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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Mike Carroll
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Carroll bill to standardize food safety regulations passes House
HARRISBURG, June 10 – State Rep. Mike Carroll, D-Luzerne/Monroe, said legislation he sponsored to improve food safety standards in Pennsylvania passed the House today.
The bill (H.B. 174) would improve the state Department of Agriculture’s ability to enforce food safety regulations at restaurants and other locations where food is prepared and sold, such as fairs and picnics. It would also standardize inspections and reporting across the state and make statewide inspection records available to the public on the Department of Agriculture’s Web site.
"This bill would help to ensure the health and safety of all Pennsylvanians by standardizing regulations statewide to better prevent and contain food-poisoning outbreaks," Carroll said.
Carroll's bill would streamline inspections statewide by updating all local health departments on the most current Department of Agriculture standards. The legislation also would eliminate mandatory annual inspections to allow the department to follow a risk-based inspection schedule and focus resources on high-risk facilities.
The bill now moves to the state Senate.
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