Tell Congress One Size Doesn't Fit All When Considering Food Safety Bills

-- Deadline Passed --

The House of Representatives is currently working on H.R. 2749, the Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009.  It’s an attempt to address the worst problems in U.S. agriculture, but as it stands the bill threatens to undermine the best things in U.S. agriculture – small farmers producing for local markets.

H.R. 2749 is a well-meaning attempt to address the genuine problems of contamination from foodborne pathogens and complications in prevention and intervention caused by large, industrialized food distribution systems.  All of the well-publicized incidents of contamination in recent years – spinach, peppers, peanuts, hamburger – occurred in industrialized food supply chains that span national and even international boundaries.

Food safety is a priority shared by all. It is not compromised by the growing trend toward healthy, fresh, locally sourced vegetables, meats, fruits, and small processing firms reinvigorating local food systems. Local foods businesses are not the same as animal factories or mega-farms that sell products into industrial scale national and international markets. Local food systems are inherently safer and more traceable.

Contact your congressional representatives

Thank them for their work on behalf of food safety and ask them to incorporate changes into the Food Safety bill to make food safety and healthy local food systems complementary.

• Congressman Greg Walden at (202) 225-6730 or http://www.walden.house.gov/ContactGreg.Home.shtml
• Senator Ron Wyden at (202) 224-5244 or wyden.senate.gov/contact/ and
• Senator Jeff Merkley at (202) 224-3753 or merkley.senate.gov/contact/

Let them know your thoughts about pending food safety legislation.

(If you live outside of Oregon, find your legislators' contact info here.)

Suggested talking points

• Record keeping should not strangle small producers selling into local markets where traceability is not a problem
• Registration and fee structures should recognize small home-based and farm-based local processing
• FDA oversight of small, local food processors is overreaching and unnecessary as the produce does not go into interstate commerce
• Let's not repeat history: the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) enacted in the 1990s undermined local and regional meat packers while failing to increase inspections and safety of large industrial meat processors
• Food imports need sufficient scrutiny to ensure public health is not at risk
• Products that are already certified under other rigorous certification standards (e.g. organically certified) should be exempted

Read the Food Safety Enhancement Act Fact Sheet for more information and other talking points.
 
For additional information visit WORC’s website or call Margie MacDonald, WORC’s Regional Organizer, at 406.252.9672 or mmacdonald@worc.org.