[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 33, Number 5 (Monday, February 3, 1997)]
[Pages 96-97]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Memorandum on Improving the Safety of the Nation's Food Supply

January 25, 1997

Memorandum for the Secretary of Agriculture, Secretary of Health and 
Human Services, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency

Subject: Improving the Safety of the Nation's Food Supply

    Americans rightly expect to have the world's safest food supply. 
Although our food is unmatched in quantity and quality, we can do better 
in our efforts to eliminate disease caused by microorganisms and other 
contaminants. Americans still suffer thousands of food-related deaths 
and millions of food-related illnesses.
    The 21st century will present new and greater challenges in this 
area. Novel pathogens are emerging. Long-understood pathogens are 
growing resistant to treatment. Americans eat more foods prepared 
outside the home, and we consume record levels of imported food--some of 
which moves across the globe overnight. These changing circumstances 
require greatly strengthened systems of coordination, surveillance, 
prevention, research, and education.
    My Administration has already taken a number of steps to improve 
food safety. We modernized the meat, poultry, and seafood safety 
systems. I signed into law new legislation to keep harmful pesticides 
off our fruits and vegetables--and legislation that keeps our drinking 
water safe and pure. Today, I announced a new national early warning 
system for food-borne illness. The system will allow us to respond more 
quickly to disease outbreaks and to better prevent them in the future.
    But we need to do more. Government, consumers, and industry must 
work together to further reduce food-borne disease and to ensure our 
food supply is the safest in the world.
    I hereby direct that you work with consumers, producers, industry, 
States, univer

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sities, and the public to identify additional ways to improve the safety 
of our food supply through government and private sector action, 
including public-private partnerships. Your recommendations should 
identify steps to further improve surveillance, inspections, research, 
risk assessment, education, and coordination among local, State, and 
Federal health authorities. You should report back to me within 90 days 
with your recommendations.
                                            William J. Clinton