CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — New Hampshire Rep. Annie Kuster wants the Food and Drug Administration to extend the comment period for sweeping food safety rules that farmers say could drive them out of business.
Earlier this year, farmers attended FDA sessions on the rules, which would require them to take new precautions against contamination, including ensuring workers' hands are washed, irrigation water is clean and that animals stay out of fields. New England farmers say many aspects of the rules were derived from large-scale farming practices that don't apply to the region's smaller farms.
Kuster says technical problems with Regulations.gov, the website where public comments are submitted, have prevented people from submitting comments in advance of Friday's deadline. She and other New England delegation members want at least a one-week extension.