In an effort to address food-contamination issues—such as salmonella in spinach and peanuts—certain Congressmen and -women as well as U.S. Senators are pushing legislation that would bury American farmers, food producers and other food and cosmetic businesses in yet more red tape and regulations.
Have there been food-contamination issues? Absolutely. But instead of addressing the root causes of such contamination by, for example, tackling the over-crowded, disease-laden feedlots that contaminate the water used by the farms downstream, Federal legislators ignore existing laws that would already rectify this problem, if properly used, so that they can impose another layer of burdensome rules and regulations (and fees) that will unfairly punish innocent small farms and food producers.
The above is from Whole Foods Magazine columnist Scott C. Tips, in the June 2009 edition.
What Scott is writing about is the current push to pass legislation that will require a complete food traceability program, registration of all food processing facilities with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), with payment of an annual registration fee. All of which will do nothing to make the food supply safer. It is the usual situation, rather than enforce the already existing laws and ensuring the runoff from the huge factory farm feedlots doesn't contaminate neighboring farms, legislators are resorting to more bureaucracy and inefficiency that will result in bigger government and have no tangible effect on food safety.