The New York Times: Bipartisan Call for Food Safety Fixes

Among the sharpest areas of disagreement are whether to split the Foodand Drug Administration into two separate agencies and whether tofinance increased safety inspections through fees on industry orthrough general appropriations.

Representative Henry A. Waxman, the California Democrat who is chairmanof the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said he would opposesplitting the F.D.A., at least for now.

"Our first goal should be to address the problems that plague thisprogram where it currently sits," he said. "After we finish that job,we can consider whether a reorganization is necessary."

But Representative Diana DeGette, a Colorado Democrat who is vicechairwoman of the commerce committee, said she continued to advocate aseparate agency to oversee food safety.

The differences are not partisan. Republicans at the hearing said they too supported strong reforms.

"On food safety, there is no daylight between Henry Waxman and JoeBarton," said Representative Joe L. Barton of Texas, the seniorRepublican on the commerce committee.

TheHouse has held nearly two dozen food safety hearings over the pastyear, focusing on contamination in peanut butter, spinach, tomatoes,jalapeño peppers, pet food and seafood, manufactured both in the UnitedStates and abroad.

A panel of experts fromconsumer groups and the industry largely agreed that broad changes wereneeded. For industry, the growing number of food-poisoning incidentshave become enormously expensive. Thomas E. Stenzel, chief executive ofthe United Fresh Produce Association, said an entire crop of spinachwas discarded in 2006 during a salmonella outbreak.

"In fact," he said, "we now know that the only contaminated productcame from one 50-acre farm, packaged in one processing plant and onlyon one production shift." Yet spinach sales continue to suffer, headded.

In statements, members of the commerce subcommittee onhealth agreed that the F.D.A. needed greater legal authority and morefinancing.

Of more than a half-dozenoverhaul bills that have already been filed, most would give the agencythe power to require that unsafe food be recalled; at present, mostsuch recalls require a manufacturer's agreement.

Members also largely agreed that the traceability of foods needed to beimproved so the source of any contamination could be found quickly, andthat food manufacturers must write and carry out food safety plans.

Whatever the details, the lawmakers said, Congress needs to take action soon.