Save Our Food Safety Laws

TOMORROW, March 2, the House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on a bill (H.R. 4167) that would eliminate nearly 200 state and local food safety laws.

Backed by food industry lobbyists, the bill aims to dissolve critical food safety protections in all 50 states that are not identical to federal standards. Many of these state food safety laws, however, are more stringent than federal laws and were enacted to protect their residents when the federal government failed to do so. For example, California required labels on alcoholic beverages that list the potential dangers of alcohol to pregnant women before the federal government did so. Some states require warnings that alert people to irradiated food, chemical additives that can cause cancer, and fish that have excessively high levels of mercury, which can cause birth defects. Other states pass laws aimed at protecting the public from contaminated shellfish or eggs.

Every year millions of Americans suffer from food-borne illnesses and thousands of them die. We must not make it harder for states to protect their residents from food-borne health threats.

Take Action Today

A House vote is scheduled for tomorrow, March 2. So waste no time with letters. Send a message right away from NRDC's Earth Action Center at www.nrdcaction.org/action/index.asp?step=2&item=53354 urging your Congressperson to vote NO on bill H.R. 4167. Or call your representative, the Capitol switchboard number is 202-224-3121.

Feel free to forward this message to your friends and co-workers, and urge them to contact their representative as well.

For more information:

http://www.consumersunion.org/pub/core_food_safety/003165.html

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h109-4167

http://www.neha.org/position_papers/positionHR4167.htm