FDA Requires Faster Food Safety Reporting

"Food makers must alert government officials of potentially contaminated products within 24 hours under a new rule designed to help federal regulators spot food safety issues sooner. The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday unveiled a new electronic database where manufacturers must notify the government if they believe one of their products is likely to cause sickness or death in people or animals. Regulators said the database will help the FDA prevent widespread illness from contaminated products and direct inspectors to plants that pose a high safety concern. 'There's been a lag time; we learn about problems after people get sick,' said Michael Taylor, senior adviser to the FDA's commissioner. 'This is intended to inform us of contamination problems before people get sick.' The law creating the database was passed in 2007, after Congress criticized the FDA for its handling of safety problems with a range of foods and drugs."