Quick. What can you tell me about the FDA Modernizaion Act? I bet most of you know very little. I don’t know much about it myself, but I can tell you who knows tons about the bill: the food services industry. In fact the first piece of relevant information sent by a Google alert I have set up tracking news about the bill was an article in Quick Serve Restaurant.
That article is a mish-mash of praise and damnation of the bill. In one sentence it points out the obvious benefits of a safer food supply, but in another worries that the cost of that safer food supply will be an uneccessary burden on the restaurants. I bet you can guess which side of that argument industry lobbyist will take.
Last week Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation, released a video urging the Senate to pass Food Safety Bill S510 as soon as possible. Schlosser knows that the bill is in trouble. The House passed the bill over a year ago, and it has been awaiting a Senate vote ever since, derailed first by the financial crisis and then the health care vote. All along the way lobbying groups have been chipping away at the provisions.
Readers of this site will no doubt question the power of the government to regulate anything–and they should–but it is my opinion that at this stage in the fight we need the government as close to our corner of the ring as possible. Now is the time to attack our monolithic food system with the hammer and chisel, carving away huge chunks of dead stone, and the government can do that for us. Once that work is done we can move in with the smaller tools and refine the new system.
However the government won’t be our tool, but the lobbyists’ if we don’t start paying attention. Tom Phillpot was right when he wrote “voting with your fork is not enough.” The food industry giants have our government’s ear for the moment, and their billions speak loudly. We have to find a way to speak louder.
So what can you do? You can do as Schlosser says and call Senate Majority leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and tell them you want this bill put to a vote. Call your local Senator and ask them to do the same. Tell your friends and family why this is important. Remember that when you’re voting with your fork–and choosing local or organic foods–make sure someone knows why you make that choice, and why they should too.
Further Reading:
The site notinmyfood.org offers analysis of the bill.
Great piece, Kyle. And timely. The White House just issued a press release on S. 510:
“A year ago today, the Food Safety Working Group, chaired by Health and Human Service Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, announced key findings on how to upgrade the food safety system. Since then, my Administration has taken steps to reduce the prevalence of E. coli, implemented new standards to reduce exposure to Campylobacter, and issued a rule to control Salmonella contamination. Among other accomplishments, the FDA has conducted a pilot study on a tracing system, and HHS, in collaboration with USDA, has rolled out an enhanced and updated http://www.foodsafety.gov site to provide consumers rapid access to information on food recalls.
But there is more to be done. Today, I thank the House for its work and support efforts in the Senate to pass S. 510, the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act. This bipartisan bill would complement the work already undertaken by the Food Safety Working Group. The bill addresses longstanding challenges in the food safety and defense system by promoting a prevention-oriented approach to the safety of our food supply and provides the Federal Government with the appropriate tools to accomplish its core food safety goals.”
All kidding aside I’m glad this is something Obama is urging the Senate to do.
I’m learning more about the bill daily (post coming soon, I hope) but the strongest parts are the prevention-oriented ones. Right now the FDA is basically a reactive body, and that type of food safety doesn’t work anymore, if it ever did at all.