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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Mike Hanna |
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Food safety bill passes House
HARRISBURG, June 10 – State Rep. Mike Hanna, D-Clinton/Centre, chairman of the House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, said the House today passed legislation that would improve food safety standards in Pennsylvania.
"The lack of uniformity in regulating food safety in Pennsylvania makes it difficult to ensure public safety and prevent and contain food-poisoning outbreaks," Hanna said. "At a time when food-borne illnesses are on the rise, this legislation would establish Pennsylvania as a leader in regulating food safety."
Sponsored by committee member Rep. Mike Carroll, D-Luzerne/Monroe, the bill (H.B. 174) would improve the state Department of Agriculture’s ability to enforce food-safety regulations at restaurants and help standardize inspections and reporting across the state.
Carroll's bill would streamline inspections statewide by keeping local health departments informed of the Agriculture Department's standards and requiring local health departments to report inspection results to the Agriculture Department. Approximately 190 separate local health departments currently have the authority to inspect and license the state's restaurants.
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.
Hanna noted that restaurant inspection reports are available online at the Agriculture Department's Web site. They can be accessed by visiting www.agriculture.state.pa.us and typing "Food Safety Results" in the search box. If the legislation were to become law, more reports would be available to consumers, improving access and notification of potential outbreak or bioterrorism warnings.
The bill now goes to the Senate for approval.