Food Safety Outlook FOOD SAFETY PROTECTION THE CURRENT

Food Safety Outlook…

FOOD SAFETY & PROTECTION • THE CURRENT FRAMEWORK OF THE U. S. FOOD SAFETY & PROTECTION SYSTEM • OTHER GROUPS & ORGANIZATIONS WITH INTEREST AND THEIR POSITIONS • LEGISLATION AND OTHER INITIATIVES

FOOD SAFETY & PROTECTION Current framework of the U. S. food safety & protection system – 15 federal agencies collectively administer more than 30 laws related to food safety & protection Æ The USDA/Food Safety & Inspection Service (FSIS) & the HHS/Food & Drug Administration (FDA) are the two major agencies FSIS – meat, poultry and processed egg products FDA – all other foods except those covered by other agencies Æ Centers for Disease Control – monitoring, investigating, foodborne disease to determine causes and controls; Æ National Marine Fisheries Service – inspection & grading for marketing and quality of domestic and imported seafood; Æ Dept. of Homeland Security – border inspection; preparedness for and response to major disease outbreak or other disaster affecting agricultural infrastructure; Æ Others……….

FSIS AND FDA STRUCTURED AND OPERATED DIFFERENTLY DOMESTIC PROGRAMS FSIS FDA • Establishes safe food requirements; • Directly employs 9400 staff, 8000 of whom are in approx. 6300 U. S. plants; • Cooperates with 400 state agencies to conduct intermittent inspections of food establishments; • Assesses safety of processing plants and approves such plants for operation; • Conducts unannounced inspections of food establishments (avg. one per five yrs. ); • Inspectors on-site to inspect during plant operation; • Responds to specific complaints of food borne illness.

FSIS AND FDA STRUCTURED AND OPERATED DIFFERENTLY INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS FSIS FDA • Safe food requirements the same for imported products as U. S. production; • Determine if exporting country’s food safety system is equivalent to U. S. system; if so it’s approved for export; • Cargo manifests are evaluated by DHS to determine if product detention is warranted; • Foreign processing plants exporting to the U. S. are inspected routinely and approved/disapproved for export; • Based on DHS evaluation cargo is either detained for inspection by FDA or released; • Entry-point inspections are conducted on imports; if inspection is passed, product is allowed entry into the U. S. ; • Random inspection of cargo may be undertaken by FDA; • Responds to specific complaints of food • Responds to specific complaints of food borne illness.

U. S. Food Imports Source: AFBF estimates from USDA data

Share of U. S. Consumption from Imports Source: USDA/ERS

Who’s involved Grocery Manufacturers Association “Four Pillars” document for import safety – September 2007 Coalition of retailers, manufacturers, processors, distributors, producer groups – October 2007 AFBF participates Drafting legislation – want Congress to act this year

Who’s involved Producer and Agribusiness Group AFBF organized Fall 2007 Livestock – pork, sheep, milk, turkey, chicken, eggs, processors (AMI and NMA) Fruits and Veggies – Western Growers, United Fresh, US Apple Others – oilseed processors, rice, millers, pet food, animal health, feed and grain groups Draft legislative proposal, to use if necessary

Congressional Interest U. S. Senate ‐ Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee – Chairman Kennedy (MA) ‐ Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee – Chairman Harkin (IA) ‐ Leadership – Majority Whip Durbin (IL) U. S. House of Representatives ‐ Energy and Commerce Committee – Chairman Waxman (CA) ‐ Health Subcommittee – Chairman Pallone (NJ) ‐ Oversight Subcommittee – Chairman Stupak (MI) ‐ Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee – Chairwoman De. Lauro (CT)

What’s Happening 30 bills introduced last Congress: • HR 3610, Food and Drug Import Safety Act (Dingell) • FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (Durbin) • Consumer legislation (Pallone, De. Lauro) • FDA Food Protection Plan (Senate HELP Committee) • HR 1148/S 654, Safe Food Act - single food safety agency

Hill reaction to. . . • Recalls • FY 2010 Budget/Appropriations

AFBF Actions Letters to Hill/Administration H. R. 3610, Single Food Safety Agency, Funding Coalition Efforts GMA and Ag Highlight food safety & protection issue at membership meetings

LEAFY GREENS MARKETING AGREEMENT • Voluntary marketing agreement (MA) • California and Arizona already have agreements in place • Industry requests MA, USDA oversees process with public input