FOOD SAFETY IN FLUX: Legislation is delayed as Congress SORTS OUT DETAILS and addresses other domestic priorities

LEGISLATION to strengthen food safety regulations and give the Food & Drug Administration new authorities to help keep the food supply safe is slowly making its way through Congress. Getting such a bill passed, however, is proving to be quite a challenge. The House of Representatives passed the Food Safety Enhancement Act (H.R. 2749) last July with strong bipartisan support (C&EN, July 6, 2009, page 20). But the Senate has been much slower to act. The Senate version of the bill (S. 510) passed the Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee in November 2009 (C&EN, Nov. 23, 2009, page 26), but it has yet to come up for a vote on the Senate floor. Food safety has taken a backseat to health care and financial services reform. Many people expected the Senate to vote on the legislation before Memorial Day, but an amendment that would ban or restrict the use of the plastics chemical ...