The House Agriculture Committee chairman threatened Thursday to slow the progress of a food safety bill until the concerns of farm groups are addressed.

Minnesota Democrat Collin C. Peterson said he is worried that the bill would allow the Food and Drug Administration to regulate farm activities.

“Having read this bill ... they are clearly, in my opinion, going to be on the farm,” he said at a hearing on the issue.

Unless his concerns are met, Peterson said he may hold a markup on the bill and report it out unfavorably.

On complicated measures such as this one, bills get reviewed and changed by several committees with jurisdiction over all or perhaps just a portion of the legislation. The first version of the food safety bill (HR 2749) was approved by the Energy and Commerce Committee on June 17.

If Peterson’s committee gives the bill what is known as an adverse report, that will have an impact on when — or whether — it is brought up for floor action.

Peterson is responding to agriculture groups that say a broad food safety overhaul would impose burdensome regulations on certain food producers, especially smaller family-owned farm operations.

Representatives of the Farm Bureau Federation, American Meat Institute, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the National Farmers Union and other groups told Peterson’s panel they have concerns about user fees, food safety plans, recalls and record-keeping policies outlined in the legislation.

A spokesman for the bill’s sponsor, Michigan Democrat John D. Dingell , said the FDA already has food safety oversight responsibilities on farms and that the bill would not alter the respective roles that the FDA and Agriculture Department plan in the food safety system.

“Mr. Dingell represents more than 1,600 farms and 2,400 operators in the 15th District and like Chairman Peterson he is looking to protect the interests of his farmers,” spokesman Adam R. Benson said.

The bill in its current form would strengthen requirements for tracing foodborne illnesses and allow the FDA to impose civil penalties for the first time.

It also would allow the FDA to implement mandatory food quarantines and increase the frequency of inspections at certain food facilities depending on the level of risk.

“Directing the Food and Drug Administration to tell farmers how to farm will make food more expensive, it will threaten our food security, it will increase our reliance on foreign food — it will not make our food supply safer,” said Robert W. Goodlatte of Virginia, the Agriculture panel’s ranking Republican.