... A Compilation of Progress Reports III
Page 2
Summer 2002
View state progress report
by selecting from the following list:
OLYMPIA - The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) Food Safety Advisory
Committee (FSAC) was originally formed in February 1997 to create a forum between
regulators, industry, academia and consumer advocates to discuss emerging food safety
issues and to help the Food Safety Program develop effective policies and
regulations. The FSAC convenes regular meetings twice a year and subcommittee
meetings are scheduled whenever necessary to address specific topics.
The WSDA FSAC met on October 30, 2001 in Fife, Washington and again on March 23, 2002
in Olympia, Washington. The FSAC members were introduced to WSDA's new Assistant Director
of the Food Safety, Animal Health and Consumer Services Division, Kathryn Kravit-Smith who
welcomed members and participants to the meeting. FSAC member Rod Smart recommended
that industry and government enter into a campaign to promote food safety through paid
public service announcements (PSA). A sub-committee of FSAC members had met with
radio broadcasting representatives on two earlier occasions to discuss PSAs. The committee
emphasized that the upcoming holiday season as well as other holidays was the time to
promote food safety through this education campaign. It was recommended that
committee members return to their businesses and discuss the possibility of funding PSA
with credit going to that company as a member of the WSDA FSAC.
Food Safety Program Manager Claudia Coles explained how workloads had increased
significantly this year because of the increase in FDA contract inspections. Six
hundred contract inspections have been awarded to WSDA as opposed to approximately 250 in
previous years. Claudia Coles updated FSAC members on efforts that are being made in
food allergen labeling compliance, ongoing analysis of foods sampled at retail outlets
that are held at room temperature to determine if they are shelf stable, and a recently
developed acidified/LACF workgroup to evaluate the program's policy on these foods and
make recommendations. Other topics discussed by Claudia Coles included Juice HACCP
regulations, Seafood HACCP, and the National Conference of Interstate Milk Shippers Dairy
HACCP Pilot Program. FSAC members were also informed about WSDA's Food Safety,
Pesticide Management, Laboratory Services programs, which are working together on a
process improvement to address field crops contaminated from pesticide spray drift.
Due to the terrorist activities in September and the anthrax scare in October, the
logical concern is potential terrorist activities in the food industry. Kathryn
Kravit-Smith submitted a letter to the Governor addressing the division's response to
terrorist threats. In addition, Dan Jemelka developed a checklist of items the food
industry should address to eliminate vulnerable areas in food processing. An
informational letter was sent to all food safety program stakeholder groups, including all
licensed food processing establishments. The letter provided information on anthrax
and other biological organisms used in bioterrorism, the biosecurity checklist, and a list
of websites containing additional biosecurity information.
 Back to Directory Table
Missouri
By Dr. Lyn Konstant
JEFFERSON CITY - The Missouri Food Safety Task Force (MFSTF) meets quarterly with an
established agenda. Meetings are scheduled a year in advance to ensure members can
attend.
Membership on the task force includes representatives from academia, regulated
industry, consumer advocates, consumers, local public health agencies, State Legislature,
state governmental agencies and federal partners.
The purpose of the Missouri Food Safety Task Force (MFSTF) is to bring together these
groups to discuss common, crosscutting food safety issues of concern in Missouri and to
identify strategies for jointly addressing these concerns. The task force members agreed
that:
“Production, Delivery and Preparation of Safe Food in Missouri”
is the vision for food safety in Missouri. They also adopted the following
mission statement:
To work together to promote food safety through:
- Educating producers, processors, retailers, food handlers and the diverse public;
- Facilitating communication and public discourse (awareness of responsibilities);
- Preventing and reducing foodborne illness;
- Supporting practical, focused research and evaluation;
- Supporting economically viable and environmentally responsible policies and practices;
and
- Efficiently using pooled resources.
The task force used a group consensus process to develop four priorities:
- Increasing collaboration and interaction between agencies and organizations;
- Getting the right message to the right audience at the right time and in a form that is
usable;
- Addressing high turnover in retail industry and processing; and
- Funding for research and training, and developing priorities.
The MFSTF is developing a tool kit specific to those hosting temporary food events,
such as those often held by social, non-profit, and religious groups. One item to be
included in the tool kit is the USDA FSIS brochure “Cooking for Groups—A
Volunteer’s Guide to Food Safety.” The tool kits will also include
information on how to meet or exceed local and state requirements of the Food Code for
such food events. Kit items will be sent to fair/function organizers and boards, and
local health agencies for them to assemble and distribute locally.
