[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3163 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3163

To amend the Federal Meat Inspection Act to require tracing of meat and 
  meat food products that are adulterated or contaminated by enteric 
foodborne pathogens to the source of the adulteration or contamination.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 24, 2010

  Mr. Tester introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
   referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Federal Meat Inspection Act to require tracing of meat and 
  meat food products that are adulterated or contaminated by enteric 
foodborne pathogens to the source of the adulteration or contamination.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Meat Safety and Accountability Act 
of 2010''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that it is essential and in the public interest 
that--
            (1) the health and welfare of consumers be protected by 
        ensuring that meat and meat food products distributed to 
        consumers are wholesome and not adulterated or contaminated; 
        and
            (2) Federal meat inspection programs identify all sources, 
        including the slaughterhouse source, of original adulteration 
        and contamination of enteric foodborne pathogens in meat in any 
        case in which--
                    (A) lab samples test positive for enteric pathogen 
                adulteration or contamination; or
                    (B) adulterated or contaminated meat is found in 
                commerce, including foodborne outbreaks.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    Section 1 of the Federal Meat Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 601) is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(x) Enteric Foodborne Pathogen.--The term `enteric foodborne 
pathogen' means live bacteriological matter that is commonly present in 
the digestive systems of animals for slaughter, specifically E. coli 
0157: H7 and salmonella, the presence of which in meat food products 
may indicate unsanitary conditions at the point of slaughter.
    ``(y) Establishment.--The term `establishment' means any person, 
firm, meat broker, renderer, or animal food manufacturer.''.

SEC. 4. PROTECTION AGAINST ADULTERATED AND CONTAMINATED MEAT OR MEAT 
              FOOD PRODUCTS.

    Section 8 of the Federal Meat Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 608) is 
amended--
            (1) by striking ``Sec. 8. The Secretary'' and inserting the 
        following:

``SEC. 8. PROTECTION AGAINST ADULTERATED AND CONTAMINATED MEAT OR MEAT 
              FOOD PRODUCTS.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary'';
            (2) by inserting ``or contaminated'' after ``adulterated''; 
        and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(b) Sampling Protocols.--
            ``(1) In general.--In carrying out this Act, the Secretary 
        shall implement sampling protocols using methods and 
        technologies to enable personnel of the Food Safety and 
        Inspection Service to rapidly trace potential adulteration and 
        contamination of meat and meat food products by enteric 
        foodborne pathogens to possible preceding sources of the 
        adulteration and contamination, including preparation, 
        packaging, and slaughtering establishments, to determine the 
        original site source of the adulteration or contamination.
            ``(2) Requirements.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Sampling protocols shall include 
                the collection of documentary and other relevant 
                material to enable rapid tracing, including--
                            ``(i) establishment identification data;
                            ``(ii) a description of the meat or meat 
                        food product;
                            ``(iii) shipping marks;
                            ``(iv) bar coding; and
                            ``(v) disclosure of sole-source or 
                        multiple-source origin.
                    ``(B) Timing.--The collection of documentary and 
                other relevant material to enable rapid tracing under 
                subparagraph (A) shall occur at the time that samples 
                of the relevant meat or meat food product are 
                collected.
                    ``(C) Certification.--The onsite inspector and a 
                responsible establishment representative shall certify 
                that the documentary and other tracing material 
                collected under subparagraph (A) is complete and 
                accurate.
            ``(3) Tracing of adulterated and contaminated meat and meat 
        food products.--If a meat or meat food product sample tests 
        positive or is indicated to test positive for adulteration or 
        contamination by enteric foodborne pathogens, the Secretary 
        shall immediately conduct a trace--
                    ``(A) to identify all sites of adulteration and 
                contamination, including preparation, packaging, and 
                slaughtering establishments; and
                    ``(B) to identify the original source of 
                adulteration or contamination.
            ``(4) Subsequent sampling.--If a raw ground meat sample 
        tests positive or is indicated to test positive for 
        adulteration or contamination by enteric foodborne pathogens at 
        a preparation, packaging, or slaughtering establishment, the 
        Secretary shall require subsequent sampling at the 
        establishment, and any establishments supplying that 
        establishment, each day for a minimum of 15 consecutive days 
        after the date on which the adulterated or contaminated sample 
        is collected.''.
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