Monday, July 13, 2009

New Bill (HR2749) Gives FDA Unheard-of Power over Small Farmers, Food and Supplement Producers

A new, long-awaited food safety bill is now before the US House of Representatives. It is the Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009, or FSEA. Introduced by Reps. Henry Waxman (D–CA) and John Dingell (D–MI), the FSEA is meant to address food safety concerns. But as you will see, much of it is not about food safety at all. Food safety issues have arisen from large agricultural operations. But this bill places its harshest burdens on small food producers and supplement producers.

Take Action and let your Representative know you DO NOT support this bill

The Food Safety Enhancement Act:

  • gives the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) unprecedented scope, authority, and power over small farmers, food producers, and supplement producers, including the power to use vague language to intimidate and threaten;
  • imposes unjustifiably harsh criminal and civil penalties for even administrative violations; and
  • places undue economic hardship on small and mid-sized farms and food facilities (both organic and conventional), which could easily drive many of them out of business, and lead to monopoly control of food by large corporations.


Also known as the Waxman–Dingell bill, the Food Safety Enhancement Act has a number of provisions that would directly affect many of AAHF’s members. Although much of the bill’s language is vague—and, some worry, deliberately deceptive—it is clear that the FSEA provides for the following:

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1 comment:

  1. This bill has to be stopped-Obama has obviously sold out to Monsanto and big pharma to give FDA the power to fine you if you eat organic foods. This is a disgrace to the American farmer, who is already fighting GMO' seeds with the greedy Monsanto Corp. The European Union flatly rejects GMO foods, yet Obama is supporting that industry and shutting down the small farmer. Nice work...but this bill should be shut down and fast. Back to the drawing board Obama, and this time protect US organic food-its the only real food left on the planet.

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