Washington, D.C. – The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW) today encouraged the House of Representatives to support the National Uniformity for Food Act of 2005 (H.R. 4167), which would harmonize inconsistent state standards for food safety and warning labels.  Below are excerpts from a letter sent by CCAGW President Tom Schatz to Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.):

Under the current system, states may impose different, and sometimes contradictory, regulations.  This imposes unnecessary complexity and cost on food processors and manufacturers throughout the United States.  These costs are most often passed on to consumers.  In addition, taxpayers in the various states bear the burden for administration of these unnecessary and duplicative regulations.

It does not make sense to have states adopting different regulatory requirements on identical food products.  H.R. 4167 will provide consumers with a single set of consistent, science-based safety regulations for food products in the entire country.  The legislation provides that where the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has established a safety standard, the states would adopt and enforce the same standard.  If the FDA has not set a safety standard for a particular food ingredient, the states would remain free to set and enforce their own standards.

The National Uniformity for Food Act takes a measured approach by providing a mechanism for a thorough, orderly review of existing state regulations that may differ from federal regulations.  By providing states with the ability to petition for adoption at the federal level any existing state food safety or warning requirements, the legislation carefully balances the need for uniformity while at the same time recognizing the role that state and local governments have in ensuring the safety of the nation’s food supply.

Please inform your colleagues that any votes on H.R. 4167 will be among those considered in CCAGW’s 2006 Congressional Ratings.

The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste is the lobbying arm of Citizens Against Government Waste, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government.