EDITORIAL: U.S. needs tougher food regulation

Rotten eggs from filthy Iowa production facilities have caused the nation's largest outbreak of salmonella poisoning. It's just the latest item on a menu of recent food scares, yet Washington remains hard-boiled on giving the U.S. Food and Drug Administration more muscle to keep bad food out of our stomachs.

Fortunately none of these half-billion bad eggs were distributed in New York. But in the 14 states where they did show up, the federal government was powerless to mandate their recall. The outbreak of salmonella poisoning - there are at least 1,900 reported cases - was first noticed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its alert got the nation's attention. But we can't keep waiting until after the fact. We need to make food safer at the source. Britain and California's practice of vaccinating chickens against salmonella has dramatically reduced the problem. That safeguard needs to be examined.

Better insurance would come from passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act, giving the FDA authority to set safety standards and hold regular inspections. It also sets up a system to trace food from the farm to the store. The House passed the bill in 2009, but the Senate still can't find 60 votes to stand against the agriculture industry.

Tainted eggs should change that tally when the Senate returns from its summer recess next week. Overall, we have a very safe supply of food in the nation. But it can be better. hN