[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 240 (Wednesday, December 15, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70168-70171]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-32522]
[[Page 70167]]
_______________________________________________________________________
Part VI
Department of Agriculture
Food Safety and Inspection Service
_______________________________________________________________________
Department of Health and Human Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Food and Drug Administration
_______________________________________________________________________
Environmental Protection Agency
President's Council on Food Safety; Notice of Meeting; Notice
Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 240 / Wednesday, December 15, 1999 /
Notices
[[Page 70168]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food Safety and Inspection Service
[Docket No. 98-045N]
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Food and Drug Administration
[Docket No. 97N-0074]
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[Docket No. OPP-00550B; FRL-6399-8]
President's Council on Food Safety; Notice of Meeting
AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA; Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, HHS; Food and Drug Administration, HHS;
Environmental Protection Agency.
ACTION: Notice of public meeting.
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SUMMARY: The President's Council on Food Safety was established in
August 1998 under Executive Order 13100 to strengthen and focus our
efforts to coordinate food safety policy and resources. The Council was
directed to develop a comprehensive Federal food safety strategic plan.
The purpose of the strategic plan is to reduce acute and chronic
foodborne and waterborne illness by further enhancing the safety of the
nation's food supply. The United States Department of Agriculture
(USDA), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are announcing a public meeting
to discuss development of the strategic plan. USDA, the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA), and EPA have established public dockets to
receive comments about the Council's food safety strategic plan.
DATES: The meeting will be held on January 19, 2000, from 8:30 a.m. to
5:30 p.m. Comments should be submitted by February 14, 2000.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at: The Washington Plaza Hotel, 10
Thomas Circle, Massachusetts Avenue and 14th St., Washington, DC.
Comments may be submitted by mail, electronically, or in person. Please
follow the detailed instructions for each method provided in Unit I.C.
of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. To ensure proper receipt, it is
imperative that you identify the appropriate docket control number on
the first page of your comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To register for this meeting or for
general information, call Ms. Ida Gambrell on (202) 501-7260. Persons
requiring a sign language interpreter or other special accommodations
should notify Ms. Gambrell by January 7, 2000.
For technical information about the meeting, call Mr. Robert Tynan,
of USDA, on (202) 205-7393 or e-mail: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. General Information
A. Does this Public Meeting Announcement Apply to Me?
This announcement is directed to the general public. It may,
however, be of particular interest to individuals or organizations
concerned with public health and food safety. Specific groups that may
want to attend include, but are not limited to: Consumers, food
producers, processors, transporters, distributors, and retailers, food
service providers, public health professionals, academia, and State,
Tribal and local public health, food safety, agricultural and
environmental agencies. Other entities or individuals may also be
interested in attending. The agencies have not attempted to describe
all the specific entities that may be interested in attending this
public meeting. If you have any questions about the public meeting,
please consult the technical person listed under ``FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT.''
B. How Can I Get Additional Information, Including Copies of this
Document or Other Related Documents?
1. Electronically. You may obtain electronic copies of this
document and other related documents on the Internet at http://
www.foodsafety.gov/. This website is a joint FDA, USDA, and EPA food
safety homepage. It is linked to each agency for persons seeking
additional food safety information. To access this document, select
``President's Council on Food Safety'' and under ``Public Meeting on
January 19, 2000 in Washington, DC,'' select ``Federal Register
Document''; this document will be the last entry under ``Federal
Register Documents.'' You can also go directly to the Federal Register
listing at http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/.
An expanded draft of the strategic plan, titled ``Preliminary Food
Safety Strategic Plan for Public Review,'' will also be available prior
to the public meeting. You may obtain this support document and other
related documents from the Internet at http://www.foodsafety.gov/. To
access the document, select ``President's Council on Food Safety.'' You
can also go directly to the support document at http://www.epa.gov/
opptsfrs/home/rules.htm#docket, and scroll down to the ``National Food
Safety Initiative.'' The draft strategic plan will be available by
January 7, 2000.
The public docket in its entirety is available on the Internet at:
http://www.epa.gov/opptsfrs/home/rules.htm#docket.
2. By mail. You may also obtain a copy of this document and the
related draft strategic plan document by calling Ms. Gambrell at (202)
501-7260.
C. How Can I Participate?
1. In person. Anyone interested in food safety is encouraged to
attend the public meeting. To register for the public meeting, call Ms.
Gambrell at (202) 501-7260. Although registration is encouraged, walk-
ins will be accommodated to the extent space permits. Persons requiring
a sign language interpreter or other special accommodations should
notify Ms. Gambrell by January 7, 2000.
