A year of food safety accomplishments

FDA Consumer, Sept-Oct, 1998 by Paula Kurtzweil

From the farm to the table, the government's National Food Safety Initiative, is covering ground. In the past year, the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have proposed or implemented regulations, issued a draft guidance, and launched a public health campaign--all geared toward the government's goal of reducing food-borne illness and improving the safety of the U.S. food supply.

Other federal agencies helping to carry out the initiative are the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Environmental Protection Agency.

HACCP for Seafood

In December 1997, an FDA program based on a modern food safety system called Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point, or HACCP (pronounced hassip), took effect in the seafood industry. HACCP, a science-based, preventive approach to food safety, requires seafood processors, repackers and warehouses--both domestic and foreign exporters to this country--to focus on identifying and preventing hazards that could cause food-borne illnesses. Before seafood HACCP, industry and regulators relied on spot-checks of manufacturing processes and random sampling of finished products to catch any problems.

HACCP for Meat and Poultry

USDA regulations requiring HACCP for the country's largest meat and poultry plants took effect in January. Depending on their size, other plants will be required to implement HACCP programs by either January 1999 or January 2000.

Fruits and Vegetables

In April, FDA released for public comment draft guidelines aimed at reducing microbial food safety hazards for most fruits and vegetables sold raw or minimally processed. The guidelines address good agricultural practices common to the growing, harvesting, packing, and transporting of fresh fruits and vegetables. Once the guidelines are final, FDA will encourage producers and distributors to follow them voluntarily.

Also in April, FDA proposed to improve the safety of fresh and processed fruit and vegetable juices by requiring processors of packaged fruit and vegetable juices, both domestic and imported, to implement HACCP in their operations. At press time. FDA was in the process of seeking comments on this proposal.

In July, the agency issued a final rule requiring packaged untreated juices to be labeled with a warning statement advising consumers of the potential risks of drinking juices that have not been processed to eliminate dangerous bacteria. The statement will say, "WARNING: This product has not been pasteurized and, therefore, may contain harmful bacteria that can cause serious illness in children, the elderly, and persons with weakened immune systems." (See "Critical Controls for Juice Safety,".)

Restaurant Foods and Groceries

Also in April, FDA called for retail food businesses to volunteer to test the feasibility of HACCP in restaurants, grocery stores, institutional food services, and vending operations. FDA said the results of the pilot project will enable the agency to "fine-tune" its model Food Code, a reference for retail outlets on how to prepare food to prevent food-borne illness.

Ground Beef Patties

In May, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) held a public meeting to discuss the results of a study on the premature browning of ground beef patties before they reach a safe internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit (71 degrees Celsius). The meeting was held to determine whether color is an appropriate indicator of properly cooked ground beef. While final recommendations are pending, FSIS urges consumers to use a thermometer to ensure the proper internal temperature. (See "All About Cooking Thermometers,".)

Eggs

FDA and USDA asked for public comment on plans to implement a comprehensive farm-to-table strategy to decrease the food-safety risks associated with shell eggs. In a May Federal Register notice, the agencies asked for comments on preventing Salmonella enteritidis in laying chickens and changing egg processing, handling and storage procedures to further enhance egg safety. Salmonella enteritidis is one of the most commonly reported causes of food-borne illness in the United States. (See "Safer Eggs: Laying the Groundwork.")

Food Safely Research

Also in May, FDA announced in the Federal Register the availability of almost $1.5 million in grants for research to support the reduction of the incidence of food-borne illness and develop models for assessing microbial food safety risks.

PulseNet

The formation of a national computer network of public health laboratories--called PulseNet--to help rapidly identify and stop episodes of food-borne illness was announced in May. The new system enables epidemiologists to respond up to five times faster than before in identifying serious and widespread food contamination problems by performing DNA "fingerprinting" on food-borne pathogens. Rapid comparison of these "fingerprint" patterns is done through an electronic database maintained at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

FORC-G

To develop a comprehensive, coordinated national food-borne illness outbreak response system among federal, state and local agencies, the Department of Health and Human Services (which includes FDA), USDA, and EPA signed in May a memorandum of understanding to create the Food-borne Outbreak Response Coordinating Group, or FORCG. This group's intent is to increase coordination and communication among federal, state and local agencies, guide efficient use of resources and expertise during an outbreak, and prepare for new and emerging threats to the U.S. food supply. In addition to federal officials, other members of FORC-G include the Association of Food and Drug Officials, National Association of City and County Health Officials, Association of State and Territorial Public Health Laboratory Directors, Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, and National Association of State Departments of Agriculture.