[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 121 (Friday, September 12, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S9301]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     CONTINUING THE FOOD ANIMAL RESIDUE AVOIDANCE DATABANK PROGRAM

 Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, I wish to speak in support of S. 
1153, introduced by my colleague Senator Baucus, which will continue 
the Food Animal Residue Avoidance Databank [FARAD] Program.
  Although the recent E. coli scares are unfortunate, they present a 
good opportunity for the Senate to act on the issue of food safety. 
Public interest in the safety of our food supply is high, and the call 
for consumer awareness has never been greater. The FARAD Program stores 
and disseminates information on drug, pesticide, and environmental 
contaminant residue. This information allows veterinarians and 
producers to avoid problems with contaminated meat and helps ensure the 
integrity of our Nation's food supply. Producers and veterinarians can 
access FARAD information over the telephone, through e-mail, or even 
through two sites on the Internet, putting valuable data at everyone's 
fingertips. Information is also available in print material, such as 
FARAD's compendium on available drugs and the FARAD Digest column in 
the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. 
Unfortunately, a lack of funding has prevented FARAD's directors and 
employees from updating the databank. FARAD must contain complete and 
current data in order to continue protecting American consumers. And 
that's the bottom line. The public must be confident that the food on 
their plate is safe. I hope that my colleagues will support consumer 
awareness and support the FARAD Program.

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