2. In writing. The agencies have established public dockets for the
President's Council on Food Safety Strategic Plan. Comments should be
submitted by February 14, 2000. It is important that comments submitted
to the dockets are identified with the appropriate docket number. For
those comments directed to USDA, use Docket No. 98-045N, and for
comments directed to FDA, use Docket No. 97N-0074. Commenters are
encouraged to submit a disk with their written comments in WordPerfect
6.1/8.0 or ASCII file format. Submit written comments (in triplicate)
to:
USDA/FSIS
USDA/FSIS Hearing Clerk, 300 12th St., SW., Rm. 102 Cotton Annex,
Washington, DC 20250-3700.
FDA
FDA/Dockets Management Branch (HFA-305), 5630 Fishers Lane, Rm.
1061, Rockville, MD 20852.
3. Electronically. Comments may also be submitted electronically
to: [email protected]. All comments and data in an electronic
format must be identified by the docket number OPP-00550. Electronic
comments must be submitted as an ASCII file avoiding the use of special
characters and any form of encryption.
II. Background Information
On August 25, 1998, the President issued Executive Order 13100
establishing the Council on Food Safety and charged it to develop a 5-
year comprehensive Federal food safety strategic plan and to make
[[Page 70169]]
recommendations to the President on how to implement the plan. A
coordinated food safety strategic plan is needed to address some of the
difficult public health, resource, and management questions facing
Federal food safety agencies. The strategic plan will address a broad
range of issues (e.g., microbial, chemical contaminants, pesticides,
food additives, and physical hazards) and actions necessary to ensure
the safety of the food and water Americans use and consume. The charge
is to develop a strategic long-range plan that can be used to help set
priorities, improve coordination and efficiency, identify gaps in the
current system and how to fill those gaps, enhance and strengthen
prevention and intervention strategies, and identify measures to show
progress.
To accomplish this task, the Council established an interagency
Strategic Planning Task Force. In developing the plan, the Task Force
is keeping in mind the conclusions and recommendations of the National
Academy of Sciences (NAS) report on ``Ensuring Safe Food from
Production to Consumption'' and the Council's report to the President
on its ``Assessment of the NAS Report: Ensuring Safe Food from
Production to Consumption'' published in March 1999. The Task Force is
also considering the review of Federal food safety research developed
under the auspices of the National Science and Technology Council
titled ``Federal Food Safety Research: Current Programs and Future
Priorities'' which was published in July 1999.
The food safety agencies took the first steps on the strategic plan
by developing a draft vision statement and engaging consumers,
producers, processors, food service providers, retailers, health
professionals, State and local governments, Tribes, academia, and the
public in the strategic planning process through a series of public
meetings beginning in the fall of 1998. The purpose of those meetings
was to obtain the public's view on a long-term vision for food safety
in the U.S., to identify the important food safety challenges for the
strategic plan, and to solicit public comment on the NAS report
``Ensuring Safe Food from Production to Consumption.'' As a result of
those public meetings, the vision statement has been revised and is
provided below in Unit III.
In June 1999, the Council published a set of five draft food safety
goals and accompanying objectives as a framework for the food safety
strategic plan. Comment on those draft goals and objectives as well as
suggestions for additional specific action items was solicited at a
public meeting on July 15, 1999, in Washington, DC, at stakeholder
meetings that took place in conjunction with scientific or professional
conferences in the last few months, and through written comments to the
dockets.
Based on the many thoughtful and constructive comments received in
writing and the excellent, active participation both at the July public
meeting and at the meetings during scientific and professional
conferences, major changes have been made to the framework and content
of the strategic plan. The Council wants to engage all interested
stakeholders in a further discussion about the draft goals, objectives,
and action items for the U.S. food safety system as well as whether
organizational or other changes would facilitate achievement of the
goals.
III. Public Meeting and Request for Comment
A. Public Meeting Information
The public meeting is scheduled for January 19, 2000, from 8:30
a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at The Washington Plaza Hotel in Washington, DC. The
purpose of the meeting is to obtain the public's input on the strategic
plan goals, objectives, and example action items, and to solicit
suggestions for additional action items to be included in the plan. The
Task Force is also interested in comments on the priorities, ways to
measure progress, and mechanisms for successful implementation of the
plan.
The meeting is intended to be a working meeting. It will be divided
into four parts, one dealing with the proposed strategic plan
framework, and one on each of the plan's three goals. The sessions will
be interactive and focused around the questions provided below.
Participants will be invited to raise concerns, present points of view
and ask questions; members of the Council's Strategic Planning Task
Force will respond and share their opinions, as appropriate. While
consensus may emerge on certain points, the purpose of the meeting is
to provide the government with a range of input relevant to the
development of the strategic plan. Participants are strongly encouraged
to read both this document and the related support document
``Preliminary Food Safety Strategic Plan for Public Review'' (available
as provided in Unit I.B.) prior to the meeting.
