Congress is at it again, looking to pass new regulations directed at food safety. The problem, critics say, is that so-called food safety legislation (H.R. 2749) introduced to clean up the country’s food supply is misdirected. Instead of reducing the ridiculous rules that prevent family farms from butchering livestock in small batches and selling meat and produce directly to consumers, congressmen want even stricter rules that only serve to benefit the massive multinational corporations that run the polluting factory farms.
The latest incarnation of food safety was introduced by Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) in late July and has already passed the House. It is currently being vetted in a Senate committee.
It doesn’t require sterile laboratories to produce safe food. Enacting legislation that encourages the diversification of food is one solution, and there already is a bill that encourages this option. H. Res. 458, introduced by Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.), calls on the federal government to encourage “organic farming, gardening, local food production, and farmers markets.” But that has been stuck in the House Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, Nutrition and Forestry since last year.
But the truth is, even that bill does not go far enough. The only way for Americans to be certain that their food is safe is to get more involved in food production. Reject massive supermarkets and other corporate bigbox stores. Support family farms that allow consumers to tour the facility to personally witness the conditions in which livestock are raised. Purchase produce and meats directly from the farm whenever possible. It may cost families a few extra dollars to do this, but it is the only way to truly be safe.
