As the Food and Drug Administration issues a massive recall of peanut products, a new bill could give the FDA stronger investigative powers.
HR 758, the FDA Globalization Act, was introduced Wednesday by Reps. John Dingell, D-Mich., Bart Stupak, D-Mich., and Frank Pallone, D-N.J.
The bill would require foreign factories that produce drugs and medical devices to be inspected at least every two years, the standard for domestic companies. New fees on imports would help pay for more inspections, and the bill would also give the FDA more room to impose larger fines on companies for faulty imported and domestic products.
In a statement, Dingell said,
“Every few months brings another crisis — E. coli in spinach, contaminated heparin, tainted peppers, and now salmonella in peanut butter that has killed eight people and sickened more than 483 people. The time to act is now.”
The bill has been referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
