WASHINGTON - The Clinton administration, acting one week after a record U.S. meat recall, asked Congress for the power to order a recall of tainted meat and to fine companies that break the law.
Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman said the proposed legislation also would expand the department's ability to deny meat inspection to plants with willful or repeated violations.
"These enforcement tools are critical," Glickman said at a news conference. The department has made similar requests in the past.
Michael Friedman, acting commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, said a companion bill would be filed to give FDA recall and civil penalty powers for the rest of the U.S. food supply.
At present, recalls are voluntary and usually are negotiated by the Agriculture Department with foodmakers. Glickman said he needed a varied arsenal of tools to work with firms other than the sole "atomic bomb authority" of threatening to pull meat inspectors out of a plant. Meat cannot be sold across state lines unless federally inspected.
The meat-safety bill will be given to Congress when it returns next week from summer recess. Several lawmakers were interested in sponsoring it. Nonetheless, department officials declined to speculate on odds of passage this year.
In Edgartown, Mass., where President Clinton is on vacation, spokesman Joe Lockhart said that the administration had twice sought the extra powers and that this would be a "top priority" when Congress returns next week.
"We're going to have this legislation ready to be introduced and ask them to move quickly. I think the events of the last couple of weeks are a case study for why the secretary should have this power," Lockhart said.
But food-industry groups oppose the meat bill. The Grocery Manufacturers of America said the government was "promoting food fear" when it should do a better job of enforcing the rules and encouraging safe food handling.
The National Food Processors Association said the Agriculture Department should focus on how to prevent food contamination rather than grab for more power.
Federal officials would become "judge, jury and executioner" if given the power sought by Glickman, said the National Broiler Council. The trade group said no firm had ever refused to make a recall.
Consumer groups, however, voiced support for the bill.
"Now, it's time to give the department long-overdue tools to protect consumers from tainted meat and poultry," said Nancy Donly of the consumer group Safe Tables Our Priority.
"Mandatory recall is essential to an effective food safety system," said the Safe Food Coalition, another consumer group. "Human lives shouldn't depend on a secretary's charm or force of personality."
The bill unveiled by Glickman would allow fines of up to $100,000 a day for each safety violation, as well as allowing the Agriculture Department to order a recall. It also would make it easier for the department to refuse to inspect meat if there have been willful or repeated violations at a plant.
One week ago, the department asked Hudson Foods Inc to order a record recall of 25 million pounds of hamburger suspected of being contaminated with the deadly E. coli bacteria. Colorado health officials have blamed 17 illnesses on frozen hamburger patties produced at Hudson's Columbus, Nebraska plant. Hudson suspended work at the plant and is selling it.
Thomas Billy, head of the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service, said investigators were still trying to pinpoint the source of the bad Hudson meat from among seven suppliers. He said two of the illnesses apparently involved patties produced in May, rather than the early June output that sparked the recall of all patties from the plant.
"It's now possible there was earlier contaminated product," Billy said.
Glickman said the recall had "minimal impact" on U.S. meat consumption and did not deter any meat exports.
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