Obama food policy may mean end of farmers markets, family farms

Michelle Obama is planting a vegetable garden on White House grounds, but her husband may be salting the fields of small farmers with a food-safety bill. My Examiner explains.

President Barack Obama made some foodies’ hearts melt on the campaign trail by referring to writer Michael Pollan, who has helped spark a revival in local, unprocessed food. But Obama’s push for strict new federal food-safety regulations could drive organic food and farmers markets into the back alleys.

The Food Safety Modernization Act, touted as a consumer protection bill, is backed by the giants of the affected industries, such as General Mills and the National Restaurant Association, while posing possibly lethal threats to smaller market players like family farms and local produce.

Read the whole thing here.