    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (1999, Book II)]
    [July 3, 1999]
    [Pages 1129-1130]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Memorandum on the Safety of Imported Foods
    July 3, 1999

    Memorandum for the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary
    of the Treasury

    Subject: Safety of Imported Foods

        While the United States has one of the safest food supplies in the
    world, outbreaks of foodborne illness are still all too prevalent.
    Millions of Americans are stricken by illness each year from foods they
    consume, and thousands, mostly the very young and the elderly, die as a
    result. The threats come from a variety of sources, including both
    imported and domestically produced foods.
        Foodborne illness is difficult to control in a changing world.
    Consumers enjoy a greater variety of foods than they did 50 years ago,
    including a greater emphasis on food from all around the world.
    Americans also eat more foods prepared outside their homes, such as
    foods prepared in grocery stores, restaurants, hospitals, nursing homes,
    schools, and day care centers. We also are seeing the emergence of new
    foodborne pathogens such as the highly virulent E. Coli O157:H7.
        For these reasons, my Administration has made food safety a high
    priority. I have requested substantial annual increases to fund food
    safety initiatives such as a nationwide early warning system for
    foodborne illness, increased inspections, and the expansion of food
    safety

    [[Page 1130]]

    research, risk assessment, and education. In January of 1997, I directed
    the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Health and Human
    Services, and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
    to identify specific steps to improve the safety of the food supply. In
    October of 1997, I expanded my initiative to provide special emphasis on
    the safety of domestic and imported fruits and vegetables. Last year at
    this time, I announced the creation of a Joint Institute for Food Safety
    Research (JIFSR) to develop a strategic plan for conducting food safety
    research and efficiently coordinating all Federal food safety research.
    In August of 1998, I issued an Executive order to create the President's
    Council on Food Safety, which is charged with (1) developing a
    comprehensive plan for all Federal food safety activities, (2) advising
    agencies of food safety priorities and developing coordinated food
    safety budgets, and (3) overseeing the JIFSR. We have made significant
    steps domestically to help ensure the safety of our food supply.
        Today, I am expanding my Administration's food safety efforts even
    further to focus on the safety of imported foods. While the majority of
    imported food is safe, problems do exist. These problems are the result
    of two major changes. At the turn of the century, relatively few foods
    were imported, but today, we are seeing a dramatic increase in the
    importation of foods. Imports have doubled over the past 7 years and,
    based on recent trends, we expect at least an additional 30 percent
    increase by 2002. Finished and fully packaged food products account for
    an increasing proportion of all imported foods and there has been a huge
    increase in fresh produce from all over the world.
        While there is no evidence that imported foods pose more of a risk
    than domestic foods and most importers comply with the applicable
    requirements, there are a few ``bad actor'' importers who violate the
    rules and work to subvert the system. We must give the agencies
    responsible for food safety the tools necessary to deal with the
    importers who try to break the rules. While the Food and Drug
    Administration (FDA) inspects domestic facilities, it has, in
    conjunction with the United States Customs Service (Customs), relied
    primarily on border inspection to ensure the safety of imported foods.
        I recognize that there are limitations on our resources and
    statutory authority to take measures to protect consumers against unsafe
    imported foods. Indeed, there are currently bills before the Congress
    that would grant explicit authority to improve the safety of imported
    foods. I applaud these legislative efforts and will continue to work
    with the Congress to improve our authority and resources.
        Nevertheless, consistent with our international obligations, we must
    take whatever scientifically based steps we can to protect the public
    health in this area and provide the necessary tools to ensure the safety
    of imported food. Specifically, I direct you to take all actions
    available to:
        (1) Prevent distribution of imported unsafe food by means such as
    requiring food to be held until reviewed by FDA;
        (2) Destroy imported food that poses a serious public health threat;
        (3) Prohibit the reimportation of food that has been previously
    refused admission and has not been brought into compliance with United
    States laws and regulations (so called ``port shopping''), and require
    the marking of shipping containers and/or papers of imported food that
    is refused admission for safety reasons;
        (4) Set standards for private laboratories for the collection and
    analysis of samples of imported food for the purpose of gaining entry
    into the United States;
        (5) Increase the amount of the bond posted for imported foods when
    necessary to deter premature and illegal entry into the United States;
    and
        (6) Enhance enforcement against violations of United States laws
    related to the importation of foods, including through the imposition of
    civil monetary penalties.
        Accordingly, I direct you, in consultation with my Food Safety
    Council and relevant Federal agencies, particularly the Department of
    Agriculture and the United States Trade Representative, to report back
    to me within 90 days on the steps you will take in these areas to
    protect consumers from unsafe imported foods. We must do all that we can
    to protect Americans from unsafe food.

                                                          William J. Clinton

    Note: This memorandum was made available by the Office of the Press
    Secretary on July 2 but was embargoed for release until 10:06 a.m. on
    July 3. An original was not available for verification of the content of
    this memorandum.