[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 102 (Monday, July 27, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S9044]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. ROBERTS (for himself, Mr. Enzi, Mr. Kerrey, Mr. Harkin, 
        Mr. Lugar, Mr. Warner, and Mr. Johnson):
  S. 2356. A bill to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to 
provide for uniform food safety warning notification requirements, and 
for other purposes; to the Committee on Labor and Human Resources.


                national uniformity for food act of 1998

  Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, I am pleased to join Senator Roberts and 
several other Members in introducing this legislation designed to 
establish national rules regarding standards, labeling and notification 
requirements for foods.
  The legislation recognizes the reality that we have a truly national 
system of food production, processing and distribution. Perhaps the 
most apparent reason for a national system of rules relating to 
regulation of foods involves the economic costs associated with 
complying with varying state requirements. The burden of satisfying a 
number of different, and perhaps conflicting, requirements throughout 
the country can be significant.
  Another aspect of the matter, though, involves the benefits to 
consumers. Certainly, when it comes to labeling and notification, I 
believe that consumers are entitled to have plenty of information that 
will help them make sound purchasing decisions for their families. I 
believe there can come a point, however, when a multitude of varying 
labeling and notification requirements can confuse consumers and be 
counterproductive with respect to helping them make sound choices.
  Accordingly, this bill would establish a framework for uniform 
national rules relating to food labeling, standards and notification 
requirements while recognizing the interest of the states in regulatory 
activities involving food. Under the bill, states would continue to 
have full authority in the area of food sanitation requirements. States 
could also petition for new national standards or exemption from 
established national standards and could take emergency action 
inconsistent with the national standards in the case of imminent 
hazards. States would continue to have full authority to establish and 
enforce standards relating to matters on which a national standard had 
not been set. In addition, the bill specifically identifies a number of 
types of labeling requirements as to which the states would continue to 
have full authority.
  The bill being introduced today is a sound starting point for further 
discussion and study, and for hearings that I hope can be scheduled 
soon. I am sure that during this process issues and considerations will 
arise that will need to be addressed in the legislation. I look forward 
to working with the Senator from Kansas and other colleagues toward 
producing a final bill that will achieve broad support and be enacted.
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