[At Vote] [ga] Reducing Food Contaminants And Residues

[Astrobolt]

General Assembly Resolution

Reducing Food Contaminants And Residues

A resolution to enact uniform standards that protect workers, consumers, and the general public.

Category: Regulation

Area of Effect: Consumer Protection

Proposed by: Simone Republic

The World Assembly (WA),



Noting the widespread trading of food between WA states;



Affirming the passage of related GARs such as 333 and 679;



Desiring clear standards on contaminants, pesticides, and other residues in food, to protect the well-being of sapient individuals, including both consumers and production workers;



The WA hereby enacts as follows:

1. Definitions.
   1. "Authority" means an entity designated by a WA state as in charge of formulating and enforcing the regulations. Such an authority shall be independent of other entities designated with responsibilities for promoting consumption or exports of food and feed.
   2. "Contaminants" means anything not intentionally added to food or feed during the production process.
   3. "Feed" means anything grown to be eaten by a non-sapient species.
   4. "Food" means anything grown to be eaten by a sapient species, including eating non-sapient species fed with feed. For this resolution, the definition of "food" excludes anything involving eating any sapient species, and also excludes anything involving cannibalism.
   5. "FDRA" means the WA Food and Drug Regulatory Agency.
   6. "Regulations" means all standards and requirements to be formulated pursuant to clauses (2) to (5).
   7. "Residues" means anything found in food or feed that remains from the production process, including any contaminants.
   8. "Residue limits" means appropriates limits for residues found in food and feed.
   
   
2. Residue limits. Each authority is to publish standards for residue limits for:
   1. Feed additives,
   2. Veterinary drugs;
   3. Pesticides;
   4. Fertilizers; and
   5. Other types of contaminants the authority deems necessary, whether naturally occurring or due to production processes, such as arsenic in rice, and inorganic tin in canned goods.
   
   
3. Reducing contamination. Each authority is to publish standards for reducing:
   1. Potential contamination as much as possible during all stages of the production processes of food and feed, both for the well-being of consumers of the food and feed, as well as for the well-being of any workers involved in the production process that may be exposed to the contaminants;
   2. Retention of pesticides in feed and food as much as possible.
   
   
4. Sampling and testing.
   1. Each authority is to publish standards in the sampling, testing and analysis of the presence of residues in both and feed.
   2. Each authority is to, from time to time, conduct randomized testing and analysis of the presence of residues in both food and feed to ensure compliance with the regulations.
   
   
5. Compliance.
   1. The regulations shall apply to all food and feed imported, distributed or sold in a WA state.
   2. If a WA state (say “state A”) produces and distributes its own food or feed, or imports its food and feed from another state, state A’s authority is responsible for ensuring compliance with the regulations of state A.
   3. The regulations are to be tailored to the sapient inhabitants (including multiple sapient species, if applicable) of that WA state to ensure their well-being.
   4. Additional regulations and standards shall be set if tailored standards are needed for sapient inhabitants in different stages of development, such as infants, or if a WA state is inhabited by multiple sapient species.
   5. Each authority is to review and update its regulations from time to time based on the latest scientific research.
   6. All regulations from an authority shall be publicly available free-of-charge through convenient physical and electronic means.
   
   
6. FDRA review.
   1. FDRA is responsible for reviewing all regulations set by each WA state from time to time to ensure minimum standards that are required to maintain the well-being of sapient inhabitants of that state.
   2. A WA state must provide full and complete details on sampling, testing and analysis data and any other information that FDRA requests for assessment by FDRA in terms of compliance with the requirements of this resolution.
   3. If a WA state is conclusively able to demonstrate to FDRA that it cannot comply with this resolution due to a lack of resources or technological capability, it may voluntarily elect to outsource such work to FDRA.
   
   
7. Clarifications.
   1. This resolution does not apply if a WA state does not have sapient inhabitants that consume food for their well-being.
   2. In this resolution, "production" of food involving meat specifically refers to all steps in the process after the slaughtering of the non-sapient species. It does not regulate other processes beforehand such as animal husbandry.
   3. Disputes between different authorities of the WA state regarding enforcement of regulations on food and feed shall be subject to the jurisdiction of FDRA, if it is not taken up by another WA organ pursuant to extant resolutions.
   
   

This is the discussion thread. To cast your vote, go HERE

[Pantso]

These seem like common sense regulations to help ensure the quality of food shipments and provide visibility into the process and testing standard used. Pantso recommends For.

[Lysandrion]

Indeed, a boringly non-controversial proposal with awfully dilligent writing. Nothing to be arguing about and an easy pass. On a serious note, a well-drafted text in an unglorified, yet crucial area. For.

[Jabberwocky]

I find no fault with this one. For.