S 510 Passes 73 to 25 (Note: This does not yet make it law)

The US Senate approved the S.510 Food Safety Modernization Act that will increase the ability of the US Food and Drug Administration to recall contaminated foods, increase inspections, and require accountability of food producers across the country. The bill passed with a vote of 73 to 25, after an amendment was made to exempt small farmers who make less than $500,000 a year in sales. While the FDA is responsible for 80 percent of the nation’s food supply, the bill does not rule on meat and poultry processing plants which are under the jurisdiction of the US Department of Agriculture. A similar House bill passed last year, and now the two must be reconciled before being presented to the President to sign into law.

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