According to the news the proposed food tracking system has been endorsed by the House of Representatives. The Senate might not tackle the issue until September. This stipulation was part of the Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009 (HR 2749), which was passed by a partisan vote of 283-141 on 31 July. The act is meant to protect consumers from food-borne illnesses that currently afflict one in four Americans annually.
Official figure of the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that 5,000 individuals of these 76 million people die and 325,000 are hospitalized. The House of Representatives has approved the version of the act and mandates that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) create a food-tracing system in two years capable of identifying a food source within the time span of two business days, among other safety measures.
The Southern Shrimp Alliance (SSA) has called for the enhancement of registration guidelines during the drafting of the bill as well as control points within the imported food chain. According to the legislation each person who produces, manufactures, processes, packs, transports, or holds food must participate in a new traceability system.