For the past two years, kits have been directed toward individual consumers, efforts
that are on-going. We have distributed tool kits at all types of public events
including county/regional fairs, state fair, health fairs, producer association meetings,
etc. Tool kits previously provided include general food safety information in a
variety of formats that families/consumers can use at home as well as attention-getting
strategies that can be used in a public education setting. Tool kits have been
customized for the particular audience being addressed.
The task force also provides tool kit materials to its members for their distribution
to consumers. At a recent statewide meat processors conference, encouragement on the
proper use of meat thermometers was prompted by providing a camera-ready, reproducible
brochure to accompany the raw meats sold to their customers. Information on
irradiated foods was provided to local health agency staff responsible for the statewide
food service inspection program. Medical professionals are encouraged to test for,
and report, food- and water-borne illnesses. In the past year, several thousand
people have been reached through the efforts of the task force. Since the tool kits
are tailored to the audience, the information proves to be extremely popular.
Additionally, MSFTF members expressed concern that small food processors are not aware
of all the health and safety requirements for making a particular food product, have no
means to test their recipe(s) for pathogens, or do not understand the requirements for the
facility in which the food product will be manufactured. A team has begun developing
a checklist and questions/answers for small food processors to use as they begin setting
up their operations. The task force has linked with the Department of Economic
Development, Missouri Business Assistance Center, to be a single point of contact for
distributing this information to individuals starting a new business. Local public
health and extension units, MFSTF member producer organizations and state department
websites will also provide this information to those not served by the Department of
Economic Development. Important linkages occurred during this project, and there is
still more work that needs to be done to make strengthen the system and ensure that new
food processors get the assistance they need.
The implications of the newly adopted 1999 Missouri Food Code have been
discussed. The task force determined that since Missouri has adopted the 1999 Food
Code and promulgated a rule, its role will be to monitor issues related to implementation
for the time being. This continues to remain a topic for task force discussion.
The MFSTF is actively involved in addressing food safety issues. The MFSTF will
continue to address the remaining priority issues, develop and refine them based upon task
force concerns and emerging issues and work toward raising awareness of and reducing
incidence of foodborne illness in Missouri.
Back to Directory Table
South Carolina
By Dr. Thomas W. (Bill) Brooks
COLUMBIA – The South Carolina Food Safety Task Force, or what we call the SC
Interagency Food Safety Council again held four quarterly meetings during FY 2002 in the
months of July, October, December and March. Participation by key partnering
government agencies, both State and Federal, continued and was joined by professionals
from Extension, academia and private industry. Response to the food safety promotion
efforts of the group continues to build and is reflected in the growing attendance as more
people are made aware of the Council and it’s food safety agenda. A recent
meeting had thirty nine attendees. This intensity in interest with food safety
issues is fueled partly by concerns about biosecurity measures needed to address terrorist
threats to food supplies. The March 2002 meeting was held in conjunction with three
training workshops on food irradiation held in Greenville, Florence and St. George to
educate extension and public health people in the emerging use of irradiation as a tool
for improving microbiological safety of meat products.
The food safety task force concept is well accepted in South Carolina. Response
by regulatory, academic and private industry participants is strongly positive and the
effort has benefited from contributions by all partners. Counter-terrorism efforts
within the State are facilitated and food safety regulatory and educational programs are
enhanced by the network created in establishing the Council and having face-to-face
meetings on a regularly scheduled basis. It is anticipated that this approach to
promoting food safety will continue to be a visible and constructive part of our
State’s public health infrastructure. It is certainly one of the more tangible
benefits of the Food Safety Initiative.
Back to Directory Table
New Hampshire
By Joyce Welch & Catherine Violette
New Hampshire Safe Food Alliance
April 25-27, 2001
CONCORD - The NH Safe Food Alliance was formed in 1997 to address food safety issues in
New Hampshire. In recent years, the NH Safe Food Alliance has focused its efforts on
food service manager certification and developing a statewide food safety education
network. The NH Safe Food Alliance has been awarded an additional 3 years of funding by
the US Food and Drug Administration.
