Killer tomatoes (Jalapeños), Blame bush
.WASHINGTON—The food industry pressured the Bush administration a few years ago to limit the paperwork that companies would have to keep to help U.S. health investigators quickly trace produce that sickens consumers, according to interviews and government reports reviewed by The Associated Press.
The White House also killed a plan to require the industry to maintain electronic tracking records that could be reviewed easily during a crisis to search for an outbreak’s source. Companies complained that the proposals were too burdensome and costly, and could disrupt the availability of consumers’ favorite foods
Under pressure in 2003 and 2004, the White House agreed to dilute record-keeping proposals by FDA safety experts.
According to government records, business groups met at least 10 times with the White House between March 2003 and March 2004, as the FDA rules were under debate.
‘’The FDA’s strong proposed bioterrorism rules were significantly watered down before they became final,’’ said Caroline Smith DeWaal, food safety director at the Washington-based Center for Science in the Public Interest.
Participants in the meetings included companies and trade groups up and down the food chain.
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