NATIONAL BRIEFING / WASHINGTON, D.C.
The House passed a far-reaching food safety bill in the wake of the recent outbreak of salmonella in peanuts that killed at least nine people.
The legislation would require more government inspections and oversight of food manufacturers and give the Food and Drug Administration new authority to order recalls. It also would require the FDA to develop a system for better tracing food-borne illnesses, and allow the government to penalize those who violate the law. Food companies would be required to create detailed food safety plans. A similar bill awaits action in the Senate.
President Obama called the measure “a major step forward in modernizing our food safety system.”
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