Food Safety: A Team Approach
Food and Drug Administration
|
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Food Safety and Inspection Service
|
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension
Service
National Agricultural Libary,
USDA/FDA Foodborne Illness Education Information Center
Environmental Protection Agency
|
National Oceanic and Atmostpheric Administration
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms
|
U.S. Customs Service
U.S. Department of Justice
|
Federal Trade Commission
State and Local Governments
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September 24, 1998
The United States maintains one of the world's safest food supplies, thanks in large part
to an interlocking monitoring system that watches over food production and distribution at every
level-locally, statewide and nationally.
Continual monitoring is provided by food inspectors, microbiologists, epidemiologists,
and other food scientists working for city and county health departments, state public health
agencies, and various federal departments and agencies. Their precise duties are dictated by
local, state and national laws, guidelines and other directives. Some monitor only one kind of
food, such as milk or seafood. Others work strictly within a specified geographic area. Others
are responsible for only one type of food establishment, such as restaurants or meat-packing
plants. Together they make up the U.S. food safety team.
The Clinton administration's Food Safety Initiative, begun in 1997, strengthens the efforts
of all the members of the nation's food safety team in the fight against food-borne illness, which
afflicts between 6.5 million and 33 million Americans every year. One of the initiative's major
programs got under way in May 1998 when the Department of Health and Human Services
(which includes FDA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Environmental Protection
Agency signed a memorandum of understanding to create a Food Outbreak Response
Coordinating Group, or FORC-G. The new group will:
- increase coordination and communication among federal, state and local food safety
agencies
- guide efficient use of resources and expertise during an outbreak
- prepare for new and emerging threats to the U.S. food supply.
Besides federal officials, 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.
The following table offers a closer look at the nation's food safety lineup. The agencies
listed in the table also work with other government agencies, such as the Consumer Product
Safety Commission to enforce the Poison Prevention Packaging Act, the FBI to enforce the
Federal Anti-Tampering Act, the Department of Transportation to enforce the Sanitary Food
Transportation Act, and the U.S. Postal Service to enforce laws against mail fraud.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services *
Food and Drug Administration
Oversees
- All domestic and imported food sold in interstate commerce, including shell eggs, but not
meat and poultry
- Bottled water
- Wine beverages with less than 7 percent alcohol
Food Safety Role
Enforces food safety laws governing domestic and imported food, except meat and poultry,
by:
- Inspecting food production establishments and food warehouses and collecting and
analyzing samples for physical, chemical and microbial contamination
- Reviewing safety of food and color additives before marketing
- Reviewing animal drugs for safety to animals that receive them and humans who eat food
produced from the animals
- Monitoring safety of animal feeds used in food-producing animals
- Developing model codes and ordinances, guidelines and interpretations and working with
states to implement them in regulating milk and shellfish and retail food establishments, such as
restaurants and grocery stores. An example is the model Food Code, a reference for retail outlets
and nursing homes and other institutions on how to prepare food to prevent food-borne illness.
- Establishing good food manufacturing practices and other production standards, such as
plant sanitation, packaging requirements, and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point
programs
- Working with foreign governments to ensure safety of certain imported food products
- Requesting manufacturers to recall unsafe food products and monitoring those recalls
- Taking appropriate enforcement actions
- Conducting research on food safety
- Educating industry and consumers on safe food handling practices
For More Information
Consumers:
Call toll-free 1-888-INFO-FDA (1-888-463-6332).
Regional FDA offices, listed in the blue pages of the phone book under U.S. Government
Media inquiries: 202-205-4144
Consumers:
FDA's Outreach and Information Center
1-888-SAFEFOOD (1-888-723-3366)
www.cfsan.fda.gov/list.html
www.fda.gov/cvm/
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Oversees
Food Safety Role
- Investigates with local, state and other federal officials sources of food-borne disease
outbreaks
- Maintains a nationwide system of food-borne disease surveillance: Designs and puts in
place rapid, electronic systems for reporting food-borne infections. Works with other federal and
state agencies to monitor rates of and trends in food-borne disease outbreaks. Develops
state-of-the-art techniques for rapid identification of food-borne pathogens at the state and local
levels.
- Develops and advocates public health policies to prevent food-borne diseases
- Conducts research to help prevent food-borne illness
- Trains local and state food safety personnel
For More Information
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Rd., N.E.
Atlanta, GA 30333
Media inquiries: 404-639-3286
General public: 404-639-3311
www.cdc.gov
* Also, HHS's National Institutes of Health conduct food safety
research.
