Ga. adopting strict new food testing rules

[May 02, 2009]  ATLANTA (AP) -- In the wake of the salmonella outbreak, Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue has signed a bill that would make the state the first to require food makers to swiftly alert state inspectors if their internal tests show products are tainted.

The proposed food safety regulations would require the food processors to report the results within 24 hours. Perdue says it will help "guard the safety and security of our food supply from bad actors."

The proposal moved rapidly through the Georgia Legislature after the salmonella outbreak that originated in a south Georgia peanut processing plant. It sickened hundreds and was linked to the deaths of at least nine people.

[Associated Press; By GREG BLUESTEIN]

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