Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) has introduced a bill to improve the safety of the nation's fruits and vegetables.  It would "bridge obvious gaps in our food safety system," says Harkin.

The legislation would require that processors adhere to "good manufacturing practices" such as guidelines for using clean water, worker sanitary facilities, rodent control and other sanitation practices.

Authority would be given the Food and Drug Administration to require and verify through inspection that producer processors, domestic and those who import, adhere to the same sanitation standards.

FDA would develop guidelines for safe growing and harvesting and conduct research on how consumers could become sick from eating produce and how such problems could be prevented.  FDA also would work with state and local agencies to inspect facilities to ensure that the standards were being met.