Ga. panel OKs testing

A bill that would require Georgia food manufacturing plants —- like the one linked to a nationwide outbreak of salmonella —- to regularly test for contamination unanimously passed a Senate committee Wednesday.

The state Senate Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee approved SB 80, which chairman John Bulloch (R-Ochlocknee) said would throw “a red flag up” if a manufacturer found salmonella or some other contamination in a product.

The bill requires regular testing of food samples and reporting of any contamination found to the state Department of Agriculture. The company must also keep records of the tests for two years.

“If this bill had been in place, there would have been a red flag raised because of the tests coming back,” Bulloch said.