| Name: |
GoneFishin
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| Subject: |
Safer Food
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Date:
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8/1/2009 1:35:46 PM
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The Obama administration has voiced strong support for a comprehensive food safety revamping. As a result, the House of Representatives passed legislation on Thursday to require more frequent inspections of processing plants and give the government the authority to order the recall of tainted foods.
The bill passed the House on a vote of 283 to 142. Democratic support was overwhelming, but Republicans were split, with 54 voting in favor and 122 against. It is so disappointing that Republicans are opposed to a safe food supply in order to maximize profits and have less government regulation.
Another plus for Obama. You can thank him when you go out to eat and the food is wholesome and safe. Or, your kids don’t get sick from self inspected food. Bush cut funding for FDA but then that is old news. The voters will remember that Republicans won’t support safer food supples.
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| Name: |
Astro
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| Subject: |
Safer Food
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Date:
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8/1/2009 2:39:38 PM
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Good Lord now I have heard it all. I don't even know why some would be against the bill but to claim they don't want safe food is asinine. I guess they and their families don't eat processed food. Sometimes I wonder if it takes some people all of their lives to think like this or does it just come on all of a sudden like a virus.
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| Name: |
Talullahhound
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| Subject: |
Safer Food
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Date:
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8/1/2009 3:07:24 PM
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The problem is that they can pass all the bills they want, but unless they substancially increase the funding for hiring people at the FDA it's not going to happen. They are so incredibly understaffed to do the job, it's scary.
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| Name: |
Yankee06
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| Subject: |
Safer Food
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Date:
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8/1/2009 5:13:48 PM
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Unfortunately, I find that now-a-days, before supporting or opposing a bill in COngrress, one should actually read it, ---this includes the Congressmen/women who vote for it.
-In recent years, Washington has become the Orwellian font of newspeak. TARP, stimulus, Health Care, ...and as the king would say, eetc., etc., etc., are all about hidden agendas
-We all should be careful about supporting bills depending on who voted for then versus what was voted for.
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| Name: |
MrHodja
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| Subject: |
Possible Reason
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Date:
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8/1/2009 6:41:41 PM
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I searched for and found a description of the legislation. It creates another bureaucracy called the Food Safety Administration, and separates food safety from the FDA, which will concentrate on drugs.
I suspect the nay votes were not against food safety but against yet another bloated bureaucracy, but don't know. If anyone has an explanation from one of our Congressmen (not supposition like I just submitted) as to why he or she voted against it I would like to see it.
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| Name: |
au67
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| Subject: |
Safer Food
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Date:
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8/1/2009 7:48:56 PM
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Here is a very simplistic point of view: If legislation has overwhelming Democrat support, it can't be good legislation...a no vote would be a logical response.
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| Name: |
Mack
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| Subject: |
Thank You Yankee for>>
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Date:
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8/1/2009 9:02:55 PM
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a reality enlightened post.
Much too often, a good, solid piece of legislation gets tagged with rider clauses that would not pass on their own. That's why a particular bill is chosen for PORK.
When, and if, the original bill gets to a vote, the bill has so much crap attached, that the original good idea gets dumped because of the PORK attached.
Politicos on both sides and the MEDIA take a negative vote as a sign of what? "So and so are not in favor of Safe Food". End of broadcast, never mentioning that the crap attached would have gagged a maggot. Both Dem and Rep, it don't matter.
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| Name: |
GoneFishin
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| Subject: |
Safer Food
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Date:
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8/1/2009 10:14:48 PM
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No amendments were allowed. As the bill is debated in the Senate, I certainly hope some of the Republican objections can be debated and negotiated so a good bill with more Republican support will emerge. The perception that Republicans are against food safety is not a perception that will enhance the party's reputation among a large segment of the population.
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| Name: |
architect
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| Subject: |
Safer Food
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Date:
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8/1/2009 10:57:07 PM
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Now this is a "brilliant" comment!
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| Name: |
architect
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| Subject: |
Safer Food
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Date:
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8/1/2009 11:02:14 PM
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For real to GF and with great sarcasm for au67.
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| Name: |
water_watcher
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| Subject: |
Safer Food
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Date:
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8/2/2009 7:31:23 AM
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Has food safe been a concern and problem for you?
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| Name: |
water_watcher
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| Subject: |
The answer
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Date:
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8/2/2009 7:43:29 AM
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Any food safety problems occur at processing plants. But more than 50% of processing takes place at the local grocery store. If you really want food safety, then do what Wal*Mart does ... irradiate food and place in special packaging. It kills all bacteria, keeps red meat nice and bright red, and the shelf life is more than doubled.
This does not take a huge food safety bill and more government workers that will not do anything to improve food safety. It requires that all processing plants irradiate the food. Local processing can be done as always. Then lets see what people buy. I would bet they go with local processing even if they know it is not as safe.
Again ... give people the choice. Don't foce government regulation on us. Attack the problem (if there is one) where the problem exists with as little government intervention as possible. Then give people the ability to choose and make their own decision.
If people don't believe something is safe they will not buy it. And I don't need government telling me what health insurance I should have.
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| Name: |
muddauber
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| Subject: |
The answer
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Date:
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8/2/2009 8:16:23 AM
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That is a reasonable answer. Nowhere do I see where imported processed foods are to be inspected. No matter what we do, if someone wants to fudge, or cover up, it's going to happen. Safety seems to be a buzz word these days. Sorry folks, there is no such thing as totally safe anything. Spend all the money you want, it just ain't gonna happen. To me, not one spending bill should be passed without an analysis of what it will accomplish at what cost. Till we get to that attitude, gov'ts will keep throwing money down the drain.
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Any issues we have today are the same as 30 or more years ago. If anything it is much better today than years ago.
