[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 5 (Tuesday, February 3, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E85]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       SAFE FOOD ACTION PLAN ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DEBBIE STABENOW

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 3, 1998

  Ms. STABENOW. Mr. Speaker, today I introduced the Safe Food Action 
Plan Act, a bill that will set a national priority for food safety by 
focusing on prevention and rapid response. The Safe Food Action Plan 
has been built upon the four pillars of research, consumer education, 
technology transfer programs, and a federal Rapid Response Team.
  I am proud of our Nation's reputation for providing its citizens with 
the safest food supply in the world. The high standard set by our 
country is the product of the combined efforts of our agricultural 
community, researchers and scientists, processors, consumer educators, 
the business community, state and local governments, and federal 
regulators. The Safe Food Action Plan recognizes that it is only 
through this kind of teamwork, from farm to table, that we can continue 
to guarantee families the food they feed their children is safe.
  I am pleased to introduce a bill that represents not only the 
direction I think this country needs, to guarantee the safety of its 
food, but the plan the experts believe should be pursued. While 
drafting the Safe Food Action Plan, I enlisted the help of the food 
safety community and created the Food Safety Advisory Committee. 
Membership of the Advisory Committee included scientists and 
researchers, educators, producers, processors, public health officials, 
and technology companies. I am especially grateful to the National Food 
Safety and Toxicology Center at Michigan State University, and its 
director, Dr. Robert Hollingworth, for hosting the Advisory Committee 
meetings.
  One change identified by the Advisory Committee as being critical for 
food safety, is the ability for the Secretary of Agriculture to promote 
multi-disciplinary and integrated research. The science of food safety 
is a complex pursuit and research institutions need to work together to 
solve life-threatening problems. The Safe Food Action Plan encourages 
this type of integrated research at USDA.
  The Safe Food Action Plan redirects existing resources at the 
Department of Agriculture to focus on initiatives that focus on food 
safety. I was surprised to discover that food safety is not already 
listed as a priority for such programs as the Fund for Rural America, 
nor is it listed as a priority for research and consumer education 
programs funded through Research, Education, and Extension. The Safe 
Food Action Plan closes the gaps and makes food safety an important 
component of these programs.
  Technology is an important weapon in the war against pathogens. The 
Safe Food Action Plan amends the Cooperative Research and Development 
program at USDA (CRADA) to include food safety technology as a 
priority. In the CRADA program, USDA conducts high risk research that 
might not be undertaken by private industry but which is needed for the 
public good. Once the technology is developed, the USDA enters into 
partnerships with business to bring the ground-breaking research to the 
market. A wonderful example of cutting-edge food safety technology is 
the rapid E. coli test developed by the Neogen company, located in my 
district in Lansing, Michigan. By highlighting food safety as a 
priority, the Safe Food Action Plan guarantees that the latest and best 
technology will be available for our nation in defense of public 
health.
  While most of the Safe Food Action Plan focuses on prevention, we all 
understand that food emergencies may still happen and the government 
must be prepared. The Safe Food Action Plan creates a federal Rapid 
Response Team that will be ready to strike when public health is in 
danger. Rather than adding a layer of bureaucracy, the Safe Food Action 
Plan focuses existing resources within the federal government toward 
the combined efforts of the Rapid Response Team. Using the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency as a model, the Safe Food Action Plan 
instructs the Secretary of Agriculture to integrate his emergency 
response plan with the efforts of other agencies in developing the Food 
Safety Rapid Response Team.
  Finally, Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to make a 
technical clarification. After submitting a very similar bill last 
week, I discovered that the name of my bill was almost identical to one 
introduced last year by my colleague, Vic Fazio. Out of courtesy to my 
colleague and to avoid confusion regarding our bills I am reintroducing 
my bill with its official short title today. In future debates and 
deliberations, please refer to my bill by its new title, the Safe Food 
Action Plan.

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