Publisher’s Platform: House and Senate should act now on Boar’s Head plant

— OPINION —

The years of inspection reports (Here are the Inspection Reports in PDF.) leave little doubt that the Boar’s Head plant’s food safety plan must have been non-existent. It is hard to wrap your head around how food could be produced in these conditions by this company and under the gaze of the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service inspectors.

It is time for the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate committees use their authority to get to the bottom of the Boar’s Head Listeria Outbreak that has sickened at least 57, killing 9 to date.

The Federal Meat Inspection Act of 1906 is an American law that makes it illegal to adulterate or misbrand meat and meat products being sold as food and ensures that meat and meat products are slaughtered and processed under strictly regulated sanitary conditions.

These House and Senate committees play crucial roles in shaping food safety regulations, appropriating funds for related programs, and overseeing the implementation of food safety measures within the USDA.

In the U.S. Congress, several committees oversee food safety and inspection services under the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The primary committees involved are:

U.S. House of Representatives:

1. Committee on Agriculture: This committee has primary responsibility for legislation related to farming, nutrition, and agriculture in general. It oversees issues related to food safety, including the inspection of meat, poultry, and processed egg products.

2. Committee on Appropriations: Specifically, the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies oversees funding for the USDA’s food safety programs.

3. Committee on Energy and Commerce: This committee, particularly its Subcommittee on Health, has jurisdiction over food safety as it relates to public health and FDA-related matters.

U.S. Senate:

1. Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Like its House counterpart, this Senate committee oversees agricultural policies, including food safety and the USDA’s inspection services.

2. Committee on Appropriations: Specifically, the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies also has oversight of the USDA’s budget and funding related to food safety.

3. Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP): This committee addresses health issues, including food safety regulations and policies.

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