A successful bipartisan effort led by U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (Mo.), Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.), and U.S. Representatives Joe Courtney (Conn.), Chris Gibson (N.Y.), and Annie Kuster (N.H.), has resulted in the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) planning to revise regulations and seek additional comments from the public before finalizing the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) rules.

The FDA’s announcement comes less than a month after the lawmakers led a bipartisan coalition of 75 members of the House and Senate expressing concern about the impact of proposed FDA rules on farmers and businesses, which re-proposing the regulations for public comment could help alleviate.

“I’m pleased the FDA has agreed to issue a second draft of proposed rules and give farmers and businesses the opportunity to provide additional input,” Blunt said. “I thank Senator Shaheen and my colleagues in the House and Senate for their work to alleviate the impact of these burdensome regulations on farm families in Missouri and nationwide.”

In March, the FDA issued two proposed rules implementing FSMA, a 2011 law that overhauled food safety laws to increase the safety of our domestic food supply. These rules addressed preventive controls for human food and standards for the growing, harvesting, packing, and holding of produce for human consumption.

As proposed, the 1,200-page rules have left food producers and processors across the country concerned about a number of issues including those specifically surrounding facility compliance and environmental standards. The FDA’s announced plan to re-propose key rule language will allow farmers and stakeholders to lend critical input toward the FDA-rulemaking process.

For more information on the letter signed by 75 members of Congress and sent to FDA on November 25, 2013, please click here.