Senate bill targets illegally imported food

[Soldier4Christ]

Senate bill targets illegally imported food

A bipartisan bill in the Senate seeks to protect American consumers from exposure to tainted food and agricultural products imported from China and other U.S. trade partners.

Senator Bob Casey (D-Pennsylvania) and Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) have introduced a bill that would allow the federal government to hire 250 people to detect and track smuggled food and agricultural products. Private labs that detect contaminated foods would be required to report test results to federal agencies -- they are currently not required to do so. The Eat Safe Act of 2007 would also impose civil penalties for labs or importers who knowingly falsify lab sample results.

Senator Grassley hopes the measure will help boost consumer confidence that has been waning due to massive food recalls. "We're taking these steps to make sure that our food supply is safe. No one should have to worry about the safety of their food when they go to the grocery store," he states.

Senator Casey says prospects for passing the bill are "good" because the issue is "urgent and has a relevancy to people's lives," unlike many things debated in Washington.