More than 300 small business owners in New York State have urged Gov. Kathy Hochul to veto a bill tightening food safety rules. The proposed regulations would ban three food additives and impose new disclosure requirements on manufacturers. Opponents of the bill warn the changes could raise food prices and reduce the range of products available in stores.
The bill would ban the dye Red Dye 3, potassium bromate and propylparaben in food products. It would also require manufacturers to submit safety information on certain ingredients that companies determine to be suitable for use in food. The data would go into a state database of food ingredient information. Independent businesses with no more than 100 employees would be exempt from the reporting requirements.
A coalition of small business owners argues that, despite the exemptions, the new rules could raise operating costs across the entire food supply chain. In the entrepreneurs’ view, manufacturers and suppliers that will have to comply with the regulations could pass the additional costs on to their customers. As a result, higher prices could also show up in small stores, and consumers would ultimately bear the cost of the changes.
Opponents of the bill cite their own economic analysis, which found that the new regulations could raise grocery costs by about 6%. For the average household, that would mean additional spending estimated at $620 a year. Business owners also fear that some manufacturers may scale back their offerings in the New York market if adapting their products to the new requirements proves too costly.
The bill has already passed both chambers of the state Legislature – the Senate and the Assembly – and on Friday it reached Gov. Kathy Hochul’s desk. Whether the rules take effect depends on her decision.
Ed. JŁ
Source: Nowy Dziennik
