Issue Position: Safe Foods

Issue Position

Of all the items we come into contact with each day, very few are as important as our food. One of the central tasks charged to the Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries is food safety. It is the Agriculture Commissioner's duty to ensure that all food which is generated in and imported to Alabama is safe and ready for human consumption.

The current process for inspecting food products is a hindrance to the producer and the consumer alike. Because of red tape and bureaucratic hoops, food producers are forced to spend excessive amounts of time and money on compliance, and less on production and hiring workers. This leads to a higher price for every Alabama citizen each time they visit their local grocery store.

As Commissioner, I will streamline the process by which food is inspected, and I will make it easier for food producers to understand what exactly is expected of them. We do not need to ease up on regulations which protect our food supply; rather we should enforce the common sense regulations which are already in place, by creating a system of enforcement which is friendly to the producer. By creating a system which clearly defines expectations and is not bogged down by excessive government intervention, we will enable food producers to provide a safe and quality product which is affordable for the average consumer.

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