President signs new Food Safety bill - extends FDA authority

In a national media phone conference call, FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg applauded the signing of improved food safety measures for both human and animal consumption.
When asked what consumers could expect to see immediately -- before Congressional funds become available -- the commissioner responded that most changes will initially be invisible to consumers with the new regulations affecting producers and packagers behind the scenes and international safety.

One major change: the FDA will now have mandatory recall authority when there's a clear public health threat - an important new authority over food for the FDA, which already has this power over toys, homebuilding products etc. Hamburg noted that while the industry is eager to protect its brand name and the health and safety of the consumer, in the past there have been delays. "This will make us more nimble and encourage industry to move as swiftly as possible," she said.

For all your health news, go to HealthKey at www.dailypress.com/healthLance Politte Marylou Craney Tania Alvord Kathrine Jarret Mallory Forst