Earmark Watch: Contaminated food

An earmark from five state Democrats would track livestock diseases.

Reps. David Price of Chapel Hill, Mike McIntyre of Lumberton, Bob Etheridge of Lillington, Brad Miller of Raleigh and Larry Kissell of Biscoe have requested $300,000 for the N.C. Department of Agriculture to create a "multi-hazard threat database."

The Web-based database would allow state authorities to track livestock in North Carolina and "locate the origin of livestock diseases that compromise the food supply," Miller wrote in his request.

It would also track food contamination from wholesalers and retailers.

In his request, McIntyre said the database idea came about after a canned chili recall in 2007 when the state department developed a Web site to track site visits.

Etheridge said some contamination might be by design.

"The database will allow for preemptive action by ensuring that proper information is provided when food-borne threats occur, such as salmonella or possible terrorist threats to the food supply, these funds will save lives and protect jobs," he wrote.