Tougher Food Safety Rules To Get House Review

Tougher food safety rules for Georgia could be another step closer after today’s activity ahead at the State Capitol. House lawmakers are set to look at the measure to revamp requirements. Since it’s already passed through the Senate, House approval would move the bill to Governor Sonny Perdue’s desk.

The bill includes the provision to require food makers to alert state inspectors within 24 hours if a plant’s own tests show products are tainted. Georgia would be the first state in the nation to adopt strict new food safety rules. The movement for tougher rules comes in the wake of the salmonella outbreak, linked to a south Georgia peanut plant.

Local Officials to Inspect Food Plants

In response to the recent salmonella outbreak in peanut products, the Georgia House passed a bill allowing the State Agriculture Commission to deputize county and city health workers to inspect food processing plants.


One of the big complaints from the state Agriculture commission is that they may have missed the signs because they don't have enough food safety inspectors. HB 381 would allow the state to commission local health inspectors to poke around the approximately five hundred fifty food manufacturers. Republican Representative Terry England of Auburn says these local health workers would only visit facilities.

"They’re not allowed at any point to shut an operation down, but if they find something suspicious they are to notify the department of agriculture."

The bill does not lay out how these local workers will be trained to spot defects at manufacturing plants. These local inspectors would also need to know if a food processor is violating federal rules and report those concerns to federal authorities. The salmonella outbreak is blamed for nine deaths.

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Tougher Food Safety Measure Passes Senate

A key first victory for legislation aimed at food safety in Georgia crossed a hurdle Wednesday. The state Senate Agriculture Committee voted unanimously for the plan to require food makers to alert state inspectors within 24 hours if initial testing from a plant shows its products are contaminated. The bill also calls for testing by companies at least once-a-year—that would supplement surprise state and federal inspections. All of this is in response to the salmonella outbreak linked to the Blakely peanut plant. The full state Senate will now look at the measure.

New Food Safety Rule

Georgia's new food safety code just got three times longer, but the new rules are meant to make people safer.

Among the changes that took place December 1st, a new restaurant scoring system. Restaurants will now receive both a letter and a number grade, similar to a report card. That report must be posted no more than 15 feet from the door.

Donna Cadwell is with Bibb County's Environmental Health Division in Macon. She supervises four inspectors and over 600 food establishments. She says employees will also be required to wear gloves, whenever they handle food like sandwiches.

"Once the food is ready, food beverage or ice is ready to go in a customer's mouth to be consumed, than the employee cannot handle that without a utensil or glove."

Restaurants will also be required to purchase commercial equipment. The new guidelines are similar to a federal code.