Industry-backed bill would overthrow state food-labeling laws
Two hundred or more state laws requiring warning labels on foods --
labels indicating the presence of, say, cancer- or birth-defect-causing
ingredients -- would get nixed under a bill debated yesterday in the
U.S. House of Representatives. The legislation would preempt state
food-labeling rules in favor of a national standard, even when the state
laws are tougher. Critics of the legislation, including state food and
agriculture regulators and a bipartisan coalition of 37 state attorneys
general, say this is the food industry's bid to overturn state rules and
regulations they've opposed in the past. "The real effect of this
legislation will be the deregulation of the United States food
industry," said Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.). Food giants like Heinz,
Sara Lee, and Kraft back the measure, and there appears to be enough
support to get the bill through the House next week. It's expected to
face a tougher road in the Senate. Label us nervous.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2006/02/28/national/w161501S58.DTL
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/03/03/MNGCBHHPE11.DTL
-- Liz Brown Marine Advisory Program University of Alaska Fairbanks PO Box 1549 Dillingham, AK 99576 907-842-1265 Fax 907-842-3202 www.uaf.edu/map
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