| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE P00-23 December 22, 2000 |
FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION Press Office: 301-827-6242 Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA |
This survey, initiated last year by the National Partnership for Reinventing Government, was developed to measure how well key government agencies serve the American public and set a baseline for measuring customer satisfaction with the Federal government.
The survey was conducted by the University of Michigan using a model established for the American Customer Satisfaction Index, which measures satisfaction with various industries. The FDA received an index score of 68 in the customer survey, which is two points higher than last year's score, but is not a statistically significant change.
Customers were randomly selected and asked about their expectation and the quality of the services or products they received from the various agencies. Principal grocery shoppers and food preparers were interviewed for the FDA survey. Survey questions asked about the mission of the FDA to ensure food safety; the usefulness and clarity of nutrition labeling, customer awareness, and the views on effectiveness of inspecting, testing and labeling efforts.
In addition, similar questions were asked about meat and poultry products regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). In addition to the positive responses about nutrition labeling and food safety, those surveyed were concerned about the timeliness of consumer alerts and had less awareness of the FDA's mission in food safety. The survey results, as in the 1999 report, call for efforts to increase in public awareness on how FDA food safety activities affect the consumer.
"The nutrition label has made it easier for Americans to make informed food choices," said Jane E. Henney, M.D., Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration. "Food safety has been a top priority for the FDA as a part of the Food Safety Initiative and the public depends on the FDA to continue to build on its successes in protecting the public health, especially with egg, seafood, and produce safety."
The FDA has undertaken a number of activities in the area of labeling and food safety this year. A new web site on using the nutrition facts panel of the food label was initiated this fall and can be accessed at http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/foodlab.html In the arena of food safety, the agency has issued regulations on egg safety labeling and refrigeration; has approved the use of irradiation to reduce pathogen on sprout seeds, shell eggs and juice, and has completed an evaluation of the Seafood HACCP program. The agency is preparing draft risk assessments for the pathogens Listeria monocytogenes and Vibrio parahaemolyticus and is issuing regulations for food produced with biotechnology and dietary supplement good manufacturing practices. As well as posting FDA recall information on its web site, the FDA now includes press releases of voluntary recalls issued by manufacturers, so consumers will have this information in a timely manner.
The agency continues to support a wide range of outreach activities including its website (www.fda.gov), the FDA information line (1-888-INFO-FDA), and the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition information line (1-888-SAFEFOOD). The FDA also continues to support the "Fight BAC" campaign a collaborative program involving government, industry, academia, and consumer groups which focuses on consumer education about safe food handling. One example of this outreach is the FDA-National Science Teachers Association Food Science Professional Development Program designed to assist middle and high school teachers in working food science into their science curriculums.
More information on the results of the survey are available at http://www.fda.gov/oc/customerservice/satisfaction/default.htm.
Office of Public Affairs
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