[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 65 (Friday, April 7, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E837]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


             INTRODUCTION OF THE FAMILY FOOD PROTECTION ACT

                                 ______

                       HON. GEORGE E. BROWN, JR.

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, April 6, 1995
  Mr. BROWN of California. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce The 
Family Food Protection Act of 1995 along with my colleague from New 
Jersey, Mr. Torricelli. USDA's recently proposed rule to implement a 
mandatory Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point [HACCP] plan was a 
good first step toward modernizing our meat and poultry inspection 
system. However, we need to do more.
  The meat and poultry inspection of this system needs to be 
modernized. There is broad consensus that our current system does not 
adequately address the most prevalent public health problem associated 
with our meat and poultry supply--microbiological contamination. The 
Economic Research Service estimates that microbial food contaminants 
and the foodborne illnesses that result from them cause between 6.5 and 
33 million human illnesses and 6,000 deaths annually in this country. 
While we can debate the actual figures, it is clear that we can and 
should be doing a better job of preventing these illnesses and deaths.
  The problem has been attributed to consumer's failure to prepare meat 
and poultry products properly. Consumer education is clearly an 
important way to minimize this problem. However, the problems that have 
arisen with institutional and retail food preparation and more recently 
in salami, a ready-to-eat meat product, illustrate the need for a much 
more comprehensive approach to the prevention of foodborne illness.
  The Family Food Protection Act would require USDA to develop 
microbial testing procedures to control the presence of pathogenic 
microorganisms in meat and poultry products. It would enable the 
Secretary of Agriculture to require slaughter and processing plants to 
adopt processing controls that will ensure the safe handling and 
processing of these products. The bill also establishes voluntary 
guidelines for retail establishments to ensure that the food handled 
and served by retail stores and restaurants is safe for consumers. 
Under this bill, USDA will have the authority to recall products that 
are found to be unsafe if the products are not subject to an adequate 
voluntary recall process. In short, it represents a comprehensive farm-
to-table approach to upgrading our meat and poultry inspection system 
so that the quality and safety of these food products is assured.
  Modernization of our meat and poultry inspection system is overdue. 
Consumer confidence in the quality and safety of our food supply is 
essential to maintaining a healthy meat and poultry industry, and 
public health should be protected by a modern science-based meat and 
poultry inspection system. I urge my colleagues to join Mr. Torricelli 
and I in co-sponsoring this legislation which will provide USDA with 
the statutory tools necessary to improve and modernize our meat and 
poultry inspection system.


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