SACRAMENTO – In what may well become the model to protect consumers for the nation, the California State Senate today approved a measure by Senate Majority Leader Dean Florez (D-Shafter) intended to give consumers – unnerved by a rash of food recalls – a last line of defense against food-borne illness at the cash register.

Florez, who chairs the Senate Food and Agriculture Committee, urged his colleagues to protect consumers and support Senate Bill 550, which requires those retailers with scanner capabilities to flag recalled lots of items in their computer systems. Under this system, already in use by some retailers, the checker is notified when a recalled item is scanned and keeps it from being sold to an unsuspecting customer.

In the wake of a peanut recall which affected more than 2,500 products, Florez noted the room for human error in ensuring every recalled product already shelved was pulled before a customer could get their hands on it. SB 550 adds one more much-needed measure of protection.

Senate Bill 550 passed the Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee last month by a vote of 8-2. Florez worked with the California Grocers Association and California Retailers Association to remove their previous opposition. The measure now goes to the California State Assembly for consideration.