Senate empowers the FDA with passage of new food safety bill
The Senate voted 73 to 25 Tuesday to pass a bill that gives the Food and Drug Administration more oversight over food safety standards.
The legislation follows several national outbreaks of foodborne illnesses spread by food items such as spinach, eggs and peanut butter. During last year's 42-state salmonella outbreak, 10 of Minnesota's cases came from nursing homes.
This law allows the FDA to announce food recalls, whereas currently, it's been up to manufacturers to recall their products. It also gives the FDA the ability to access internal records at farms and food manufacturing facilities.
