Senate passes food-safety bill
By Lyndsey Layton
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, December 20, 2010

Without notice and in a matter of minutes Sunday evening, the Senate approved the bill by unanimous consent, sending it to the House, where passage is expected. President Obama has said he would sign the legislation, which would give the government far-reaching authority to set and enforce safety standards for farmers and food processors.

It also would give the Food and Drug Administration the authority to recall food; now, it must rely on food companies to voluntarily pull products off the shelves. And, the bill would give the FDA access to internal records at farms and food-production facilities.

The bill is expected to cost $1.4 billion over the next four years, including the expense of hiring 2,000 new FDA inspectors.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/19/AR2010121904201.html