One step towards food safety

The House of Representatives has passed the food safety bill. See: House Approves New Food-Safety Laws in the New York Times. Tracing of food as it traverses the complex system of producers and processors, more frequent inspection schedules, and mandatory recalls of tainted foods are some of the very desirable provisions of the bill.

The bill passed the House with overwhelming support from Democrats, but Republicans were split, with 54 voting in favor and 122 against. Democrats and some Republicans had worked closely in writing the legislation and advocates said that they expected similar cooperation on the issue in the Senate.

I hope the difficulties with over-taxing very small producers of locally-sold foods has been ironed out, or will be when the Senate takes up the bill in the fall.