[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 7 (Wednesday, February 2, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: February 2, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
        FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION SEAFOOD SAFETY REGULATIONS

  Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, on January 21, 1993, Health and Human 
Services Secretary Donna Shalala and Food and Drug Administrator David 
Kessler announced the completion of a comprehensive new seafood safety 
program based on the hazard analysis critical control point [HACCP] 
model.
  We have been working to develop a comprehensive national seafood 
safety program for quite a number of years now, and I feel certain that 
the fishing industry will generally be pleased by this important 
announcement.
  I compliment the Food and Drug Administration [FDA], the National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA], and the many industry 
and consumer groups who helped in developing these regulations.
  The FDA's proposed HACCP plan has not yet been published in the 
Federal Register, but in my opinion it will receive a good reception 
when published. The seafood industry and consumer groups have been 
anticipating the regulations, and the FDA intends to provide adequate 
time for all who are interested to comment on the proposed rule.
  HACCP is a preventative concept that was originally developed by the 
Pillsbury Company in the 1960's as part of its work on food for the 
U.S. space program. The basic idea of HACCP is that a processor 
identifies all of the steps in the process where hazards could occur, 
then defines preventative measures and operating parameters to control 
hazards at each of the critical points.
  In my State, a HACCP-type program was developed and implemented for 
seafood over 10 years ago. In fact, my colleagues helped me in 1984 to 
provide some of the funding used by the State of Alaska to develop this 
pioneer application of HACCP to seafood.
  The FDA has acknowledged the Alaska program in its proposed rule, and 
that agency has made a point of asking for comments on how the new 
Federal program should mesh with existing State programs in order to 
avoid imposing inconsistent Federal and State requirements.
  Both the FDA and the National Marine Fisheries Service [NMFS] 
currently have contracts with the State of Alaska and use State 
employees to conduct FDA and NMFS inspections. It is my understanding 
that the FDA used the State of Alaska's plan as a model and consulted 
with State employees in the development of the new FDA HACCP plan.
  In Alaska, our main concern will be to ensure that the new Federal 
program does not reduce in any way the safety standards we already have 
in place.
  To illustrate how well our State program has worked, I am pleased to 
inform the Senate that since 1982 there have been no reported incidents 
of contaminated Alaska seafood reaching consumers, and no cases of 
botulism caused by Alaska seafood.
  This is a significant statistic when you consider that over half of 
the fish caught in the United States is caught in the waters off 
Alaska.
  One of the great benefits to come from a national HACCP program will 
be a clarification for U.S. consumers of what we already know because 
of our Alaska program: that Alaska seafood is completely safe and of 
the highest possible quality.
  The development of a national HACCP plan really began in 1986 when 
the Appropriations Committee included, at my request, $350,000 in the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration budget directing NOAA 
to work in cooperation with the FDA to design a HACCP inspection 
program.
  I compliment the National Fisheries Institute [NFI] for working with 
us on the HACCP concept. NFI really got behind the idea of HACCP as the 
appropriate alternative to the inspection programs used in the meat and 
poultry industry.
  The development of a national seafood inspection program has been 
largely due to the efforts and leadership of our colleague, Senator 
Hollings. Senator Hollings' involvement stems all the way back to the 
late 1960's with halibut and swordfish, and as recently as 1990 and 
again in 1992, when he introduced legislation that called on the 
expertise of the FDA and NOAA for a comprehensive National Seafood 
Inspection Program. The FDA's proposed new program marks the 
culmination of these efforts.
  It is my understanding that the proposed regulations for the FDA plan 
will be published in the Federal Register next week and be followed by 
a 90-day public comment period. The FDA anticipates the completion of a 
final rule by late 1994 or early 1995, with full implementation planned 
for 1996.
  I am looking forward to hearing from processors throughout the United 
States about this plan, particularly those in Alaska already operating 
under our similar inspection program, and I encourage the FDA to 
continue working and cooperating with industry, consumer groups, and 
States--particularly my State of Alaska that has experience under this 
system--as it develops the final rule for the new Federal HACCP 
Program.

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