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FDA PRESS RELEASE:  P95-3
For Immediate Release
May 8, 1995
 
 
               FDA ANNOUNCES FOOD SAFETY PILOT
 
   The Food and Drug Administration today announced that seven
major food companies have joined the agency in a pilot program to
test on a broad scale, a system of preventive controls designed
to enhance food safety.
 
   Under this approach, called Hazard Analysis and Critical
Control Points, or HACCP, companies analyze their manufacturing
processes to determine the "critical control points" where
problems are most likely to occur and where preventive measures
need to be focused. For example, controlled heating time and
temperature in the cooking process ensure that harmful bacteria
are destroyed.
 
   "Building safety into the food manufacturing process is the
idea behind HACCP," said FDA Commissioner David A. Kessler, M.D.
"it simply makes sense to design safety into the process, rather
than rely on inspections and sampling to identify unsafe products
after they have been made."
 
   The companies that volunteered to take part in the pilot
program and the products involved represent a wide range of foods
and manufacturing processes. They include:
 
   Alto Dairy, Wapun, Wisc. -- hard cheese
 
   Campbell Soup Company, Camden, N.J. -- refrigerated salad
dressing
 
   Campbell-Taggart, Inc., St. Louis, Mo. -- pan breads
 
   Con Agra, Omaha, Neb. -- flour
 
   Ocean Spray Cranberries, Lakeville-Middleboro, Mass. --
pasteurized juice
 
   Pillsbury, Minneapolis, Minn. -- bakery products
 
   Hans Kissle Foods, Wilmington, Mass. --quiche. The
Massachusetts Department of Health is participating in the pilot
in cooperation with Hans Kissle Foods.
 
   Food companies' participation in this pilot will help FDA
determine whether HACCP is practical for the food industry.
Individual firms will have the opportunity to work with FDA to
determine how best to apply HACCP to their particular plant or
segment of the industry, and to help in the development of
regulatory policies that would minimize burden while guarding
against food safety hazards.
 
   In Jan. 1994, FDA proposed a mandatory HACCP system for the
seafood industry.
 
   On Aug. 4, 1994, FDA solicited public comments on how HACCP
systems might affect various other segments of the food industry,
and also invited manufacturers to volunteer for this pilot.
Additional firms will be announced as they are chosen.
 
   FDA is one of eight Public Health Service agencies in HHS.
 
 
HHS NEWS: P95-3
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Food and Drug Administration
Judith Foulke (202) 205-4144