Washington - Commenting on program priorities for FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, John R. Cady, President and CEO of the National Food Processors Association (NFPA), said that "While NFPA supports strong US food safety programs, CFSAN has a mandate to carry out a range of food related activities, not just programs associated with food safety or the Administration's Food Safety Initiative."
"NFPA salutes the Administration's interest in food safety issues, and we stand willing to assist CFSAN in its endeavors related to the initiative, especially those activities on which we believe the highest priority should be placed: research, risk assessment, and education," Cady stated. "However, we remain concerned that other, equally important food related enterprises beyond the Initiative may not receive adequate Agency attention, or an adequate level of funding from general revenues."
Cady made his comments at a meeting held on June 24-25 in Washington, D.C. to gather input on CFSAN priorities from a variety of organizations and individuals.
Cady noted that "CFSAN and the Administration must not divert funding or attention from other important Agency activities to pay for Food Safety Initiative- related activities. CFSAN should ensure that there are adequate resources to address all Center priorities, not just those related to a single Initiative."
NFPA's recommended program priorities for CFSAN included the following:
CFSAN should take action to require that all fruit and vegetable juices be pasteurized. "NFPA has urged that FDA require all fruit and vegetable juices to be pasteurized or otherwise treated to ensure their safety," Cady pointed out. "Unless FDA mandates pasteurization or an equivalent process for all juices -- not just most juices, as the Agency has proposed -- juice safety regulations will not be successful in advancing food safety in this country, and E. coli 0157:H7 will still be a major concern for consumers of certain juices." Proper implementation of HACCP regulations for a variety of foods should be a priority. "HACCP is best used where there is evidence that rigorous oversight is needed to control a food safety hazard, and technology and processes exist to control that hazard," Cady noted. "However, the application of HACCP where these considerations do not apply will likely result in unnecessary costs for processors and higher costs for consumers without meaningful improvement in safety." CFSAN must take action to reform the food additive review process. "It is no secret that FDA regularly fails to act within its statutory review periods for various applications and petitions," Cady said. "Despite the fact that FDA is required to approve or deny food additive petitions within six months, the average petition lingers close to four years before FDA acts on it. Timely action on food additive petitions improves public health, and we urge FDA to reform its review process so that the Agency can comply with its statutory obligations." CFSAN should place a high priority on efforts to improve international food safety standards, through cooperation in Codex Alimentarius. "Since 1962, the Codex process has developed many guidance documents on food safety and wholesomeness," Cady stated. "We urge that CFSAN continue its active participation on the Codex process and other activities to strengthen international food safety." National uniformity and harmonization among federal and state agencies should be a priority for CFSAN. "The efficiency of the food industry is greatly impeded when it must deal with different regulations established by federal and state agencies. This also contributes to inefficient regulation and inspection. Inspectors -- be they state or FDA -- should be able to evaluate a plant's performance with respect to a single set of food safety standards."
Additional program priorities for CFSAN recommended by NFPA included continued maintenance and administration of the food standards program, as well as ensuring consumer confidence in the food supply through prevention of economic fraud.
"NFPA applauds this effort to set priorities in order for the Center to meet its obligations," Cady concluded. "We urge the Administration and the Health and Human Services Department to make CFSAN funding a priority, and to act more aggressively in obtaining the annual funding necessary for CFSAN's mission to be properly accomplished. This funding support by the Administration cannot be overemphasized."
NFPA is the voice of the $430 billion food processing industry on scientific and public policy issues involving food safety, nutrition, technical and regulatory matters and consumer affairs.
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