On second thought, why don't you debate the merits of this "haromonization" if you believe there are any. The source isn't really that important.
Is this article more to your liking? I sense bias leaning toward the House Frozen Food Caucus.
National Uniformity for Food Act passes in the House
Andrea Lyn Van Benschoten
Manufacturing.Net
March 13, 2006
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed HR 4167, The National Uniformity for Food Act, which amends the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. The legislation passed by 238-129 votes and included 100% support of the House Frozen Food Caucus.
The Act would require the U.S. FDA to provide national food safety standards and warning requirements. According to documents released by the Congressional Budget Office, implementation of H.R. 4167 would cost less than $500,000 in 2006 and approximately $100 million over the 2006-2011 period. Those costs would be incurred by the FDA.
The Act would preempt certain state laws governing food safety, the labeling of food products, and the issuance of warning notifications.
The source, my friend, is everything.
I didn't even read the article. Why would I read another alarmist story if I knew the source to specialize in such stories, to some end known only to them?
The source is at least as important as what is contained in the article, because the article isn't immediately verifiable in its content or implications, at least to the vast majority of the readers. the objectivity and/or bias, and any agenda of the source is key.
as to the paper itself, I found it to be very articulate, aimed at something higher than current 8th grade reading skills. It sourced AP and UPI for most of its major content -- that is red flag two. Red flag one is the fact that it's free in New York City, and boasts itself to be an essential, objective organ.
The Falun Gong, themselves have a good story. Beatings and banning by the evil Red Chinese government, etc. How bad can they be? On the other hand, they have lots of angles. They're peddling cheesy and tasteless 9/11 trinkets, t-shirts, pictures and holograms all around Ground Zero. They harangue Wall Street tourists with thier tales of woe. The meditate publicly and animatedly. They obviously have a good PR department, because they're calculatingly efficient in their PR and fundraising efforts.
Seems any reasonable observer would ask himself, "what's this hustle about?"