A proposed bill for food uniformity is, under the guise of "standardization," a nefarious attempt to undermine states' authority regarding food-safety and, in effect, lower standards overall.

The National Uniformity for Food Coalition, back by the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), is spearheading this movement. The mission is purportedly “to provide consumers with a single set of food safety standards that are developed in cooperation with state policymakers, and that are based on a consensus interpretation of the entire body of scientific evidence.”

Section 403B (a) of the uniformity requirement states:

(1) IN GENERAL- Except as provided in subsections ( c ) and ( d ), no State or political subdivision of a State may, directly or indirectly, establish or continue in effect under any authority any notification requirement for a food that provides for a warning concerning the safety of the food, or any component or package of the food, unless such a notification requirement has been prescribed under the authority of this Act and the State or political subdivision notification requirement is identical to the notification requirement prescribed under the authority of this Act. (HR 4167, 2006)

In other words, Congress will prohibit states from establishing food safety requirements that are stronger and more protective of public welfare than those specified by the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA). In effect, this act loosens restrictions on food producers, forcing states to the lowest common denominator of safety. State laws that require warnings about potential toxins—i.e., mercury (in fish), arsenic (in water), pesticides (in produce), lead (in serving dishes), sulfites (in bulk food), and alcohol (in candy)— would be illegal under this act. All of these labels would have to be removed. Food industry bigwigs must be rubbing their hands with delight and anticipation.

This affects not only food labels, but food-safety inspections and sanitation standards for restaurants. State and local authorities conduct roughly 80 percent of inspections. HR 4167 will effectively gut state and local requirements. States can petition to keep some restrictions only if it is necessary to prevent “imminent hazard to public health.” (Washington Watch, 2006)

GMA’s rationale is that “The citizens of all states deserve the same level of food safety. Something cannot be safe in one state and unsafe in another.” Put another way, consumers deserve the same low levels of food safety.

This is an attack by the food industry against state initiatives like California’s Proposition 65, which requires disclosure of any known carcinogens or chemicals that could cause birth defects (Senator Feingold, 28 February 2005). Why should Californians have extra protection when residents of other states are unknowingly ingesting carcinogens? Following GMA rationale, it is only fair that they should be poisoned like they rest of us.

Bill Lockyer, the Democratic attorney general of California, said, "This is a total disgrace." He accused Republicans in Congress of being a "rubber stamp for big business who, while claiming they need uniformity, are trying to invalidate consumer environmental and public health laws."(Marc Kaufman, Washington Post Staff Writer, 1 March 2006)

Find out if your congressperson is one of the 226 co-sponsors and tell them not to lower the bar on food-safety.

I have taken the liberty to organize this list by state for your viewing ease:

AL Reps: Robert B. Aderholt, Jo Bonner, Robert E. (Bud) Cramer, Jr., Artur Davis

AS Reps: Marion Berry, John Boozman, Mike Ross

AZ Reps: Jim Kolbe, John B. Shadegg

CA Reps: Ken Calvert, Dennis A. Cardoza, Jim Costa, John T. Doolittle, Elton Gallegly, Wally Herger, Juanita Millender-McDonald, Devin Nunes, Richard W. Pombo, George Radanovich, Dana Rohrabacher, Edward R. Royce

CO Reps: Bob Beauprez, Joel Hefley, Marilyn N. Musgrave, John T. Salazar, Thomas G. Tancredo

CT Reps: Nancy L. Johnson, Christopher Shays, Rob Simmons

FL Reps: Allen Boyd, Ginny Brown-Waite, Ander Crenshaw, Lincoln Diaz-Balart, Mark Foley, Katherine Harris, Ric Keller, Connie Mack, Jeff Miller, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, E. Clay Shaw, Jr., Cliff Stearns

GA Reps: John Barrow, Sanford D. Bishop, Jr., Nathan Deal, Phil Gingrey, Jack Kingston, John Lewis, John Linder, Jim Marshall, Charlie Norwood, Tom Price, David Scott, Lynn A. Westmoreland

IA Reps: Steve King, Tom Latham, Jim Nussle

ID Reps: C. L. (Butch) Otter, Michael K. Simpson

IL Reps: Melissa L. Bean, Judy Biggert, Jerry F. Costello, Danny K. Davis, Rahm Emanuel, Timothy V. Johnson, Mark Steven Kirk, Ray LaHood, Daniel Lipinski, Donald A. Manzullo, Bobby L. Rush, John Shimkus, Jerry Weller

