Food Manufacturing Facility Registration Sought

WASHINGTON - Feb 3/03 - SNS -- The Food and Drug Administration proposes to require all domestic and foreign food facilities that manufacture, process, pack, or hold food for human or animal consumption in the United States to register with the agency by December 12, 2003.

The proposal is one of the keystones in implementing the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002. This act provided FDA new authority in protecting the nation's food supply against terrorist acts and other threats.

"Improving the FDA's food safety inspection, detection and monitoring capabilities is and has been a top priority of the Department even before the events of 9/11. Since then we have taken strong steps to enhance the FDA's ability to make our food supply safer," said Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy G. Thompson. "This FDA effort is the latest in a series of measures we are taking to build stronger safeguards for the American people."

"This measure will bolster our ability to regulate effectively the more than 400,000 domestic and foreign facilities that deal with food within our country," said FDA Commissioner Dr. Mark B. McClellan. "Our ability to efficiently and effectively help protect the nation's food supply is a critical part in our agency's counterterrorism mission. Thanks to the efforts of Senators Gregg and Kennedy, and Representatives Tauzin and Dingell, the Bioterrorism Act gives FDA this important new authority."

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