New Hampshire Rep. Annie Kuster asked the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday to extend the comment period for sweeping food safety rules that has farmers and other food industry groups arguing that the new rules could drive many small operations out of business. Comments for the new rules that require food processors to have written food safety plans and requirements for safe processing, and one that establishes science-based standards for growing, harvesting, packing, and holding produce were due today on November 15.
Kuster says technical problems with Regulations.gov, the website where public comments are submitted, have prevented people from submitting comments in advance of Friday's deadline. The FDA commenting website crashed this week, prompting Cornucopia Institute co-director Will Fantle to compare it to the website issues on Obamacare, saying "this is potentially disenfranchising thousands of farmers and consumers, and is flat-out unacceptable." To read more, click HERE.
