New food safety laws will be in need of funding

An overhaul of food safety laws intended to help the Food and Drug Administration prevent illness is in need of funding. Lyndsey Layton of the Washington Post reports that President Barack Obama is scheduled to sign the legislation on Tuesday, then it is up to the new Republican-controlled Congress to fund it.

Food safety advocates say the new law will pay for itself. Erik Olson, director of food and consumer safety programs at the Pew Health Group, said a study released last year by the Produce Safety Project at Georgetown University estimated that food-borne illnesses cost the country $152 billion a year in medical costs, lost productivity and other expenses, not including the costs to companies that recall products. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the food-safety law would cost about $1.4 billion in its first five years, including the cost of hiring an estimated 2,000 additional food inspectors.

The changes to the law include giving the FDA the authority to recall food (which is now voluntary), stepped up inspections of food processing locations, and imported food must be proven to meet U.S. safety standards. (Read more)