Delays in new food-safety regulations cause frustration

Last year President Obama signed a law hailed as the most sweeping overhaul of food safety in 70 years. Fast forward 17 months, and major portions have yet to be implemented. The Food Safety Modernization Act moves the Food and Drug Administration away from its traditional role of responding to adulterated food to a more modern one of requiring companies to stop contamination before it happens. It allows the agency to issue mandatory recalls and hire more food-safety inspectors. The act passed with bipartisan support and broad backing from the food industry and consumer and public health groups. The law will touch the vast majority of foods Americans eat. FDA oversees most of the nation's food supply, except for meat, poultry and processed eggs, which are under the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But the new law hasn't gotten out of the starting gate. Three of the most important rules awaiting approval are: •Safety standards for irrigation water, manure, worker hygiene and wildlife that can contaminate fresh fruits and vegetables. •Foreign supplier verification programs that make importing companies responsible for the safety of the foods they bring into the United States. •Requirements that food companies have a plan in place to identify possible sources of contamination and specify what they will do to deal with them...more