Lawmakers push for food safety reforms (AP/PhysOrg)

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February 4th, 2009 By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR , Associated Press Writer in Medicine & Health / Health

"There is an openness to putting together the strongest legislation possible," said Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., who introduced a bill to reorganize federal food safety enforcement and make it more accountable.

Meanwhile, the number of recalled peanut products approached 1,100 in what independent experts said appears to be a record for foods consumed by humans.

The 2007 recall of melamine-tainted pet food eventually grew to 1,179 products but "this is human food," said Caroline Smith DeWaal, food safety director for the Center for Science in the Public Interest. "I'm certainly not aware of any recall where so many individual branded products had to be called back, which makes it really complicated for consumers."
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On Wednesday, House Education Committee Chairman George Miller, D-Calif., asked for an investigation of whether tainted peanut products were distributed through the federal school lunch program.

It remains unclear whether Congress can deliver major improvements in food safety this year, given the press of critical issues such as the shaky economy and a ballooning federal deficit. Senior Democrats are dusting off legislation that went nowhere last year and hoping for better luck under President Barack Obama, who has criticized the Food and Drug Administration's handling of the outbreak.
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more: http://www.physorg.com/news152995521.html