Obama Administration Takes Action on Food Safety

New measures included steps to curb <EM>Salmonella</EM> and <EM>E.coli</EM> contamination in U.S. food processing plants and the creation of a new deputy food commissioner post.

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration on Tuesday ordered tougher steps to curb salmonella and E.coli contamination in U.S. food processing plants and created a new deputy food commissioner post to coordinate safety in the wake of a salmonella outbreak.

The administration, concerned by delays in identifying the source of the salmonella contamination that sickened more than 700 people in 46 states earlier this year, also moved to create a better tracing system for identifying the origin of foodborne illnesses.

The actions, to be unveiled by the administration at an event on Tuesday, were based on recommendations from a Food Safety Working Group created by President Barack Obama in March after a salmonella outbreak in peanut products forced the largest food recall in U.S. history.

Click here to read the entire story.

Source: Reuters