(BlackDoctor.org) -- Legislation introduced by Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) would establish a national program to assure the safety of fresh produce.The introduction of the Fresh Produce Safety Act comes one year after the biggest recall of fresh produce in American history, when spinach contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 sickened 205 people. More than 100 of those were hospitalized, and at least three people died. And just this week, Dole is recalling romaine salad mix after Canadian tests came back positive for E. coli.The nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest says that after a year's worth of hearings in both the Senate and the House, it is time for Congress to act."Americans should be consuming more fresh fruits and vegetables; instead we are scanning our refrigerators looking for bags to discard," said CSPI food safety director Caroline Smith DeWaal. "These continuing outbreaks and recalls are eroding Americans" confidence in fresh produce. It's time for a food safety system that applies the same scrutiny to our farms as we have for other high-risk products like meat and poultry."Read The Full Article at: www.blackdoctor.org
Comments