    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (1999, Book II)]
    [December 11, 1999]
    [Pages 2272-2273]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's Radio Address
    December 11, 1999

        Good morning. The holidays are upon us, and across our Nation
    families and friends are gathering to celebrate the season. Today I want
    to talk about the steps we must take to make sure the food at these
    festivities, indeed, the food we serve every day, is the safest in the
    world.
        For 7 years now, our administration has worked hard to strengthen
    our food safety standards for the 21st century. We've made significant
    strides by using the newest research and best technology available.
    We're using new, science-based standards for meat, poultry, and seafood.
    We've updated our standards for fruit and vegetable juices. We also
    established a nationwide early warning system for food-borne illness to
    catch problems sooner and prevent them from happening in the first
    place. We're making new advances each year, and are committed to moving
    forward on all fronts.
        But the holiday season is only our latest reminder. When it comes to
    what we feed our families, there's really no such thing as too safe. We
    know certain foods carry a special risk for children, for the elderly,
    for those with weakened immune systems. My Council on Food Safety has
    identified eggs as one of those foods.
        Every year, about 3.3 million eggs are infected with salmonella
    bacteria. This causes about 300,000 cases of illness. And when infected
    eggs still make it from the farm to the table, we know we have more work
    to do. That's why today I am taking new action on food safety to cut in
    half, over the next 5 years, the number of salmonella cases attributed
    to eggs. And our goal is to eliminate these cases entirely by 2010. This
    aggressive action plan permits egg producers and processors to choose
    between two strategies of safety. The first happens at the farm, where
    extensive tests and rigorous practices will help prevent infected eggs
    from ever reaching your local grocery. The second happens at the packing
    plant, where new technologies like in-shell pasteurization will help
    keep eggs safe and free of bacteria.
        I'm also announcing new steps to keep unsafe food imports outside
    our borders and out of our marketplace. We Americans are eating more
    imported food than ever, more than double the amount we consumed just 7
    years ago. It used to be that only a dozen fruits and vegetables were
    available year round. Now it's common to find as many as 400 varieties,
    whether in the heat of summer or the chill of winter. Now, we have no
    reason to believe imported food is any less safe than the food we grow
    at home. But after several outbreaks of illnesses were traced to
    imported food, I directed the Department of Treasury and the Department
    of Health and Human Services to take action against unsafe imported food
    and to better protect our consumers. Today they're responding with a
    comprehensive plan. It set forth steps to prevent so-called port
    shopping so unsafe food stopped at one port can't find another way into
    our country. Customs and the FDA will also stamp rejected food with a
    clear label--``The United

    [[Page 2273]]

    States--Refused''--and step up our policy of destroying imported food
    that poses a serious threat to people's health.
        Food safety is part of our citizens' basic contract with the
    Government. Any food that fails to meet clear and strict standards for
    safety should not make it to the marketplace; it's just that simple.
    With the actions we're taking today, our families can have the peace of
    mind they deserve every holiday season, and, indeed, every day of the
    year.
        Thanks for listening.

    Note: The address was recorded at 6:35 p.m. on December 10 in classroom
    57 at the Earle Senior High School for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on
    December 11. The transcript was made available by the Office of the
    Press Secretary on December 10 but was embargoed for release until the
    broadcast.