Industry Stands to Profit from Food Safety Bill  Mon, 09/20/2010
- 7:10am  Lindsey CoblentzBy LINDSEY COBLENTZ, Associate Editor,
Food Manufacturing  The recent nationwide egg recall that pulled
more than a half-billion eggs from the shelves has renewed
interest in the safety of the U.S. food supply, and it seems to
have come at an opportune time for food safety agencies and
legislators. The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act that has been
languishing in Congress for a while now seems to have gained the
public support it needs and is expected to pass in the Senate as
early as September.  While the food industry has a reputation of
avoiding regulation like the plague, this bill has gained
support from numerous industry organizations, and for good
reason. The legislation seems to benefit not only the FDA, but
also food producers and consumers.  The egg recall has made it
evident that the FDA needs more power and resources in order to
do its job properly. Currently, the food safety regulation
system is so decentr