Obama heralds Food Safety Act

WASHINGTON, July 7 (UPI) -- U.S. President Barack Obama said Wednesday the Food Safety Modernization Act will give the government the tools necessary to keep the nation's food supply safe.

"A year ago today, the Food Safety Working Group, chaired by Health and Human Service Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, announced key findings on how to upgrade the food safety system. Since then, my administration has taken steps to reduce the prevalence of E. coli, implemented new standards to reduce exposure to campylobacter, and issued a rule to control salmonella contamination," Obama said in a statement.

"Among other accomplishments, the (Food and Drug Administration) has conducted a pilot study on a tracing system, and HHS, in collaboration with USDA, has rolled out an enhanced and updated www.foodsafety.gov site to provide consumers rapid access to information on food recalls.

"But there is more to be done. Today, I thank the House for its work and support efforts in the Senate to pass S. 510, the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act. This bipartisan bill would complement the work already undertaken by the Food Safety Working Group. The bill addresses longstanding challenges in the food safety and defense system by promoting a prevention-oriented approach to the safety of our food supply and provides the federal government with the appropriate tools to accomplish its core food safety goals."

The Food Safety Modernization Act was originally expected to be signed into law in May. The Senate took up the measure for discussion Wednesday.