Proposed bill to help ailing spinach industry
Proposed bill to help ailing spinach industry
WASHINGTON -- The spinach industry has high hopes for a bill introduced by Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA) that would authorize new money for food-safety research and help bail out producers that suffered steep losses in this fall's spinach outbreak.
"Significant research has been done on protecting our meat supply from E. coli outbreaks, but very little has been done on protecting our vegetables," Rep. Farr said when he introduced H.R. 6379, the Spinach Research & Recovery Act of 2006.
Rep. Farr's bill would spend $26 million for food-safety research specifically dedicated to fresh produce and an undisclosed amount in emergency assistance to producers and handlers of fresh spinach that suffered losses when they voluntarily pulled fresh spinach from the market in reaction to the public health advisory FDA issued in September.
"Because of the timing of the E. coli outbreak in fresh spinach, Congress was not in session to address these issues promptly. I am introducing this bill days before the end of session so that we can go into the next Congress with a legislative package ready to go," the California congressman said. Congress will reconvene in Januray.
"Significant research has been done on protecting our meat supply from E. coli outbreaks, but very little has been done on protecting our vegetables," Rep. Farr said when he introduced H.R. 6379, the Spinach Research & Recovery Act of 2006.
Rep. Farr's bill would spend $26 million for food-safety research specifically dedicated to fresh produce and an undisclosed amount in emergency assistance to producers and handlers of fresh spinach that suffered losses when they voluntarily pulled fresh spinach from the market in reaction to the public health advisory FDA issued in September.
"Because of the timing of the E. coli outbreak in fresh spinach, Congress was not in session to address these issues promptly. I am introducing this bill days before the end of session so that we can go into the next Congress with a legislative package ready to go," the California congressman said. Congress will reconvene in Januray.
