a vice president at the Grocery Manufacturers Association, told reporters his group is not opposed to fees, but it has concerns about them being used to fund inspections.

"The FDA needs more resources and the industry needs to provide its fair share," he said.

"There are not big substantive disagreements that will stand in the way of legislation," said Faber, who expected a bill to pass early next year.