Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) has introduced S. 425 to establish a national traceability system for all food under the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) jurisdiction. The legislation is one of several major food safety bills that have been proposed in the new 111th Congress.
Brown's legislation would establish a nationwide tracking system through the FDA. The system would be developed by an advisory committee comprised of consumer advocates, industry leaders, and representatives from FDA and the USDA. The committee would determine which tracking mechanisms such as tracking numbers, electronic bar codes, and federal databases should be employed to protect consumers.
In addition, the bill would give FDA and USDA mandatory recall authority for contaminated meats, fruits, vegetables and other foods. USDA has jurisdiction over meat and poultry while the FDA has jurisdiction over fruits and vegetables. (Hat tip to NASDA.)
