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ASTA is the voice of the spice industry in the public policy arena. An important member benefit is ASTA's emphasis on keeping members up to date on regulatory and legislative issues affecting the spice industry. In addition, ASTA works to impact the outcome of regulations and legislation that effect the spice industry by communicating its position on issues and providing information about the industry to policymakers.
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Food Safety Bill May Be Voted on Before the End of 2010
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The Senate leadership has been discussing the possibility of a vote in the coming months on the food safety bill, S . 510: FDA Food Safety Modernization Act.
ASTA has been working with Capitol Hill staff and the Food Safety Coalition since the bill was introduced last spring to make improvements. The provisions in the Senate bill are more favorable to industry than the provisions in the House passed bill. Many provisions in the bill will have a direct impact on the spice industry. The bill would:
- Allow the FDA to order product recalls. Currently the FDA can only request companies to recall their products.
- Authorize the FDA to set science-based standards for food manufacture and handling, and then require manufacturers/food facilities to demonstrate compliance or face strong penalties.
- Mandate more frequent FDA inspections—once a year for high—risk facilities and once every three years for others. Currently manufacturing sites are only inspected about once a decade.
- Require all food facilities to have and follow preventative control practices
After the Senate passes a bill, the House and Senate need to come together for a "conference committee" to work out the differences between the two bills. Once this is accomplished, both bodies must vote on the final bill and the President must sign it.
Food Safety Bill Likely to Pass in 2010
The House has passed a food safety bill, so now the Senate must debate and vote on a bill. The Senate bill would expand U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversight of the food supply.
Provisions include:
- FDA would have the power to order recalls
- All food facilities would be required to have a food safety plan
- FDA would have to inspect all food facilities at least once every four years and high-risk plants no less than once a year
- FDA's access to food facility records would be expanded in a food emergency
- Importers would be required to verify the safety of foreign suppliers and imported foods. The FDA would require certification for high-risk foods and could deny entry to a food that lacks certification or is from a foreign facility that has refused U.S. inspectors
Two major differences between the Senate and House bills:
- The House bill requires food facilities to pay a $500 registration fee per year, but the Senate bill does not.
- The House bill has a traceability provision that includes all food facilities, but the Senate bill requires traceability for fruits and vegetables, and requires the FDA to conduct a pilot study for processed foods.
Committee Chairman Senator Tom Harkin predicted the bill is likely to pass this year.
