About the President's Food Safety Working Group (FSWG)

In his weekly address on March 14, 2009, President Barack Obama announced the creation of a new Food Safety Working Group to advise him on how to upgrade the U.S. food safety system. The Working Group, chaired by the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Agriculture, is recommending a new, public health-focused approach to food safety based on three core principles:

1. prioritizing prevention;
2. strengthening surveillance and enforcement; and
3. improving response and recovery.

President Obama's Address: Reversing a Troubling Trend in Food Safety

• Full Text
• Full Audio
• Video (below)

These are some of the steps the Working Group is taking to make the food supply safer. For details, read the full text of the Fact Sheet (PDF).

• Preventing Salmonella Contamination
• Reducing the Threat of E. coli O157:H7
• Building a National Traceback and Response System
• Improving Organization of Federal Food Safety Responsibilities