A transcript of the public meeting will be posted on the Internet
at: www.foodsafety.gov/. The transcripts may also be requested in
writing from the Dockets Management Branch (HFA-305), FDA, 5630 Fishers
Lane, Rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852, approximately 15 business days
after the meeting at a cost of 10 cents per page. The transcript of the
public meeting will also be available for public examination at the
above-mentioned office between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday
through Friday, excluding legal holidays.
B. Draft Food Safety Strategic Plan for Discussion
Although the United States has one of the safest food supplies in
the world, recent estimates of foodborne illness and hazards indicate
that opportunities for further improvement exist. Accordingly, the
Council is developing a strategy to protect public health by
significantly reducing the number of foodborne illnesses and hazards.
Such a strategy would aim to establish priorities on the basis of risk
and to create an integrated, seamless food safety system that speaks
with one voice. To define and develop focused, risk-based actions to
achieve the overarching goal, the Council has developed a plan with
three broad and complementary goals: Science and Risk Assessment; Risk
Management; and Risk Communication. For each goal, major objectives to
be addressed, along with some specific action items, have been
developed. As a part of this process, the Council is also examining
whether organizational, statutory, or other changes to the Federal food
safety system will facilitate achievement of public health and food
safety goals.
While separated for presentation purposes within the draft plan, it
is essential to recognize the interdependent nature of the goals,
objectives, and actions. To assure a safe food supply and protect
public health, microbiological, chemical, and other public health risks
posed by food must be identified and characterized with confidence.
Such risks also must be assessed, prioritized, and addressed through
effective science-based risk management and communication strategies.
In particular, accurate and timely information must be communicated to
the public.
The following synopsis outlines the strategic plan vision
statement, the draft overarching goal and three supporting sub-goals,
provides a listing of certain objectives and illustrative action items,
and provides an overview of the initial effort to examine potential
organizational options. This synopsis is intended to provide examples
of the types of objectives and actions that will be included in the
strategic plan document, and to stimulate thinking
[[Page 70170]]
and public comment about the essential components of an effective food
safety strategy. The public meeting and the documents provided are
intended to focus the discussion on important food safety issues and
their solutions. An expanded draft of the plan will be available in
January for review prior to the public meeting (see Unit I.B.);
participants in the public meeting and commenters are strongly
encouraged to read both this document and the preliminary strategic
plan before attending the public meeting or commenting.
Following the public review and comment process, the strategic plan
will be refined. The final plan will include evaluation strategies to
determine whether public health goals are met, and whether mid-course
corrections to the plan are needed. Mechanisms for measuring progress
and public health impact of the strategic plan will be developed in
each goal area. The plan will also include an examination of whether
organizational, statutory, or other changes can contribute to
implementation of the plan and achievement of the goals.
1. Vision, goals, objectives and action items.
Vision Statement
Consumers can be confident that food is safe. We protect public
health through a seamless food safety system that uses farm-to-table
preventive strategies and integrates research, surveillance,
inspection, enforcement, and education. We use science- and risk-
based approaches and work with public and private partners. We are
vigilant to new and emergent threats and consider the needs of
vulnerable populations. Food is safe because everyone understands
and fulfills their responsibilities.
Overarching Goal
To protect public health by significantly reducing the number of
foodborne illnesses and hazards through science-based and
coordinated regulation, inspection, enforcement, research, and
education programs.
Sound Science and Risk Assessment Goal: The United States food safety
system is based on sound science and risk assessment.
Draft objectives: The Sound Science and Risk Assessment Goal includes,
but might not be limited to, the following objectives.
Develop and implement a unified, risk-based problem-
solving research agenda.
Identify emerging and potential high-risk food safety
threats.
Strengthen the scientific basis for food safety policies
and regulatory decisions through rigorous assessments of risk.
Enhance scientific infrastructure and skills at Federal,
state, and local levels.
Possible action items: Examples of action items to achieve the above
objectives include the following.
Use risk assessment techniques to identify priorities for
the research agenda.
Support the development of rapid tests for pathogenic
microorganisms and chemical agents in food and clinical specimens.
Establish a national network of scientific experts that
can be mobilized when a new food safety concern is identified.
Establish extramural Centers of Excellence to conduct
targeted research and develop training programs linked to food safety
and public health.
Risk Management Goal: The United States system for managing food safety
is effective from farm-to-table.
Draft objectives: The Risk Management Goal includes, but might not be
limited to, the following objectives.
Establish national risk-based standards to control food
safety risks.
Develop and promote preventive techniques and controls
based on national standards, and require implementation where
appropriate.
Use non-regulatory approaches for improving food safety.
Detect food safety risks and violations of food safety
standards through monitoring, inspections, and comprehensive surveys.
Protect the food supply through consistent enforcement of
food safety laws.
Expand and enhance effective surveillance of illness and
other health effects resulting from food safety hazards.
Respond rapidly and effectively to food safety
emergencies.
Implement food safety activities effectively in
partnership with state and local governments.
