Protecting U.S. Food Supply May Be Costly, Groups Say Protecting U.S. Food Supply May Be Costly, Gro
Additional rules designed to improve food safety in the U.S. will add costs for businesses and may not be effective, food-industry groups said.
Scares involving the potentially deadly E. coli bacteria, salmonella, listeria and other threats have harmed consumer confidence, prompting industry support for some tougher measures, J. Patrick Boyle, the president of the American Meat Institute, said today at a congressional hearing. The added cost to defend the food supply may be burdensome, he said.
“Only industry can provide safe food,” and voluntary collaboration with government will do more to protect consumers than additional rules, Boyle told the House Agriculture Committee. Boyle’s group represents Tyson Foods Inc., the biggest U.S. meat processor, and other meatpackers.
Congress is increasing the food-safety budget to add inspection resources and considering more than a dozen proposals to combat food-borne illness. They include legislation, approved by the House Energy and Commerce Committee, to grant the Food and Drug Administration authority to order food recalls even when a company refuses to cooperate.
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