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President Bush is joined at the signing of the bioterrorism act by (from left) Rep. Mike Bilirakis, Sen. Bill Frist, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson, Rep. W. J. "Billy" Tauzin, Sen. Edward Kennedy, and Rep. John Dingell. White House photo by Susan Sterner |
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June 12, 2002:
Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 is signed into law. In the wake of Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, this act was designed to improve the country's ability to prevent and respond to public health emergencies. |
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The FDA is enforcing four new regulations which are aimed at safeguarding the nation's food supply based on provisions of the law. One requires that all food facilities to register with the FDA. A second requires that the agency receive prior notice of imported food shipments before food arrives in the United States. The third requires people who |
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receive and distribute food to keep records of their food sources and recipients. The fourth regulation establishes procedures for the FDA to detain any food for up to 30 days for which there is credible evidence or information that the food poses a threat of serious adverse health consequences or death to humans or animals. |
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