Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman
Tennessee State University
Remarks
          As Prepared for Delivery
                               by
                                
             Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman
                   Tennessee State University
                  Nashville   January 20, 1999
                                
     "Thank you for that introduction Dr. Hefner (James, University
President) and thank you forhaving me here today.  I also want to thank Dr.
(Troy) Wakefield, (Dean of College of Agriculture) and Gus Bankhead (V.P. for
Academic Affairs).   And Dr. Caudle, I want to thank you for that very
informative presentation and for the work you and your staff do every day to
help keep our nation's food supply safe.   I also want to recognize Louis
Buck, the Deputy Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Agriculture for
his hard work.  He's here with us today.

     "I'm also very pleased that 10 of our 1890s scholars are here with us
today.  They represent the next generation of scientists and leaders.

     "With me today from USDA are Dr. Miley Gonzalez, Under Secretary for
Research, Education and Economics and Dr. Cathy Woteki, Under Secretary for
Food Safety, two individuals at the forefront of making sure that families can
sit down at the dinner table with confidence in the safety of their food.

     "Coming to Nashville brings back some fond memories.  When I was in
Congress I had a chance to meet Tammy Wynette here. She invited me to sing a
duet with her of "Stand by Your Man."  This was a big moment for a boy from
Kansas.  I wasn't around the next day to read any reviews, but the performance
was memorable.  After we were through, she gave me some important advice that
I keep with me to this day: 'Don't quit your day job.'  President Hefner made
me promise not to sing.  

     "So it's my day job that brings me here today, and I am very delighted
to be here.  This is a great land-grant university. 

 As many of you know, a major concern of mine is the disappearance of small
farms in America.   Here at TSU you are helping do something about that by
working with USDA through the Small Farmer Outreach and Technical Assistance
Program to help small farmers stay on the land.  You're helping increase their
efficiency  -- not just at raising crops but at running a business --
providing assistance on such things as record keeping, loan applications,
negotiating prices and more.   But you know, like farming, it all comes full
circle.  Small farmers like those that TSU works with have given USDA
suggestions that resulted in our soon-to-be-announced streamlining of USDA's
loan application process.  I like getting input from the folks our programs
are intended to serve.  It helps us at USDA do a better job.  

     "You know, this morning as I got on a plane to come here, I thought to
myself: We hear so much these days about how people just want less intrusive
government.  Turn on talk radio, and you often hear people grouse about how
much better things would be if government just got out of people's way. Yet no
one would ever question government's role in ensuring our planes are safe or
our nation is secure, or the banks that hold our life savings are solvent.

     "The American people feel equally strongly about food safety. Everywhere
I go, it is the first question on people's minds. Is my food safe? Is my
family at risk at the dinner table or a restaurant? How can I be sure?  

     "People look to their government to protect them in ways that they
cannot protect themselves.  Ask people about the safety of their food, and
unanimously they say they want a strong government. This Administration
believes that where government can make a difference, government should make a
difference.  That was a resounding theme in the President's State of the Union
address last night.  

     "Like all Americans, he is proud of how far this nation has come since
1993 with the strongest economy of a generation, the lowest unemployment,
inflation and interest rates in more than two decades.  And, we also have the
highest home ownership level in our nation's history.  For the second year in
a row President Clinton will submit a balanced budget to Congress. That's
quite a remarkable turnaround for our country considering that when the
President was first elected, our nation was projecting budget deficits for as
far as the eye could see.  

     "But even with all that's been achieved, nobody knows better than this
President that our nation cannot rest on its laurels.  He said as much last
night.  There is still much to be done.  President Clinton talked about issues
of concern to the American people. Issues that government can and should do
something about   like education, health care and social security.  And, as he
has often said, knowing that their food is safe is of utmost concern to the
American people.

     "That's why in his budget for 2000, the President will ask for a $107
million increase to build on his Food Safety Initiative and enhance a strong
science-based food safety system. There will be more money for inspections,
for responding to outbreaks for getting information to the people who need it 
-- especially consumers -- and most of all for research.  In fact the
President's budget includes a 1/3 increase in funding for USDA food safety
research. 

     "One of our strongest weapons in the battle to keep our food supply safe
is research -- precisely the kind you do right here at TSU, as evidenced by
this morning's presentation on one of the more famous pathogens   salmonella. 
Your efforts are an integral part of a research network that is vital to this
Administration's efforts to push the frontiers of our knowledge in ways that
can dramatically improve people's lives. 

     "Research is a key theme in the President's vision of the future.   From
exploring the outer reaches of space to the inner workings of the human genome
to a continued assurance that the food we eat is safe, our investment in
science will make a difference in the kind of lives our children live.  

     "More and more we will rely on scientists to provide us with the tools
to ensure that the production, processing, transportation, marketing and
preparation of our food is safe.  

     "From day one, this Administration has taken the responsibility for food
safety.  The month President Clinton took office was the same month the
Pacific Northwest E. coli outbreak killed four children and sickened hundreds
more.  That tragedy unified consumers, industry and government behind a food
safety revolution that continues to this day.  

