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U.S. Department of Agriculture |
Department of Health and Human Services |
Environmental Protection Agency |
Department of Commerce |
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U.S. Department of Agriculture |
Department of Health and Human Services |
Environmental Protection Agency |
Department of Commerce |
Action Required: Approval of plan to provide the President with an assessment of the NAS Report "Ensuring Safe Food from Production to Consumption."
Background: In response to the Congressionally mandated Food Safety study, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) established a study committee and obtained input from Federal agencies and other stakeholders of the Federal food safety system. The NAS issued its report on August 20, 1998. Congress viewed this study as part one of a possible two-part process. Had the NAS recommended that a single Federal food safety agency be required to achieve adequate performance and levels of public health protection, Congress planned to appropriate additional funds to support a second NAS study, which would focus on how such an agency should function. The NAS Committee did not explicitly recommend the establishment of a single Federal food safety agency, and funds for part two were not appropriated for fiscal year 1999. On August 25, 1998, the President issued a directive tasking the Council on Food Safety to provide him with an assessment of the NAS report in 180 days (by February 21, 1999). Specifically, the President directed:
"...the Council to review and respond to this report as one of its first orders of business. After providing opportunity for public comment, including public meetings, the Council shall report back to me within 180 days with its views on the NAS's recommendations. In developing its report, the council should take into account the comprehensive strategic Federal food safety plan that it will be developing."
Four public meetings have been held to solicit stakeholder input on the NAS report (October 2, in Arlington, VA; October 20, in Sacramento, CA; November 10, in Chicago, IL; and December 8 in Dallas, TX).
Recommendation: The Interagency Food Safety Working Group recommends that the Council establish a task force consisting of one representative from each of the following agencies: OSTP, HHS, USDA, EPA, OMB, and DOC. This 6 person task force will systematically assess the NAS report by providing a) agency/department specific analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the report's findings and recommendations, including whether the agency/department agrees or disagrees and why; b) an assessment of the cross-agency/department issues identified by the report; and c) recommendations on whether to incorporate particular elements of the NAS report into the Council's comprehensive strategic plan. If appropriate, the task force should identify barriers to implementation. Each task force representative will be responsible for coordinating input from within his or her own agency. The task force will be chaired by OSTP and will provide a draft report to the Council by February 5, 1999. Once the report is submitted to the President by February 21, 1999, the Council may seek additional public input on its assessment of the NAS report's recommendations.
