    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (2000, Book I)]
    [May 5, 2000]
    [Pages 854-855]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Memorandum on Reducing the Risk of Listeria Monocytogenes
    May 5, 2000

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

    Subject: Reducing the Risk of Listeria Monocytogenes

        Food safety is a vital issue for all Americans. When people across
    this country sit down to a meal at home or in a restaurant, they expect
    that the food they eat will be safe. While the U.S. food supply is
    abundant, the marketplace has evolved from one dominated by minimally
    processed basic commodities for home preparation to one with an array of
    highly processed products that are ready-to-eat or require minimal
    preparation in the home.
        To take account of the changes in the way Americans eat and to
    ensure that America's food supply remains safe, my Administration has
    made wide-ranging, dramatic improvements in food safety. We have worked
    successfully to revolutionize our meat and poultry inspection system,
    instituting scientific testing and pathogen reduction controls to target
    and reduce dangerous pathogens like Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 and
    the illnesses they cause. We also have implemented an innovative system
    of preventative controls for the seafood industry, published industry
    guidance to improve the safety of fruits and vegetables, and taken steps
    to prevent unsafe imported foods from reaching American consumers. My
    Food Safety Initiative is now in its third year of improving food safety
    surveillance, outbreak response, education, research, and inspection. In
    1998, I issued an Executive Order creating the President's Council on
    Food Safety (Council), which oversees Federal food safety research
    efforts and is currently developing a comprehensive, national food
    safety strategic plan. It is under the Council's auspices that my
    Administration produced last year an Egg Safety Action Plan with the
    goal of eliminating illnesses from Salmonella Enteritidis in eggs.
    Additionally, we launched a high-tech early warning system called
    PulseNet that uses DNA-fingerprinting techniques to help us better
    detect and prevent outbreaks of foodborne illness.
        These and other efforts have helped to make meaningful improvements
    in food safety. But we can do even more. Millions of Americans get sick
    from eating contaminated food each year. With changing patterns of food
    production and consumption, we must continue to aggressively meet the
    food safety challenges of the 21st century.
        One challenge we must address immediately is that of Listeria
    monocytogenes, which can cause a severe infection called listeriosis.
    Listeriosis is a significant public health concern, and is especially
    lethal, resulting in death in about 20 percent of cases. The Centers for
    Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 2,518 persons become ill
    and 504 persons die each year from listeriosis. Pregnant women with
    listeriosis can pass the infection on to their unborn children,
    potentially resulting in severe illness or death to the fetus or newborn
    infant. Others at high risk for severe disease or death are the elderly
    and those with weakened immune systems. Ready-to-eat food products, such
    as lunch meats, smoked fish, certain types of soft cheeses, and hot
    dogs, are among the foods most commonly associated with food-related
    illness from Listeria. To address this serious public health problem,
    the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in cooperation with
    the Department of Agriculture (USDA), is conducting a risk assessment on
    Listeria monocytogenes to determine which foods warrant further
    preventive measures. This risk assessment will be completed shortly, and
    I believe we must build on what is already being done to target this
    deadly organism.
        My Administration's goal--articulated in our Healthy People 2010
    plan--is to cut the number of illnesses caused by Listeria in half by
    2010, from 0.5 cases to 0.25 cases per 100,000. To meet and exceed this
    goal, I hereby direct you,

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    in cooperation and consultation with the Council and relevant Federal
    agencies, to report back to me within 120 days on the aggressive steps
    you will take to significantly reduce the risk of illness and death by
    Listeria monocytogenes ready-to-eat foods. In particular, within this
    time period, I direct the Secretary of Agriculture to complete proposed
    regulations that include any appropriate microbiological testing and
    other industry measures to: 1) prevent cross-contamination in the
    processing environment; 2) ensure that the processing of ready-to-eat
    products meets appropriate standards; and 3) ensure that such products
    are safe throughout their shelf life. In addition, I direct the
    Secretary of Health and Human Services, within this time frame, to
    develop an action plan identifying additional steps necessary to reduce
    Listeria monocytogenes contamination. This plan should include
    consideration of control measures for at-risk foods and the publication
    of guidance for processors, retailers, and food service facilities.
    Finally, you should consider whether enhanced labeling is necessary to
    provide additional safeguards for consumers. These actions should be
    based in science and should establish the foundation for a comprehensive
    approach that significantly reduces the opportunity for Listeria product
    contamination and Listeria-related illnesses to occur. All these
    actions, taken together, should allow us to achieve our Healthy People
    Goal by 2005 rather than 2010.
        These steps will continue to ensure the safety of America's food
    supply and will help protect some of the Nation's most vulnerable
    populations from foodborne illness.

                                                          William J. Clinton

    Note: This memorandum was embargoed for release by the Office of the
    Press Secretary until 10:06 a.m. on May 6.