Total Recall Posted by Reggie at 10/03/06 04:46 PM

Hats off to California for taking the lead on another important food safety issue. Governor Schwarzenegger recently signed into law a bill that ends secrecy agreements between federal and state food officials. The new law allows state food officials to tell the public the names of stores and restaurants where tainted meat has been shipped and sold. The law was necessary because the USDA won’t share this information with state officials unless they promise in writing not to pass it on to the public. USDA is sitting on a proposed rule that would allow them to reveal similar information to the public nationally.

I hope this doesn’t paint another bull's eye on California for doing the right thing. The proposed National Uniformity for Food bill pending in Congress was mostly designed to stop states like California from putting people before industry profits. Good on you California… Texas???

comments (2)

1 Posted by PAULINE at 10/28/06 02:52 PM

Government is no longer representing the people? - what happened to our democracy, the one we want to clone all over the world?

2 Posted by Reggie at 10/30/06 08:47 AM

Thanks for your comment Pauline. Government accountability should concern everyone. California's passage of the recall bill is a bright spot. The Governor vetoed a similar bill in the past. Public pressure was one of the factors in getting him to sign this legislation. The remedy to a lack of government accountability is public participation in the process. Good luck to us all.