IN Reps: Chris Chocola, Mike Pence, Michael E. Sodrel, Mark E. Souder

KS Reps: Dennis Moore, Jerry Moran, Jim Ryun, Todd Tiahrt

KY Reps: Ben Chandler, Geoff Davis, Ron Lewis, Anne M. Northup, Ed Whitfield

LA Reps: Rodney Alexander, Charles W. Boustany, Jr., William J. Jefferson, Bobby Jindal, Jim McCrery, Charlie Melancon

MD Reps: C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger, Albert Russell Wynn

ME Rep: Michael H. Michaud

MI Reps: Dave Camp, Vernon J. Ehlers, Peter Hoekstra, Thaddeus G. McCotter, Candice S. Miller, John J.H. "Joe" Schwarz, Fred Upton

MN Reps: Gil Gutknecht, Mark R. Kennedy, John Kline, Collin C. Peterson, Jim Ramstad

MO Reps: W. Todd Akin, Roy Blunt, Wm. Lacy Clay, Jo Ann Emerson, Sam Graves, Kenny C. Hulshof, Ike Skelton

MS Reps: Charles W. (Chip) Pickering, Gene Taylor, Bennie G. Thompson, Roger F. Wicker

MT Rep: Dennis R. Rehberg

NC Reps: G. K. Butterfield, Howard Coble, Bob Etheridge, Virginia Foxx, Robin Hayes, Walter B. Jones, Jr., Patrick T. McHenry, Mike McIntyre, Sue Myrick

NE Reps: Tom Osborne, Lee Terry

NH Reps: Charles F. Bass, Jeb Bradley

NJ Reps: Robert E. Andrews, Mike Ferguson, Frank A. LoBiondo, Jim Saxton

NM Reps: Stevan Pearce, Heather Wilson

NV Rep: Jon C. Porter

NY Reps: Sherwood Boehlert, Joseph Crowley, Brian Higgins, Steve Israel, Sue W. Kelly, John R. "Randy" Kuhl, Jr., John M. McHugh, Gregory W. Meeks, Major R. Owens, Thomas M. Reynolds, John E. Sweeney, Edolphus Towns

OH Reps: John A. Boehner, Paul E. Gillmor, David L. Hobson, Stephanie Tubbs Jones, Steve C. LaTourette, Michael G. Oxley, Deborah Pryce, Ralph Regula, Jean Schmidt, Ted Strickland, Patrick J. Tiberi

OK Reps: Dan Boren, Tom Cole, Frank D. Lucas, John Sullivan

OR Rep: Greg Walden

PA Reps: Michael F. Doyle, Phil English, Jim Gerlach, Melissa A. Hart, Tim Holden, Paul E. Kanjorski, Tim Murphy, John E. Peterson, Joseph R. Pitts, Todd Russell Platts, Don Sherwood, Bill Shuster, Curt Weldon

SC Reps: J. Gresham Barrett, Henry E. Brown, Jr., Bob Inglis, Joe Wilson

SD Reps: Stephanie Herseth

TN Reps: Marsha Blackburn, Jim Cooper, Lincoln Davis, John J. Duncan, Jr., Harold E. Ford, Jr., Bart Gordon, William L. Jenkins, Zach Wamp

TX Reps: Henry Bonilla, Michael C. Burgess, John R. Carter, K. Michael Conaway, Kay Granger, Ralph M. Hall, Jeb Hensarling, Sheila Jackson-Lee, Eddie Bernice Johnson, Sam Johnson, Kenny Marchant, Michael T. McCaul, Solomon P. Ortiz, Ted Poe, Pete Sessions

UT Reps: Rob Bishop, Chris Cannon, Jim Matheson

VA Reps: Rick Boucher, Eric Cantor, Jo Ann Davis, Tom Davis, Thelma D. Drake, J. Randy Forbes, Virgil H. Goode, Jr., Bob Goodlatte, James P. Moran

WA Reps: Doc Hastings, Cathy McMorris, David G. Reichert

WI Reps: Mark Green, Thomas E. Petri, Paul Ryan

WV Rep: Shelley Moore Capito

WY Rep: Barbara Cubin