Operations Many Players, One Goal by Jacqueline Dulen , Senior Editor Despite widely differing constituencies ranging from restaurateurs to consumer advocates, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently concluded a series of food-safety hearings with a surprising amount of consensus. The sessions were scheduled to address the retail components of President Clinton's Food Safety Initiative. Coordinating any national effort is problematic. Information and resources are not always shared from one level to the next. Not all states calculate foodborne illnesses in an identical manner and many do not agree on which infections warrant counting.
Regulations vary dramatically as well.
Frequencies of health inspections also are all over the board. A major goal of the Clinton Food Safety Initiative is to smooth out these differences and provide the nation with baseline standards. Prevention was one focus. The need to better track and respond to future outbreaks also figured prominently in the FDA hearings. Dana Skillrud, a Madison, Wis., restaurateur, says the prospect of more comprehensive federal regulations discussed at the meetings may actually improve her family business.