The act, if passed, would have placed all food safety and inspection activities in a single, independent agency that, with the guidance of a 15-person expert commission, would have set uniform risk-based inspection standards by which food safety could be ensured. It also would have established a state-federal communications network to educate consumers on potential microbial diseases.

Some critics claimed that the proposed bill did not clearly define what a uniform risk-based safety system was or how the existing two separate field-inspection systems would be organized. Also, critics claimed that this bill would have cost the federal government more to create a new agency than to transfer responsibility to an existing agency.

The Katie O'Connell Safe Food Act (H.R. 3751) was introduced on January 26, 1994, by Representative Robert G. Torricelli. It was referred to the House Committees on Energy and Commerce and Agriculture. On February 1, 1994, it was referred to the Agriculture Subcommittees on Livestock, and Departmental Operations and Nutrition; and on February 24, 1994, it was referred to the Commerce Subcommittee on Health and the Environment. On August 2, 1994, Senator Bradley introduced the Katie O'Connell Safe Food Act (S. 2350); it was referred to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. No hearings were held on either bill. The bills received only a few cosponsors: three for H.R. 3751 and one for S. 2350.

The act, if it had passed, would have transferred responsibility for enforcing meat, poultry, and egg inspections from FSIS of USDA to an independent federal health agency called the Meat, Poultry and Eggs Inspection Agency. It would have created a position of director of meat, poultry, and eggs inspection and authorized 8 assistant directors. It also would have established an advisory commission made up of representatives from federal and state governments, industry, and the scientific community. This advisory commission would have recommended how the agency could improve inspection by using more technologically advanced techniques in meat, poultry, and egg product inspections.

Front Matter (R1-R14)

Executive Summary (1-16)

1. Introduction and Background (17-24)

2. The Current US Food Safety System (25-50)

3. The Changing Nature of Food Hazards: Cause for Increasing Concern (51-62)

4. What Constitutes an Effective Food Safety System? (63-78)

5. Where Current US Food Safety Activities Fall Short (79-90)

6. Conclusions and Recommendations (91-100)

References (101-104)

Appendix A Glossary and Organizational Framework for the Current Food Safety System (105-114)

Appendix B CRS Report for Congress, Food Safety: Recommendations for Changes in the Organization of Federal Food Safety Responsibilities, 1949-1997 (115-160)

Appendix C Executive Summary: Food Safety from Farm to Table: A National Food-Safety Initiative (161-168)

Appendix D Summary of Comments and Testimony from Workshop (April 29-30,1998) and Agenda (169-180)

Appendix E Federal Food Safety Budget Information (181-184)

Appendix F Acknowledgments (185-188)

Appendix G Committee Biographical Sketches (189-194)