The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“S.T.O.P.” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Agriculture was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E317 on Feb. 10, 1995.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
S.T.O.P.
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HON. RANDY ``DUKE'' CUNNINGHAM
of california
in the house of representatives
Friday, February 10, 1995
Mr. CUNNINGHAM. Mr. Speaker, on February 2, 1995, I was pleased to be included in a critically important briefing. I was proud to help cosponsor a Safe Tables Our Priority [S.T.O.P.]--Safe Food Coalition briefing on foodborne illness.
Last Thursday's briefing marked the second anniversary of the 1993 west coast E. coli outbreak. Fortunately, a forum was created to allow the individuals and families who have suffered from the E. coli illnesses to visit Washington, DC, to examine the ongoing epidemic and discuss plans for preventing future outbreaks of foodborne illness.
The tragic events of 2 years ago are still fresh in my mind. While the incident still upsets me, I can only imagine the constant pain endured by the families who lost a child or who experienced the serious illness due to the contamination of ground beef with E. coli 0157:H7 bacteria. That is why I will always be grateful for the organizations, such as S.T.O.P., that seek to change the system in order to right a wrong. When it comes to a life and death situation, every endeavor to correct the system is welcome.
Until the tragedies were highlighted a few years ago, I do not believe that people were aware of the inherent dangers associated with the consumption of raw meat products. It is unfortunate that a number of deaths occurred before significant changes were made to the current food handling processes. Therefore, we must ensure systematic, science-
based prevention of harmful contamination into the operation of every meat and poultry plant. Industries must be held accountable for meeting its food safety obligations. I believe that positive steps can be taken by animal producers to processors to retailers to consumers in order to reduce the risk of illness.
The only benefit of this issue is that significant policy changes are being made and will continue to be made as additional information and technology become available. Serious attempts have been made of late to preserve the quality of meat consumption in both our homes and restaurants. I am encouraged that the Department of Agriculture has established the principle that any contamination of raw ground beef with E. coli 0157:H7 is unacceptable. The Department has strictly enforced zero tolerance for visible signs of contamination of beef and poultry carcasses. It is now mandatory to apply safe handling and cooking labels on every package of raw meat and poultry. Antimicrobial rinses and hot water treatments will also be allowed without prior approval of the Food Safety and Inspection Services. After carcasses have passed inspection and prior to their reaching the coolers, last minute rinses and water treatments will further reduce the chance of reducing levels of E. coli 0157:H7.
I urge my colleagues to support organizations such as S.T.O.P., dedicated to the prevention of foodborne illness. We cannot rest until everything is being done to protect the safety of our food, and ultimately provide for the well-being of our loved ones.
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