Legislation that would increase the federal government’s authority over food safety probably will be delayed until after the Nov. 2 elections, thanks in part to a provision banning the plastics additive bisphenol-A (BPA). The Food Safety Bill, which would expand the authority of the Food & Drug Administration over food recalls, hit a snag in the legislative process. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) tried to add provisions to the bill under a process that required unanimous consent of the Senate. One of these was a restriction on the use of BPA in food and beverage packaging. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) objected, saying he would only agree if the BPA provision were taken out, among other conditions. If the unanimous-consent provisions are not worked out, the bill is unlikely to come to a vote before the midterm elections, according to the website of The Hill, a daily newspaper on Congressional matters.