Food Safety Rules Resubmitted By Bush Administration

Food & Drink Weekly, Feb 26, 2001

USDA, on Feb. 20, resubmitted to the Federal Register a proposed regulation to help prevent contamination by Listeria and other harmful pathogens. The proposed regulation, originally submitted in January at the end of the Clinton administration, would require meat and poultry establishments to conduct food contact surface testing for generic Listeria or address post-lethality contamination in their HACCP plans. The Bush administration held off issuing the rule until it had ample time to review the content of the regulation.

The proposed regulation identifies the need for additional scientific information and analytical data that, if addressed, could strengthen the scientific foundation of the rule. In order to facilitate public input and gather additional information, USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service will schedule public meetings to discuss the scientific issues behind the proposal during a 90-day comment period. USDA's Agricultural Research Service also will participate in the meetings.

The proposed regulation is intended to curb contamination with listeria monocytogenes, a relatively rare foodborne disease but a lethal one. The bacterium causes an estimated 2,500 flu-like illnesses and 500 deaths annually, according to U.S. government data. Under the proposed rule, makers of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products will have to routinely test production lines for any listeria bacteria on equipment or work areas. If listeria was found, the plant would also have to sample and test packages of meat at the end of the production line.