Saturday July 18, 2009, 2:34 am
The legislation, approved by the House Energy and Commerce Committee last month, aims to give the FDA more money and authority to police food safety, and technically doesn't apply to foods the agency doesn't regulate: meat, poultry and some egg products, which are regulated by the Department of Agriculture.

But livestock and grain farmers say the legislation isn't written clearly enough, and they gave lawmakers and regulators an earful Thursday at a House Agriculture Committee hearing.

"Live animals are not 'food' until the point of processing, which is why this bill needs to clarify that the FDA does not have regulatory authority on our farms, ranches and feedlots," said Sam Ives, a veterinarian who spoke for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.

The bill appears to have touched off a dispute, as well, between two powerful lawmakers: Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson (D., Minn.) and Rep. John Dingell (D., Mich.), a main sponsor of the FDA food-safety bill. While Mr. Peterson said that he has been assured by Mr. Dingell that the bill doesn't seek to include livestock and other farms, Mr. Peterson said he will meet again with Mr. Dingell and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D., Calif.) to press for further clarification. If he's not satisfied, Mr. Peterson said, he threatened to stop the legislation.

"We are a little skeptical of FDA," Mr. Peterson said outside the hearing room Thursday. "We are very concerned about them getting involved in grain farms, livestock farms."

Dingell spokesman Adam Benson said that "Mr. Dingell has had numerous conversations with Chairmen Waxman and Peterson in an effort to identify and address any concerns Chairman Peterson and the members of the Agriculture Committee may have with the legislation" and that staff members have also met "on a number of occasions." Mr. Benson said Mr. Dingell wants to see passage of the food-safety legislation in coming weeks.

The dispute over legislation to address gaps in the nation's food-safety system shows farmers' apprehension about new regulatory requirements and the FDA. The agency has been under fire for a string of foodborne-illnesses involving products such as spinach, peanut butter and hot peppers.

The USDA, however, hasn't come under as much criticism, even though it has been involved in several recent beef recalls. The agency, which inspects meat and poultry, operates under a different law and is better funded than FDA. Its inspection rules are generally considered more stringent than the FDA's.

At Thursday's hearing, both FDA and USDA officials tried to ease farmers' concerns, saying the legislation won't change the their jurisdictions. Mike Taylor, the FDA's new senior adviser on food safety, said the agency already goes to farms as part of its responsibility to oversee the safety of animal feed, vegetables, eggs and other products. The two agencies also cooperated on the investigations of mad-cow disease and others emergencies, he said. If lawmakers exclude grain and livestock farmers from the legislation, they should be careful not to take away current FDA authority.

Mr. Jerold Mande, deputy undersecretary for food safety at the USDA, said both agencies have seen "unprecedented cooperation" through the White House's cabinet-level panel on food safety.

Some farmers — mostly those producing fresh fruits and vegetables, which have been hit with several large-scale outbreaks -- support the legislation.

Saturday July 18, 2009, 4:25 am
Glad the fruit and vegetable farmers are support this. As for the rest of the inspections, none too soon.

Saturday July 18, 2009, 6:23 am
cowboss just hopes this is not "just so much noise" to futher confuse the consumer as to exactly what is being done to increase the safety of the food supply. So often these sort of stories of things that these guys discuss is reported as "changes" and in the end nothing happens, BUT people think it did. Kinda like people think the practise of feeding poultry feces to livestock and fish was banned when in all truth this, disgusting and consumer and animal sickening practise, is Sooo alive and well in the US and WHO CARES? They effectively get their $$$$$ lusting way. (sorry Michelle -- I really should not use your post to "rant")

cowboss

Saturday July 18, 2009, 7:39 am
Cowboss, I hope that Michelle does not mind you ranting because I learned a lot from it. Thanks you. Thank you Michelle.

Saturday July 18, 2009, 7:57 am
This sounds suspiciously like a revolt against FDA voicing their concern about the use of antibiotics in food animals among other questionable practices. Ethical farmers should not mind legitimate inspections of their farming operations. Sometimes they forget that they are partners in the caretaking of their country's food supply and stewards of their country's natural environment. There should not be ANYTHING to hide.

Saturday July 18, 2009, 8:13 am
FIND OUT what's in your FOOD ...Free Screening of Food, Inc. check listings for your city/state: http://www.chipotle.com/#/flash/fwi_food-inc

Saturday July 18, 2009, 8:19 am
Feel free to rant all you like, cowboss, and friends as well, no problem for me! it's for a good cause!