The safety of food comprises the Branch’s primary mission, in that nationwide figures show that foodborne illness kills approximately 10,000 people annually and is responsible of over 80,000 hospitalizations. The increasing complexity of large-scale, technology-driven food manufacturing, coupled with the hazards of transportation, storage and display of foods, pose a number of potential risks to consumers.

• Notice to Customers Regarding Handling Raw Meat and Seafood

• Objectives:

• Prevent public exposure to adulterated and misbranded food by identifying and correcting food-related problems and potential problems before consumers are placed at risk.
• Protect the food supply against acts of terrorism.
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  Strategies:

• Routinely inspect food manufacturers, distributors, transporters and retailers at a frequency determined by the relative risk their activities pose to consumers.
• Sample and monitor food for compliance with safety and quality standards such as pesticide tolerances, microbial standards, leachable lead in ceramic ware and others.
• Take effective enforcement action when required.
• Provide consultative and educational services to the food industry, community groups and other regulatory agencies.
• Respond to all food complaints:
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  i. Serious complaints involving illness or injury shall be investigated within 2 working days.
  ii. Non-serious complaints, e.g., one involving an economic or marketing issue, shall be investigated within 2 weeks.
• Take immediate action within 24 hours whenever a product is determined to pose an imminent threat of serious or irreversible injury, serious illness, or even death. Action may include embargo and condemnation of adulterated or misbranded products, recall of those products with public notification, and order for immediate closure of the responsible firm(s).
• Annually collect and analyze at least 600 food samples per year for pesticides residues, lead (in ceramic-ware), pH, water activity, and the presence of undeclared allergens.
• Respond immediately to suspected acts of terrorism and natural disasters; assess and coordinate response with related agencies, coordinate the distribution of medical supplies, initiate public notification, and implement product recall and destruction.

• Performance Measures:

• Inspection of all food establishments within frequencies set by branch priorities (priority 1 consisting of firms whose products or practices pose a significant risk, priority 4 consisting of firms posing low risk.):
  
  
  • Priority 1 – Once per 3 - 6 months
  • Priority 2 – Once per 6 months
  • Priority 3 – Once per year
  • Priority 4 – Inspect only after firms with 1 -3 priority ratings have been inspected at the appropriate frequencies
  
  
• Insure that all ‘critical violations’ are corrected within two weeks.
• Annually collect and analyze at least 250 samples of raw agricultural commodities and processed foods per year.
• Reduce the overall annual rate of violations per inspection.
  If you have any questions, please contact:
  
  Food and Drug Branch
  591 Ala Moana Blvd.
  Honolulu, HI 96813
  Phone: (808) 586-4725
  Fax: (808) 586-4729
  
  

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  Last update: 7 June 2004
  
  
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