Implement a strategy to ensure the safety of imported
food.
Possible action items: Illustrative action items for the above Risk
Management objectives are provided below.
Develop and use incentive programs to improve food safety
(e.g., preferential entry into Federal programs, such as the school
lunch program).
Upgrade the ability at all levels (Federal, state and
local) to conduct public health surveillance, laboratory diagnostics,
and emergency response.
Expand capacity to monitor and inspect for pesticides and
other chemical contaminants in food at critical points to decrease food
safety risks.
Improve and expand risk-based port-of-entry inspection
that focuses on chemical, microbial, and physical hazards and labeling
issues that promote public health.
Identify state and local standards and regulations that
should be applied within national standards.
Strengthen surveillance of foodborne illness and hazards
to prevent outbreaks.
Expedite review for new technologies that decrease human
pathogens that are present in food.
Encourage development and expedite licensing of new
technologies and safer pesticide products.
Promote additional voluntary ``best practices'' and
quality assurance programs to reduce risk of illness.
Develop a network of animal diagnostic laboratories to
enhance systematic monitoring in animal feeds and feedstuffs for
microbial, chemical, and other hazards that pose a food safety risk.
Risk Communication Goal: The United States food safety system openly
and effectively provides information on food safety risks, and
education on how to control those risks.
Draft objectives: The Risk Communication Goal includes, but is not
necessary limited to, the following objectives.
Sustain public confidence through effective, open and
timely information exchange regarding food safety risks and prevention
strategies.
Establish active outreach strategies to provide rapid
public access to information about food safety emergencies.
Develop and apply state-of-the-art science-based education
and training programs for all along the farm-to-table chain, focused on
actions to reduce foodborne illness and hazards.
Possible action items: Illustrative action items for the above Risk
Communication objectives are provided below.
Create a state-of-the-art national information network
that links Federal food safety agencies (USDA, HHS, and EPA) with state
and local public health, food safety, agricultural, and environmental
agencies.
Develop consistent and coordinated food safety messages
and programs.
Establish opportunities for public/private partnerships to
promote effective communication about food safety risks.
Launch a national public information/education campaign to
widely disseminate food safety messages in multiple formats and
languages.
2. Strategic plan implementation. As indicated in the President's
Council on
[[Page 70171]]
Food Safety ``Assessment of the NAS Report: Ensuring Safe Food from
Production to Consumption,'' the Council, as part of the strategic plan
process, is conducting a thorough review of existing statutes to
determine what can be accomplished with existing regulatory flexibility
and what improvements will require statutory changes. The Council also
is conducting an assessment of structural and organizational options
and other mechanisms that could strengthen the Federal food safety
system, keeping in mind that the primary goal is food safety and public
health.
In this connection, the Strategic Planning Task Force is
considering whether organizational or other changes would strengthen
the current food safety system and facilitate the achievement of the
public health and food safety goals of the strategic plan.
Organizational changes under review include strengthening coordination
and leadership; streamlining and/or consolidating specific Federal food
safety functions; consolidating responsibilities and the structure of
current agencies; and establishing a new, stand-alone consolidated food
safety agency. Criteria for evaluating each of these options include
the potential to improve public health and food safety, and to
facilitate effectiveness, efficiency, comprehensiveness, public
confidence, and the science-base for the food safety system. Options
also will be assessed for their potential to contribute to achieving
the overarching and three specific strategic plan goals.
For further information, the reader is encouraged to review the
organizational analysis section in the support document which will be
available as described in Unit I.B.
C. Questions/Issues for Discussion
The agencies are particularly interested in comments on the
following issues related to the strategic plan. These questions will be
the starting point for discussion at the public meeting sessions on the
overall framework for the plan, and on the three goals.
General/Cross-cutting Question:
1. Is the overarching goal and overall framework of the plan well-
focused and comprehensive? What modifications would you suggest? What
issue or concern would your modification address?
Questions to be Posed for Each Goal:
1. What additional objectives or specific action steps would
improve the plan? What issue or concern would these address?
2. What objectives and action items should be given priority? Why?
3. What is your expectation of success? How do we measure success
of the plan?
4. Are there organizational, statutory, or other changes that you
suggest we consider to achieve this goal? How would these changes
promote public health and food safety? What barriers would need to be
addressed?
List of Subjects
Environmental protection, Food safety.
Dated: December 8, 1999.
Catherine E. Woteki,
Under Secretary for Food Safety, United States Department of
Agriculture.
Dated: December 8, 1999.
Jane E. Henney,
Commissioner of Food and Drugs, Department of Health and Human
Services.
Dated: December 7, 1999.
Martha Katz,
Deputy Director for Policy and Legislation, Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services.
Dated: December 8, 1999.
Susan H. Wayland,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic
Substances, Environmental Protection Agency.
[FR Doc. 99-32522 Filed 12-14-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-F