White House pushes food safety steps

WASHINGTON, July 7 (UPI) -- A new series of safety steps by the U.S. government is aimed at reducing outbreaks of salmonella, E.coli and other pathogens, documents indicate.

The summary of a report written by a Cabinet-level panel of the Obama administration and obtained by The Wall Street Journal indicated the White House will announce tougher safety standards for eggs, poultry, tomatoes, lettuce and other foods, the newspaper said Tuesday.

The measures call for strengthened safety enforcement on the U.S. food industry and signals a shift in the federal government's role in addressing such outbreaks from reaction to prevention, the Journal said.

The panel was chaired by Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. One of its goals is to trim the instances of salmonella infections caused by egg consumption by 60 percent, and the summary says the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will soon issue draft rules to reduce E.coli contamination in tomatoes and leafy greens, the newspaper reported.

It said legislation mirroring the guidelines has already passed the House Energy and Commerce Committee.