The Georgia General Assembly is considering a bill that would require mandatory testing for harmful pathogens at food warehouses, manufacturing plants and "food sales establishments."
All test results would be sent to state officials.
Similar plans have been floated before, mainly by critics of the current food safety system. Generally, those proposals follow large scale outbreaks and huge recalls.
Each time, the food and agricultural industry, even in the height of "crisis," have fought back mandatory testing.
And making those results public by forking them over to state officials has been a non starter.
Large firms have argued the measures aren't necessary as testing protocol often already exists. Small firms and family run operations have successfully lobbied against similar measures in California, telling lawmakers the tests will cut their bottom line.
So it's a big deal when Georgia looks to become a leader in food testing regulations.
"It's a great first step," said lawyer Bill Marler. He's suing the company at the center of the recent outbreak of salmonella in peanut products. "Not perfect, not enough, but a start" Marler wrote on his blog.The bill would give the Georgia Agricultural Commissioner the power to set up the specific guidelines. Tests would need to happen once a year, at minimum.
Peanut Corporation of America, the operators of the now closed Blakely facility, have been accused by the Food and Drug Administration of knowingly shipping tainted product for distribution. The company disputes those charges, and says the FDA's report is inaccurate.
So far eight deaths have been attributed to the tainted peanut products.
“When people’s lives are at stake, food safety inspections should not be subject to lax regulations,” said Republican Sen. John Bulloch, who introduced the legislation.
“Consumers must be assured their food is safe and we must protect the integrity of Georgia’s producers. Much of our economy depends on the state’s agriculture industry, which cannot afford to suffer the negative impacts of food recalls.”