U.S. Department of Agriculture **
Food Safety and Inspection Service
Oversees
- Domestic and imported meat and poultry and related products, such as meat- or
poultry-containing stews, pizzas and frozen foods
- Processed egg products (generally liquid, frozen and dried pasteurized egg products)
Food Safety Role
Enforces food safety laws governing domestic and imported meat and poultry products by:
- Inspecting food animals for diseases before and after slaughter
- Inspecting meat and poultry slaughter and processing plants
- With USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service, monitoring and inspecting processed egg
products
- Collecting and analyzing samples of food products for microbial and chemical contaminants
and infectious and toxic agents
- Establishing production standards for use of food additives and other ingredients in
preparing and packaging meat and poultry products, plant sanitation, thermal processing, and
other processes
- Making sure all foreign meat and poultry processing plants exporting to the United States
meet U.S. standards
- Seeking voluntary recalls by meat and poultry processors of unsafe products
- Sponsoring research on meat and poultry safety
- Educating industry and consumers on safe food-handling practices
For More Information
FSIS Food Safety Education and Communications Staff
Room 1175, South Building,
1400 Independence Ave., S.W.
Washington, DC 20250
Media inquiries: 202-720-9113
Consumers:
The Meat and Poultry Hotline, 1-800-535-4555
(In Washington, D.C., area, call 202-720-3333.)
TDD/TTY: 1-800-256-7072
www.fsis.usda.gov
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service
Oversees
- All domestic foods, some imported
Food Safety Role
- With U.S. colleges and universities, develops research and education programs on food
safety for farmers and consumers
For More Information
Local cooperative extension services, listed in the blue pages of the phone book under county
government
Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Washington, DC 20250-0900
202-720-3029
www.reeusda.gov
National Agricultural Library
USDA/FDA Foodborne Illness Education Information Center
Oversees
Food Safety Role
- Maintains a database of computer software, audiovisuals, posters, games, teachers' guides
and other educational materials on preventing food-borne illness
- Helps educators, food service trainers and consumers locate educational materials on
preventing food-borne illness
For More Information
USDA/FDA Foodborne Illness Education Information Center
Food and Nutrition Information Center
National Agricultural Library/USDA
Beltsville, MD 20705-2351
301-504-5719
www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/
** Also, a number of other USDA agencies conduct food safety
activities.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Oversees
Food Safety Role
Foods made from plants, seafood, meat and poultry
- Establishes safe drinking water standards
- Regulates toxic substances and wastes to prevent their entry into the environment and food
chain
- Assists states in monitoring quality of drinking water and finding ways to prevent
contamination of drinking water
- Determines safety of new pesticides, sets tolerance levels for pesticide residues in foods,
and publishes directions on safe use of pesticides
For More Information
Environmental Protection Agency
401 M St., S.W.
Washington, DC 20460
202-260-2090
Regional EPA offices, listed in the blue pages of the phone book under U.S. Government
www.epa.gov
U.S. Department of Commerce
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Oversees
- Fish and seafood products
Food Safety Role
- Through its fee-for-service Seafood Inspection Program, inspects and certifies fishing
vessels, seafood processing plants, and retail facilities for federal sanitation standards
For More Information
Seafood Inspection Program
1315 East-West Highway
Silver Spring, MD 20910
1-800-422-2750
seafood.nmfs.gov
U.S. Department of the Treasury
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms
Oversees
- Alcoholic beverages except wine beverages containing less than 7 percent alcohol
Food Safety Role
- Enforces food safety laws governing production and distribution of alcoholic beverages
- Investigates cases of adulterated alcoholic products, sometimes with help from FDA
For More Information
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms
Market Compliance Branch
650 Massachusetts Ave., N.W.
Room 5200
Washington, DC 20226
202-927-8130
www.atf.treas.gov/alcohol/index.htm
U.S. Customs Service
Oversees
Food Safety Role
- Works with federal regulatory agencies to ensure that all goods entering and exiting the
United States do so according to U.S. laws and regulations
For More Information
U.S. Customs Service
P.O. Box 7407
Washington, DC 20044
Media inquiries: 202-927-1770
General public: Contact local ports of entry, listed in the blue pages of the phone book under
U.S. Government, Customs Services
www.customs.ustreas.gov
U.S. Department of Justice
Oversees
Food Safety Role
- Prosecutes companies and individuals suspected of violating food safety laws
- Through U.S. Marshals Service, seizes unsafe food products not yet in the marketplace, as
ordered by courts
For More Information
U.S. attorneys' offices in blue pages of phone book under U.S. Government
www.usdoj.gov
Federal Trade Commission
Oversees
Food Safety Role
- Enforces a variety of laws that protect consumers from unfair, deceptive or fraudulent
practices, including deceptive and unsubstantiated advertising.
For More Information
FTC (Federal Trade Commission)
Consumer Response Center, CRC-240
Washington, DC 20580
Media inquiries: 202-326-2180
TDD: 202-326-2502
Consumers: 202-FTC-HELP
(202-382-4357)
www.ftc.gov
State and Local Governments
Oversees
- All foods within their jurisdictions
Food Safety Role
- Work with FDA and other federal agencies to implement food safety standards for fish,
seafood, milk, and other foods produced within state borders
- Inspect restaurants, grocery stores, and other retail food establishments, as well as dairy
farms and milk processing plants, grain mills, and food manufacturing plants within local
jurisdictions
- Embargo (stop the sale of) unsafe food products made or distributed within state
borders
For More Information
City, county and state health, agriculture and environmental protection agencies, listed in the
blue pages of the phone book under city, county and state government
This is a mirror of the page formerly at
<http://www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/foodteam.html>
www.FoodSafety.gov -
Gateway to Government Food Safety Information
