Date: Tuesday, August 24, 1998 WHITE HOUSE FACT SHEET

PRESIDENT CLINTON SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER
CREATING COUNCIL ON FOOD SAFETY

President Clinton today will sign an Executive Order to create a President's Council on Food Safety, which will develop a comprehensive strategic plan for federal food safety activities and ensure that federal agencies annually develop coordinated food safety budgets. The President also will sign a directive to the Council to review the recently issued National Academy of Sciences (NAS) report, "Ensuring Safe Food from Production to Consumption," and to report back with its response to the report, including appropriate additional actions to improve food safety.

President's Council on Food Safety. The President will sign an Executive Order establishing a President's Council on Food Safety (Council). The Council will have three primary functions, including: (1) developing a comprehensive strategic federal food safety plan; (2) advising agencies of priority areas for investment in food safety and ensuring that federal agencies annually develop coordinated food safety budgets; and (3) overseeing the recently established Joint Institute for Food Safety Research and ensuring that it addresses the highest priority research needs.

• Comprehensive strategic federal food safety plan. The Council will develop a comprehensive plan to improve the safety of the nation's food supply by establishing a seamless, science-based food safety system. The plan will address the steps necessary to achieve this improved system, focusing on key public health, resource, and management issues and including measurable outcome goals. The planning process will consider both short and long-term issues including new and emerging threats and the special needs of vulnerable populations such as children and the elderly. In developing this plan, the Council will consult with all interested parties, including state and local agencies, tribes, consumers, producers, industry, and academia.
  
  
• Coordinated federal food safety budgets. Consistent with the comprehensive strategic federal food safety plan, the Council will advise agencies of priority areas for investment in food safety and ensure that federal agencies annually develop coordinated food safety budgets. This coordinated food safety budget process will sustain and strengthen existing activities, eliminate duplication, and ensure the most effective use of resources for improving food safety.
• Oversight of federal food safety research efforts. The Council will ensure that the Joint Institute for Food Safety Research addresses the highest priority food safety research gaps. The Institute will report, on a regular basis, to the Council on its efforts to conduct and coordinate food safety research activities and will receive direction from the Council on research needed to establish the most effective possible food safety system.

Review of NAS Report. The President will direct the Council, as one of its first orders of business, to review the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) report, "Ensuring Safe Food from Production to Consumption." After providing opportunity for public comment, including public meetings, the Council will report back to the President within 180 days with its response to the NAS report. The Council's report will consider appropriate additional actions to improve food safety, including proposals for legislative reform of the food safety system.

Public Meeting to Develop Comprehensive Strategic Plan for Federal Food Safety Activities. The Clinton Administration will publish notice of the first public meeting, to be held on October 2 in Arlington, Virginia, to begin development of the Council's comprehensive strategic plan for federal food safety activities. The meeting will engage consumers, producers, industry, food service providers, retailers, health professionals, State and local governments, Tribes, academia, and the public in the strategic planning process.

Clinton Administration Accomplishments In Improving Food Safety The President's announcement builds on a strong record of food safety initiatives, ensuring that Americans eat the safest possible food. The Administration has put into place improved safety standards for meat, poultry, and seafood products, and has begun the process of developing enhanced standards for fruit and vegetable juices. The Administration also has expanded research, education, and surveillance activities throughout the food safety system.

• July 1998. President creates a Joint Institute of Food Safety Research which will develop a strategic plan for conducting and coordinating all federal food safety research activities, including with the private sector and academia.
  
  
• February 1998. Administration announces its proposed food safety budget, which requests an approximate $101 million increase for food safety initiatives.

May 1997. Administration announces comprehensive new initiative to improve the safety of nation=s food supply - "Food Safety from Farm to Table" -- detailing a $43 million food safety program, including measures to improve surveillance, outbreak response, education, and research. January 1997. President announces new Early-Warning System to gather critical scientific data to help stop foodborne disease outbreaks quickly and to improve prevention systems.

• August 1996. President signs Safe Drinking Water Act of 1996. The law requires drinking water systems to protect against dangerous contaminants like Cryptosporidium, and gives people the right to know about contaminants in their tap water.
  
  
• August 1996. President signs Food Quality Protection Act of 1996, which streamlines regulation of pesticides by FDA and EPA and puts important new public-health protections in place, especially for children.
  
  
• July 1996. President announces new regulations that modernize the nation's meat and poultry inspection system for the first time in 90 years. New standards help prevent E.coli bacteria contamination in meat.
  
  
• December 1995. Administration issues new rules to ensure seafood safety, utilizing HACCP regulatory programs to require food industries to design and implement preventive measures and increase the industries' responsibility for and control of their safety assurance actions.
  
  
• 1994. CDC embarks on strategic program to detect, prevent, and control emerging infectious disease threats, some of which are foodborne, making significant progress toward this goal in each successive year.
  
  
• 1993. Vice-President's National Performance Review issues report recommending government and industry move toward a system of preventive controls.