Dale Bumpers: “this amendment codifies the Secretary of Agriculture's prohibition on the repackaging of eggs packed under USDA's…”

“this amendment codifies the Secretary of Agriculture's prohibition on the repackaging of eggs packed under USDA's voluntary grading program. This prohibition went into effect on April 27. It directs the Secretaries of Agriculture and Health and Human Services to submit a joint report to the relevant congressional committees on egg safety and repackaging. The amendment has been cleared by USDA, by the Food and Drug Administration, and the egg industry, and it is supported by consumer groups. The USDA recently reported, each year over 660,000 Americans get sick from eating eggs contaminated with salmonella enterovirus. Illness from this can be fatal to the elderly, children, and those with weakened immune systems. According to the Centers for Disease Control, this bacteria caused more reported deaths between 1988 and 1992 than any other foodborne pathogen. The estimated annual cost of illness from this particular salmonella ranges from $118 million to $767 million each year, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. It sounds like a very good amendment to me.”