July 3, 1999

THE PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES NEW MEASURES TO PREVENT UNSAFE FOOD FROM ENTERING OUR BORDERS July 3, 1999

EMBARGOED UNTIL 10:06 AM EDT
JULY 3, 1999
 
                   THE PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES NEW MEASURES
             TO PREVENT UNSAFE FOOD FROM ENTERING OUR BORDERS
                                July 3, 1999
 
In his weekly radio address, the President will announce several new
measures to prevent "bad actor" food importers from bringing unsafe food
into the United States.   The President will direct the Departments of
Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Treasury to take several steps,
including to: (1) prevent "port shopping," in which importers whose cargo
is denied entry at one port try to introduce the unsafe food at another
port; (2) require the destruction of imported food that poses a serious
public health threat; and (3) increase the bond that importers must post,
as a way to deter illegal imports of unsafe food.  The President will call
for passage of a comprehensive imported food safety bill, such as the one
introduced by Senators Mikulski, Kennedy, and Durbin and Representative
Eshoo, which would increase the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA)
authority to prevent unsafe food from ever reaching our borders.  Finally,
the President will call for full funding of his food safety initiative
budget request and support for legislation, sponsored by Senator Harkin, to
give the Department of Agriculture (USDA) the power to recall tainted foods
and impose civil penalties.
 
Presidential Directive to Take Action to Prevent the Importation of Unsafe
Foods.  Data from the FDA show that the number of imported food entries has
doubled over the past seven years and that, based on recent trends, imports
are expected to increase by an additional 30 percent by 2002.  Imported
foods (other than most meat and poultry products) are regulated under the
Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.  After posting a bond with U.S.
Customs, importers may take possession of imported foods while FDA
determines whether the product should be allowed entry into the United
States, and if necessary, conducts laboratory tests.  This procedure helps
prevent congestion at ports of entry, but some unscrupulous importers have
abused it by distributing and selling imported food products before FDA has
completed its review, resulting in adulterated and misbranded products
being introduced into domestic commerce.
 
Today, consistent with our international obligations, the President will
direct the Secretaries of HHS and Treasury to report back within 90 days on
the available steps they will take to:
 
(1)  Prevent distribution of imported unsafe food by means such as
     requiring food to be held until reviewed by FDA.  Requiring food to be
     held in a secure storage facility until released by FDA will prevent
     "bad actor" importers from distributing and selling potentially unsafe
     imported food before FDA has completed its review;
 
(2)  Destroy imported food that poses a serious public health threat.
     Requiring destruction of such food will protect American consumers by
     removing the goods from commerce (thus preventing their re-entry at
     another port) and will also protect consumers around the world by
     preventing importers from exporting the contaminated foods to other
     countries;
 
(3)  Prohibit "port shopping"-- in which importers whose cargo is denied
     entry at one port try to introduce it at another -- though a new FDA
     requirement to mark shipping containers and/or papers of imported food
     that is denied admission for safety reasons.  The unsafe food will be
     clearly marked, "Refused U.S.";
 
(4)  Set standards for private laboratories for the collection and analysis
     of samples of imported food for the purpose of gaining entry into the
     United States;
 
(5)  Increase the amount of the bond posted for imported foods when
     necessary to deter premature and illegal entry into the United States.
     Increasing the bond amount will prevent unscrupulous importers from
     forfeiting the bond amount (which is currently based only on the
     wholesale value of the shipment), selling the shipment before FDA
     completes its review, and turning a significant profit anyway; and
 
(6)  Enhance enforcement for violations of United States laws related to
     the importation of foods, including the imposition of civil monetary
     penalties.
 
Food Safety Initiative and Legislation.  The President also will call on
Congress to provide full funding for his requested $72 million increase for
the food safety initiative, which will support a variety of measures
including: enabling FDA to hire new inspectors to inspect at least annually
every domestic manufacturer of high-risk food products; permitting USDA to
assist states in order to create a seamless national inspection program;
enabling FDA to more than double the number of inspections conducted of
foreign food processors; and allowing the agencies to expand research to
develop more effective ways of testing for and identifying dangerous
contaminants such as Salmonella and Cyclospora.
 
The House-passed Agricultural Appropriations bill fails to fund $27 million
of the much-needed requested increase, and the Senate Appropriations
Committee bill fails to fund $18 million of the requested increase.
 
The President also will call on Congress to pass two vital pieces of
legislation to improve the safety of the nation's food supply.  One bill,
sponsored by Senators Mikulski, Kennedy, and Durbin and Representative
Eshoo, will ensure that imports of fruits, vegetables, and other food
products meet U.S. food safety requirements or provide the same level of
protection as is required for U.S. products. The second bill, sponsored by
Senator Harkin, will give USDA the authority to issue mandatory recalls and
impose civil penalties for unsafe meat and poultry.
 
                                    ###
 
 

This is a mirror of the White House radio address, July 3, 1999, from the <http://www.whitehouse.gov/WH/html/briefroom.html> White House Briefing Room.

President's July 3, 1999 Radio Address