The Senate is poised to pass food safety reforms; House is expected to extend child nutrition programs.
Food safety reform and child nutrition advocates seemed poised to realize during the lame duck session of Congress victories that eluded them in the several months before the midterm elections. Food safety reform legislation cleared a major hurdle on Nov. 17, when the Senate by a lopsided 74-to-25 vote decided to consider and bring to a vote the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Food Safety Modernization Act (S. 510).
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives was expected after Thanksgiving to consider legislation reauthorizing the nation’s child nutrition programs and improving the healthfulness of food and beverages provided in schools.
The House already passed its version of food safety reform several months ago, and the Senate in August passed its child nutrition bill, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. So advocates were hopeful both bills may be approved, reconciled and passed on to President Obama for his signature before the lame-duck Congress adjourns in December.
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