     "The first few years, revolution largely meant catching public policy up
with science -- modernizing regulations to reflect what we now know about our
elusive enemy.

     "Take meat and poultry inspections. For most of this century, USDA
inspectors stood on production lines -- as carcass after carcass whizzed by --
looking for contamination. What do we know today? The most dangerous threats
in our food are invisible to the naked eye. 

     "One year ago, in our largest meat and poultry plants we started a new
inspection system called Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point or HAACP
that takes cutting-edge science into greater account. Thanks to this giant
step forward, we now have regular tests for generic E. coli and salmonella. We
also require plants and processors to not just catch contamination, but to
take specific steps to close the safety gaps that invite it.  Very shortly I
will be announcing preliminary results from the first nine months of the
inspection program, but I can say now that the system is working dramatically
improving the safety of the food we feed our families.     

     "By Monday, the larger plants will be joined by medium and small
operations, putting over 3,000 large, medium and small plants under the new
HAACP system. This means that approximately 90% of all meat and poultry
production will be under more scientific scrutiny, with the final 10%
representing the smallest plants of fewer than 10 employees coming on line no
later than one year from now.  

     "So today, the focus is squarely on prevention which is a major cultural
change for industry and for government because our public policy now makes it
crystal clear that industry is responsible for producing safe food.  It's also
abundantly clear that science is increasingly central to our food safety
efforts.  We look to research centers like Tennessee State for the next giant
leaps in food safety. 

     "As we saw in the presentation by TSU scientists, you are asking some of
the tough questions about some of the tough pathogens.  Other questions that
researchers here and around the nation are looking at include: Why are we
seeing new, more virulent and resistant strains of pathogens? Why has
campylobacter emerged as the number one cause of food-borne illness? Can we
move quickly to detect it and prevent it? There are also on-farm questions:
Why do pathogens appear in some animals and not others? Can we stop pathogens
from showing up in the first place? 

     "New technologies are equally fascinating.   Today I am here to announce
a new breakthrough developed by USDA's Agricultural Research Service that
allows for more rapid testing of a deadly strain of Salmonella called DT 104. 
In the past, it would take six weeks to identify DT 104.  Doctors would almost
be flying blind not knowing which antibiotic to prescribe and in some cases
having to over-prescribe just to be on the safe side.  Well, the new test will
cut the turnaround time from 6 weeks to 2 hours.   

     "Not only will this test improve doctors' ability to treat food
poisoning from salmonella, it could save lives through quicker, more accurate
diagnosis.  This advance also will allow quicker testing in slaughterhouses or
poultry processing plants and it  will allow rapid testing of livestock before
it has a chance to spread through herds or enters the food supply.  By being
able to spot this villain fast and early along the food chain, this test will
help keep this dangerous microorganism away from America's families.

     "With us today are Dr. Norman Stern, Salmonella Research Leader at 
USDA's laboratories in Athens, Georgia and Dr. Lance Bolton also from our
Athens lab.  It was Dr. Bolton and his staff who developed this new test.  Dr.
Bolton your work, specifically this test, and the work of so many scientists
in food safety research, saves lives.  It may not seem as dramatic as the
heroics we see on an episode of ER, but the quiet, dedicated, determined work
that men and women perform day in and day out in laboratories here at
Tennessee State and across the country is truly the stuff of heroes.  

     "Scientists at USDA's Agricultural Research Service are fighting
pathogens from every different angle  -- prevention, detection, immunization.
Last summer I announced a new product that inhibits the growth of salmonella
in chickens.  In the early stages of life, little chicks are susceptible to
salmonella.  But when sprayed with this new chemical, the newly hatched chicks
get the same level of resistance as older birds -- all but sealing the window
of opportunity for the deadly bacteria to enter the chicks on the farm.


     "There is work underway to adapt Gulf War gear that identifies nerve gas
in the air for use in detecting pathogens on food.  Scientists are testing
various surfaces to see which ones inhibit or at least don't contribute to the
growth of harmful bacteria.  They are looking at the relation of the color of
cooked meats to the presence of pathogens or how small amounts of heat, such
as found in chafing dishes, can make E. coli more heat resistant.  

     "As you can see science is increasingly central to maintaining our high
quality food safety standards in years to come.  Last night the President was
clear in his vision of improving the quality of life for all Americans.  High
on that agenda is ensuring the safety of the food we eat.   

     "I learned today that TSU's motto is 'Think, Work, Serve.'  I believe
that  if he were here today, President Clinton would agree that your motto
speaks to the underlying message of the words he spoke last night.  That we
must think through the challenges that face us to find meaningful solutions  
that we must work hard to bring these solutions to fruition   and, most of
all, that we each must do our part and serve our nation and our communities. 
The bottom line is we are all  in this together.   We need a commitment from
each of us   to think, to work and to serve -- then we will have a major
impact on improving the lives of all Americans.  Thank you. 


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