Here is the simplest fodd safety solution. Be sure to cook meats to the proper temp to kill bacteria. Be sure to wash all fruits and vegetables well before eating. Will that eliminate the problem with ecoli we saw with spinach and tomatoes. No. But again a processing plant problem. So irradiate fruits and vegetables that go through a processing plant.
People do not even realize that things like tomatoes are picked and shipped green, then right before they are delivered to a grocery store they are gassed to turn them pinkish red. That is why store tomatoes are so hard. They are not really ripe.
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I know you like government to take care of everything and do all your thinking so you do not have to. But I disagree that most people want the government to take care of everything. I feel most people want to do their own thinking, make their own decisions and be personally responsible. You are in the minority that more government is the answer to everything. I realize you have a tough time thinking on your own and making your own decisions, and would rather government decide how to spend your money, but many of us, and I would say the majority, would rather have less government and make our own decisions.
Amen.
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| Name: |
Talullahhound
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| Subject: |
I disagree
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Date:
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8/2/2009 11:53:06 AM
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You are right that the majority of problems seem to take place at the processing point. So I want more inspectors in the processing plants to make sure companies aren't compromising food safety. I want them in the grocery stores (including Walmart) making sure that they aren't reprocessing meat that is outdated. (Remember the Food Lion scandal?) I don't want my food "treated".
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| Name: |
water_watcher
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| Subject: |
and I disagree ... :)
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Date:
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8/2/2009 12:29:12 PM
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Not to pick on your reply, but Wal*Mart does not process any meat in stores. It all comes from central processing plants. They also ONLY stock food that has been irradiated which is the safest possible. But many people are scared of it since it is relatively new.
I am not against inspectors at processing plants ... but they are there now. I don't believe that is what this bill addresses. Grocery stores are regularly inspected now, but you can not possibly have 100% inspection of all processing at all grocery stores. They are inspected randomly, they are required to maintain logs for everything from cooler temps and cleaning and sanitizing.
You could mandate that all process comes out of the store ... which has been the trend anyway. But you put a lot of people out of work and eliminate 'specialty markets", which I know we both like.
I think the answer is very stiff fines for any violations when an inspection occurs and multiple one shut down the market or processing plant.
There really is not a serious problem in this area.
If there is a food safety problem, it is in restaurants. Believe me I know. They are inspected too, but it is a joke.
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| Name: |
GoneFishin
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| Subject: |
FACTS
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Date:
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8/2/2009 1:37:58 PM
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Exerpts from Washington Post
New authority to the Food and Drug Administration to regulate the way food is grown, harvested and processed.
Tainted food has cost the food industry billions of dollars in recalls, lost sales and legal expenses.
The legislation affects every aspect of the U.S. food system, from farmers to manufacturers to importers. The House bill calls for the FDA to set safety standards for farmers and manufacturers who process food. And it requires imported food to meet the same standards.
The legislation requires the FDA to sharply step up inspections. The FDA now inspects food facilities about ONCE A DECADE. The bill would also mandate inspections of high-risk facilities at least once a year and low-risk facilities at least every three years.
The agency would be able to recall food if it suspects contamination, instead of relying on the food maker to act voluntarily.
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they do inspect at the food processing plants, but the problem is that there are not enough inspectors. And the idea about the fines is okay, but that only happens after someone gets sick.
I agree with you about the restaurants. That's one of the reason I'm always leery about buffets... LOL. I know where that food comes from. And I'm very reluctant to buy anything "premarinated" from the market.
Now on the issue of imported food, I'm mixed. Because I don't want to eat unsafe food from Mexico, but I'd hate to see them cut off imports from France, Italy, Portugal and Spain.
I'm probably deluding myself, but I find myself increasingly buying meat and fish from Catherine's market, and trying to buy as much produce as I can from the source. I'm not a "greeniac", nor an "organiac", either.
It's kinda scary when you really start thinking about how little we know about what happens to our food between the source and when it lands in our markets.
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| Name: |
alahusker
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| Subject: |
Safer Food
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Date:
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8/2/2009 6:10:16 PM
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OK, made some fried rice last night.. Seafood, fried rice.. Got the cheaper stuff, canned oysters, shrimp and scallops from Winn Dixie.. Products of China and Thailand.. Hope we have a bevy of FDA inspectors over there.. Added my freshly caught fish from Lake Martin, mercury and all.. And fresh vegatables from the garden, heavily fertilized with triple 13.. Great eating, but I will be dead tomorrow..
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| Name: |
water_watcher
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| Subject: |
Safer Food
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Date:
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8/2/2009 6:55:08 PM
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But what a way to go. :) Sounds great.
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| Name: |
alahusker
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| Subject: |
R
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Date:
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8/2/2009 10:10:16 PM
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Was good eats, WW.. Had leftovers for breakfast.. Still alive and no diaherra or anything. Probably just lucky and hope 'gone fishing' is right, so and USDA will get big enuff to do weekly inspections of our kitchen and impose heavy fines if they find dirty dishes in the dishwasher..
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| Name: |
alahusker
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| Subject: |
R
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Date:
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8/2/2009 10:10:18 PM
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Was good eats, WW.. Had leftovers for breakfast.. Still alive and no diaherra or anything. Probably just lucky and hope 'gone fishing' is right, so and USDA will get big enuff to do weekly inspections of our kitchen and impose heavy fines if they find dirty dishes in the dishwasher..
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| Name: |
lamont
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| Subject: |
Egads....
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Date:
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8/3/2009 8:33:21 AM
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Been eatin dirty for 5 decades and, as of last Thursday, blood results still fine. Can y'all please give me something else to worry about; you know, like National Healthcare. That would have killed me in less than a year several years ago.
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