[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 27 (Friday, February 10, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E317]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[[Page E317]]
                                S.T.O.P.

                                 ______


                     HON. RANDY ``DUKE'' CUNNINGHAM

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, February 10, 1995
  Mr. CUNNINGHAM. Mr. Speaker, on February 2, 1995, I was pleased to be 
included in a critically important briefing. I was proud to help 
cosponsor a Safe Tables Our Priority [S.T.O.P.]--Safe Food Coalition 
briefing on foodborne illness.
  Last Thursday's briefing marked the second anniversary of the 1993 
west coast E. coli outbreak. Fortunately, a forum was created to allow 
the individuals and families who have suffered from the E. coli 
illnesses to visit Washington, DC, to examine the ongoing epidemic and 
discuss plans for preventing future outbreaks of foodborne illness.
  The tragic events of 2 years ago are still fresh in my mind. While 
the incident still upsets me, I can only imagine the constant pain 
endured by the families who lost a child or who experienced the serious 
illness due to the contamination of ground beef with E. coli 0157:H7 
bacteria. That is why I will always be grateful for the organizations, 
such as S.T.O.P., that seek to change the system in order to right a 
wrong. When it comes to a life and death situation, every endeavor to 
correct the system is welcome.
  Until the tragedies were highlighted a few years ago, I do not 
believe that people were aware of the inherent dangers associated with 
the consumption of raw meat products. It is unfortunate that a number 
of deaths occurred before significant changes were made to the current 
food handling processes. Therefore, we must ensure systematic, science-
based prevention of harmful contamination into the operation of every 
meat and poultry plant. Industries must be held accountable for meeting 
its food safety obligations. I believe that positive steps can be taken 
by animal producers to processors to retailers to consumers in order to 
reduce the risk of illness.
  The only benefit of this issue is that significant policy changes are 
being made and will continue to be made as additional information and 
technology become available. Serious attempts have been made of late to 
preserve the quality of meat consumption in both our homes and 
restaurants. I am encouraged that the Department of Agriculture has 
established the principle that any contamination of raw ground beef 
with E. coli 0157:H7 is unacceptable. The Department has strictly 
enforced zero tolerance for visible signs of contamination of beef and 
poultry carcasses. It is now mandatory to apply safe handling and 
cooking labels on every package of raw meat and poultry. Antimicrobial 
rinses and hot water treatments will also be allowed without prior 
approval of the Food Safety and Inspection Services. After carcasses 
have passed inspection and prior to their reaching the coolers, last 
minute rinses and water treatments will further reduce the chance of 
reducing levels of E. coli 0157:H7.
  I urge my colleagues to support organizations such as S.T.O.P., 
dedicated to the prevention of foodborne illness. We cannot rest until 
everything is being done to protect the safety of our food, and 
ultimately provide for the well-being of our loved ones.


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