A bill recently reintroduced by Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), the Expanded Food Safety Investigation Act, would allow the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to collect microbial samples from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) during disease outbreaks.
“Despite these dangers posed to public health by the animals in the country’s food system, public health agencies like the FDA and CDC face limitations in their ability to fully investigate and understand the problem since they lack the authority to enter farms and conduct microbial sampling,” Booker said in a news release.
“This bicameral legislation is a necessary step towards addressing the threats posed by foodborne illnesses stemming from animal agriculture and ensuring better transparency in our food system.”