This year, subsequent to September 11 and because of concerns around food safety and
security, the NH Safe Food Alliance sponsored its second annual food safety leadership
conference. The conference was entitled Being Prepared: Food Safety and Security in
New Hampshire. The purpose of the conference was to provide the food service
industry, regulators, legislators and anyone concerned about food safety with timely
information and tools necessary to assist with prevention of acts of bioterrorism. The
conference was sponsored by the NH Safe Food Alliance, the NH Department of Health and
Human Services Bureau of Food Protection, the NH Grocers Association, and the US Food and
Drug Administration.
The conference was held on Thursday, May 9, 2002 at the Courtyard By Marriott in
Concord, NH. Ninety participants attended the conference, far exceeding the planning
committee’s attendance expectations. Joseph Baca, Director of the Office of
Field Programs with the FDA Center for Food Safety and Nutrition spoke about FDA
Biosecurity Initiatives. Don Bliss, Acting Director of the NH Office of Emergency
Management and Chairman of the Governor’s Commission on Preparedness and Security, on
behalf of Governor Jeanne Shaheen, welcomed the audience and gave a presentation entitled:
Terrorism Preparedness: NH Answers the Challenge. In the afternoon, a “town
meeting panel” made up of representatives from different agencies addressing food
biosecurity was held. Participants on the panel were:
Joe Baca, US FDA
Don Bliss, Acting Director of the NH Office of Emergency Management
Dr. Cliff McGinnis, NH State Veterinarian
Al Lamson, US Department of Agriculture
Robert Brown, Food Marketing Institute
Russell Chisholm, Federal Bureau of Investigation
Jim Hewitt, NH Department of Environmental Services
Brian Johnson, National Restaurant Association
Jose Montero, MD, NH Bureau of Communicable Disease Control
Joyce Welch, NH Bureau of Food Protection
Information was presented on the federal and state governments’ initiatives on
counteracting terrorism and maintenance of a safe food supply. The representatives from
the FDA, USDA and FBI explained the complexity of identifying potential terrorism
activities. Numerous questions from the audience addressed a wide scope of concerns. Of
particular concern was the minimal food supply that is regularly maintained within the
state and state evacuation concerns. Having a 3 to 7 day supply of food for
“sheltering-in-place” was also mentioned. Other concerns included mad cow
disease, allergens and the potential for contaminated water supplies. Also discussed were
the efforts to coordinate federal, state and local authority’s response systems to
any type of threat. Conference participants were especially pleased with the time
allocated for networking between sessions and during lunch. This time provided an
opportunity to discuss individual concerns and provide input on specific issues.
Forty-five conference participants completed post-workshop evaluation forms. In
general, participants found the information provided by speakers to be useful and
helpful. Comments included: “well organized and informative workshop,”
“excellent program with very useful content,” and “good effort made by all
participants and great networking opportunities with peers.” Participants
suggested topics for future meetings including: regulations and inspections regarding
fairs and camps, public awareness and education on food safety issues, and affordable
certification options.
Each year, the NH Safe Food Alliance engages in a planning process to assess and
prioritize food safety needs in the state. During the 2001 planning meeting, the
food safety issues arising from temporary food events, such as, fairs, festivals, and
local fund-raising events, was raised and discussed. NH Safe Food Alliance members
agreed that public policy changes and the food safety education needed to address this
issue would be the next major focus of the group's efforts. The issue of food safety
during temporary food events was discussed during a session conducted by the NH Safe Food
Alliance members at the May 9, 2002 conference. Based on the comments on the
conference evaluation form, many participants agreed it was an important issue.
During 2002, the NH Safe Food Alliance members plan to contact the NH Association of
Fairs and Expositions to evaluate food safety needs. Educational and resource
materials on hand washing and food safety for temporary events will be compiled and
distributed. Lastly, Alliance members will conduct informal training sessions for
vendors and volunteer food workers as needed.
The NH Safe Food Alliance is a voluntary, collaborative organization of individuals
representing most segments of the food system, from farming, manufacturing, industry,
government, and academia to interested citizens. It’s Mission is to ensure the
safest food possible to protect the health of all consumers. The NH Safe Food Alliance
meets regularly throughout the year to address food safety concerns. Any one wanting
additional information about the NH Safe Food Alliance is urged to contact Catherine
Violette at (603) 862-2496 or Joyce Welch at (603) 271-4589.
Back to Directory Table
|
