Sign up for e-mail updates about news in the 182nd District!
Notice: Undefined variable: Miscellaneous1 in /var/www/vhosts/solutionmedia.net/httpdocstemplates/BJ-detContent.php on line 13
HARRISBURG, July 16 -- The Pennsylvania House of Representatives today approved a bill that would protect Pennsylvanians from food poisoning.
Rep. Babette Josephs, D-Phila., supported the legislation that would enforce food safety regulations at retail food-service establishments and standardize inspections and reporting across the state.
"Philadelphia has its own stringent regulations for food safety in restaurants and the city publishes inspections of our eating establishments online. But this bill would standardize that for the rest of the state so that no matter where you eat out in the Commonwealth, you could be certain that the food is safe -- and if it isn't, you could easily find that out, too, before you visit," Josephs said.
Josephs co-sponsored the measure, and worked as a member of the House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee to move the bill through the process.
"With the increasing number of contamination outbreaks, this bill would go a long way toward stopping the spread of food-borne illnesses," she said.
About 76 million Americans get sick from food-borne illnesses each year.
Josephs said that most cases of food poisoning are caused by improper handling, preparation or storage of food and that this bill would be a simple way to prevent contamination from happening. It would include all retail food establishments, including farmer's markets, soup kitchens and school cafeterias.
In addition, the bill would post restaurant inspection records in one central location and make them available to the public. Josephs said this would serve as an economic incentive for restaurants to maintain clean inspection histories.
The bill (H.B. 1422) now moves to the Senate for consideration.
© 2006 - 2007 State Representative Babette Josephs. All Rights Reserved. 215-893-1515 | 717-787-8529