Meat + Poultry - April 2005 - 53

Washington
Prescribing a new role
for F.S.I.S.
By Bernard Shire
meat&poultry@sosland.com

Recently, David Goldman, a physician,
was picked to lead the Office of Public
Health and Science in the U.S. Dept. of
Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service. The appointment came as
a surprise to many people both inside
and outside F.S.I.S. It also fueled what
has been a continuing debate about
what role F.S.I.S. should play to ensure
the safety of America's food supply.
Food safety in the United States is
monitored by a handful of organizations. Meat, poultry and egg products
are monitored by F.S.I.S., which enforces the Federal Meat Inspection Act and
the Poultry Products Inspection Act, as
well as regulations and directives.
Veterinarians, such as Dr. Barbara
Masters, F.S.I.S. acting administrator, have traditionally led the agency,
and most agency field supervisors are
also veterinarians. But during the short
tenure of the previous administrator,
Garry McKee, Ph.D., there was an
influx of uniformed doctors and other
professionals from the U.S. Public
Health Service.
McKee and others in the agency
began describing F.S.I.S. as a "public
health agency." This surprised both industry observers and longtime F.S.I.S.
hands.
"Indirectly, F.S.I.S. plays a public
health role by trying to ensure the food
is safe for consumption. But F.S.I.S. is
not a public health agency, rather it is
a meat and poultry inspection agency
that accomplishes its goals by enforcing regulations," says Ron Fouche,
general manager of the Palmyra
Bologna Co. in Palmyra, Pa. "Under
the inspection acts, U.S.D.A. has the
authority to regulate the industry and
its operations."
Ken Mastracchio, associate director
of regulatory affairs at the National
Meat Association, Oakland, Calif., also
believes the agency exists to inspect
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and regulate the industry, making sure He cited the use of these assessments
meat products are safe, wholesome and in the creation of the regulation to fight
properly labeled.
Listeria in ready-to-eat products.
Dr. Goldman is described by the
According to Ann Rasor, director
agency as a "family practice and of scientific and regulatory affairs at
preventive medicine/public health the North American Meat Processors
physician, with a master's of public Association, Reston, Va., Goldman's
health degree in epidemiology." When background could be deemed positive,
Goldman joined F.S.I.S. in 2002, he from the standpoint of the agency's
was first named director of the Human interest in epidemiology, as well as
Health Sciences Division. It appeared its connection with the Centers for
to signal the beginning of an F.S.I.S. Disease Control in Atlanta. But she
foray into the public health arena.
also cautioned that to be effective,
Many
representatives
Goldman and others at
of meat trade assoO.P.H.S. must have an inciations have questioned F.S.I.S. is not a
depth knowledge of food
Goldman's experience in public health
and how it is processed,
meat plants, as well as
rather than only expertise
his familiarity with the agency, rather
in human health.
processes that take place it is a meat
Steve Pretanik, director
in the plants. Other quesof regulatory affairs for the
and poultry
tions come to mind, such
National Chicken Council,
as: What kind of training inspection
Washington, D.C., says,
has Dr. Goldman received agency.
"Regulations and direcabout meat processing and
tives should be based
interventions to ensure food is safe? The on science. But agency policy often
statement issued by F.S.I.S. with regard becomes political. Science is more imto this query was: "Goldman has a thor- portant, so the regulations will really
ough knowledge of F.S.I.S. inspection make a difference in food safety."
programs and plant processes that can
"Public health" and "food safety"
contribute to or mitigate risk to public seem to go hand in hand, at least in
health." Does Goldman believe the in- the public's eye. Even Congress, which
spection laws set up F.S.I.S. as a public campaigns against more government
health agency? He says, "F.S.I.S. is a regulation, makes an exception when it
public health regulatory agency with comes to food safety. But the meat inbroad powers to improve public health spection laws passed by Congress indithrough effective regulation of meat, cate the prime responsibility of F.S.I.S.
poultry and egg products."
is to conduct "carcass-by-carcass"
What is the role of the Office of Pub- inspection. It'll be interesting to see
lic Health and Science supposed to be? just how far Dr. Goldman will be able
Goldman replies, "O.P.H.S. interacts to take his crusade to change F.S.I.S.
with all offices within F.S.I.S., provid- from a meat and poultry inspection
ing scientific expertise, advice and agency into a public health agency.
data." At times, however, the agency has
been criticized for taking action based
on public fears, not sound science.
The author is a food safety consultant
But not all the reaction to changes for Shire & Associates in Lancaster,
at O.P.H.S. has been negative. Be- Pa., and previously was director of
sides overseeing F.S.I.S. laboratories, regulatory affairs for the American
O.P.H.S. does risk-analysis assess- Association of Meat Processors.
ments. Randy Huffman, science chief
for the American Meat Institute FounWe would like to hear from you- your comments and
dation, says using risk assessment to questions about this article are welcome. E-mail the
evaluate pathogens is a positive step. author at: meat&poultry@sosland.com

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Meat + Poultry - April 2005

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