Source:  Rita Jane Gabbett, MEATINGPLACE.COM, 12/1/09

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) announced Monday she has introduced legislation that would amend USDA inspection rules to mandate pathogen treatment and expand labeling requirements on meat and poultry.

The bill would amend the Poultry Products Inspection Act, the Federal Meat Inspection Act and the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act to prohibit the sale of any processed poultry, meat and FDA-regulated food that has not either undergone a pathogen reduction treatment, or been certified to contain no verifiable traces of pathogens.

The bill would also require labels on ground beef, or any other ground meat product, specifically naming every cut of meat that is contained in the product.

Finally, the bill would do away with what she called loopholes in current laws that allow for producers to add coloring, synthetic flavorings and spices to their products without informing the consumer.

"By enacting these simple changes, the Processed Food Safety Act will drastically reduce the presence of pathogens in our food and improve the ability of the consumer to make informed choices about the products they wish to eat," Feinstein said in a news release.