Today we are taking another step to improve the safety of our nation's seafood by following a simple lesson - an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Vice President, Al Gore said. It takes the best science and the best preventive controls to make our food supply the world's safest. All seafood processors will continue to be monitored under FDA surveillance and inspection programs as well as state regulators. While this program does not directly apply to fishing vessels or transporters, seafood processors must take responsibility for the safe condition of incoming fish obtained from vessels and transporters.
Consumers expect safe and wholesome seafood.
During the two year period, thousands of individuals including members of the seafood industry, FDA, state and local regulators, foreign regulatory officials, as well as representatives from academia joined in training sessions to facilitate implementation of the new rules. Similar rules for the meat and poultry industry, enforced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service, become phase-in on January 26, 1998. This effort was also prompted by several outbreaks of illnesses in recent years from pathogenic microbes including, E.Coli 0157.H7, in fresh juice products.