FDA/SEAFOOD INDUSTRY FOOD SAFETY INITIATIVE GOES INTO FULL EFFECT

[FDA]

HHS _NEWS_

_U.S. Department of Health and Human Services_
_________________________________________________________________

P97-44 FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Judith Foulke: 202 205-4144
Dec. 18, 1997 Arthur Whitmore: 202 205-4144
Broadcast Media: 301 827-3434
Consumer Inquiries: 800-532-4440

FDA/SEAFOOD INDUSTRY FOOD SAFETY INITIATIVE GOES INTO FULL EFFECT

The Clinton Administration announced that as of today the seafood
industry has initiated a new system of controls designed to enhance
seafood safety. This industry-wide system, called Hazard Analysis and
Critical Control Point (HACCP), is the culmination of two years of
close cooperation among the Food and Drug Administation, the seafood
industry and state health officials.

"Today we are taking another step to improve the safety of our
nation's seafood by following a simple lesson - an ounce of prevention
is worth a pound of cure." Vice President, Al Gore said. "That's what
HACCP does. It takes the best science and the best preventive controls
to make our food supply the world's safest."

The implementation of this state-of-the-art approach to food safety is
the latest step in the Administration's continuing commitment to guard
the nation's food supply against sources of food borne illnesses.

HACCP is a science-based system that requires processors to identify
potential hazards that could cause food to be unsafe to eat, to
establish and monitor targeted control points to minimize such risks,
and to keep records of the results. All seafood processors will
continue to be monitored under FDA surveillance and inspection
programs as well as state regulators. But with the new rules, HACCP
monitoring records will enable inspectors to review the processors'
performance over time, not just at the moment of inspection.

"The new seafood HACCP program enhances the safety of America's
seafood supply -- both from domestic and foreign sources," said Health
and Human Services Secretary Donna E. Shalala. "Improving food safety
is a high priority for this Administration, and adoption of HACCP for
seafood is a major step. It also serves as a working model for future
food industry and government cooperative ventures to more effectively
safeguard the food supply."

HACCP safeguards apply to all (foreign and domestic based) seafood
processors marketing products in interstate commerce within the United
States. While this program does not directly apply to fishing vessels
or transporters, seafood processors must take responsibility for the
safe condition of incoming fish obtained from vessels and
transporters. For example, if the supplier does not provide
satisfactory information about the area where the fish were caught or
handled, the HACCP rules strengthen the processor's position in
refusing to accept the shipment.

"Consumers expect safe and wholesome seafood. Thanks to the
extraordinary level of cooperation and commitment of both government
and industry, an important milestone has been taken in optimizing the
safety of America's seafood supply," said Michael A. Friedman, M.D.,
Lead Deputy FDA Commissioner.

Definative seafood HACCP regulations were published Dec. 18, 1995.
Today's effective date, two years later, gave firms the time they
needed to fully understand the new rules, evaluate their particular
circumstances and to establish their HACCP plans. During the two year
period, thousands of individuals including members of the seafood
industry, FDA, state and local regulators, foreign regulatory
officials, as well as representatives from academia joined in training
sessions to facilitate implementation of the new rules.

Today's milestone reflects the first application of HACCP over such a
wide component of the food supply. Similar rules for the meat and
poultry industry, enforced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's
Food Safety and Inspection Service, become phase-in on January 26,
1998.

It is hoped that many of the lessons learned from the seafood HACCP
experience can be applied to enhancing the safety of other aspects of
the food supply. Toward this end, FDA announced earlier this year its
intent to establish HACCP for the fruit and vegetable juice industry
and to publish an interim regulation requiring a warning statement on
products that have not undergone a process to prevent or eliminate
harmful bacteria.

This effort was also prompted by several outbreaks of illnesses in
recent years from pathogenic microbes including, E.Coli 0157.H7, in
fresh juice products. Until the HACCP plans for the juice industry are
implemented, FDA has asked the industry to voluntarily label
unpasteurized juice products with a statement of risk.

In addition a number of food firms around the country have volunteered
to participate in an FDA pilot program started in 1994 to test the
possibility and effectiveness of HACCP programs in their segments of
the industry. The first and second FDA interim reports on these pilot
programs are available at [1]http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/haccp-1.html
on FDA's Website.