Last week, the senate passed a piece of legislation that would strengthen the nation’s food safety laws by imposing harsher punishments for companies or individuals that knowingly put tainted food products on the market.

With unanimous consent, members of the upper chamber approved the Food Safety Accountability Act of 2011.

The measure will make it a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison for any person or company that “knowingly endangers American lives by contaminating the food supply.” The crime is currently just a misdemeanor. Most of those who have been found to be in violation of food safety standards under the current law often do not face any jail time.

“Current statutes do not provide sufficient criminal sanctions for those who knowingly violate our food safety laws. Knowingly distributing adulterated food is already illegal, but it is merely a misdemeanor right now, and the Sentencing Commission has found that it generally does not result in jail time,” Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) said on the senate floor.

“The fines and recalls that usually result from criminal violations under current law fall short in protecting the public from harmful products. Too often, those who are willing to endanger our children in pursuit of profits view such fines or recalls as merely the cost of doing business.”

A report recently released by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention found that each year 48 million people fall ill due to foodborne illnesses, 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die annually.

U.S. officials have had to contend with a rash of foodborne illnesses caused by imported peppers, spinach, peanuts, fish and pistachios. And more than 20 countries and markets have banned or recalled milk products from China because of melamine contamination.

Lawmakers addressed those issues somewhat in the last legislative session with the Food Safety Modernization Act. That legislation, however, only mandates more stringent inspection of food products. Those found in violation of the law are still punished with just a slap on the wrist, though.

“Food safety received considerable attention last year, and I was pleased that Congress finally passed comprehensive food safety reforms. But our work is not done,” said Leahy. “On behalf of the hundreds of individuals sickened by recent salmonella outbreaks, I urge the House to quickly pass the Food Safety Accountability Act and join the Senate in continuing to improve our food safety system.”

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