Senate Adopts Food Safety Crime Bill
The U.S. Senate has approved a bill (S. 216) designed to “strengthen criminal
penalties for companies that knowingly violate food safety standards and
place tainted food products on the market,” according to the legislation’s
sponsor, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.). The proposal would increase offenses
from a misdemeanor to a felony, establish fines and give law enforcement the
ability to seek prison sentences of up to 10 years. See Press Release of Senator
Patrick Leahy, April 15, 2011.