Welcoming Remarks for Under Secretary for Food Safety Dr. Richard Raymond, for the Roll-Out of the Small and Very Small Plant Outreach Plan, May 31, 2006, in College Station, TX

Introduction

Good morning. I want to thank everyone for coming out and participating. I want to especially thank Dr. Kerri Harris of the international HACCP Alliance for hosting the December meeting where many of these ideas we will present today were suggested. Also, I want to thank the FSIS employee work group, led by Dr. Karlease Kelly and Bobby Palesano, who took these ideas and figured out how the Agency could effectively implement them. Finally, I want to acknowledge the training staff assembled here today; they will be leading this change among the FSIS employees.

Today, we're beginning the national roll-out of a plan designed to ensure that all federally inspected establishments have the training and resources necessary to produce the safest food possible in the 21st century, no matter the size of the plant or type of product they produce.

This is the start of an exciting new era for FSIS. I'm glad to see that so many people understand its importance and have come today, in person, on the phone, and through video conference to offer their support. It is welcome and deeply appreciated.

Enhancing Outreach to Small and Very Small Plants

Everyone here realizes that small and very small plants have unique needs when it comes to HACCP compliance and making improvements to their food safety systems.

That's why FSIS has outlined seven strategies in its Strategic Implementation Plan for Strengthening Small and Very Small Plant Outreach (PDF Only) that will guide FSIS' actions as it addresses the unique needs of small and very small plants.

These seven strategies represent a dramatic shift in the Agency's mindset about how FSIS should strengthen outreach to small and very small plants; a shift that I see taking root throughout FSIS, from upper management to our inspectors in the field.

A lot of police cars have written on them a saying that lets the public know they "are here to protect and serve." I believe that this important plan just as clearly informs the industry and all of our other food safety partners that FSIS is "here to regulate, but also educate."

Central to this change in mindset is FSIS' recognition of the necessity for improved education, collaboration and accountability.

I believe that education facilitates a greater understanding and helps close any performance gaps in the implementation and design of HACCP plans. This enables FSIS and industry to achieve the goal of HACCP compliance.

I'm much happier with a solution that calls for increased education rather than for increased regulation. However, we will do whatever it takes to ensure that a robust HACCP system is implemented and maintained in each and every plant, large or small.

But we can't think of our education efforts only in terms of training. We must also help small and very small plant owners become aware of the variety of resources available to assist them in improving their food safety systems.

Partnerships will be critical to helping spread the message that there are educational and economic resources available to small and very small plant owners to help them move not only their HACCP plans, but also their physical environments, into the 21st century. It does no good for a plant to know about needed improvements if they lack the economic resources to make them a reality.

I deeply appreciate the eagerness of Under Secretary for Rural Development Thomas Dorr and Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics Gale Buchanan to collaborate with the Office of Food Safety.

As I mentioned, a variety of partnerships will be vital to this effort. And partnerships between the government and industry will be especially crucial. In particular, we must strengthen the working relationships between small and very small plants and FSIS' inspection program personnel. There's no reason why we can't work collaboratively to ensure that small and very small plants have up-to-date, effective food safety systems in place.

Both industry and government are accountable to the public for ensuring the production of safe and wholesome products. The simple fact is that we must have safe products, no matter the size of the plant or the types of product they produce. After all, a consumer eating a steak at a restaurant or a hamburger at a picnic doesn't know if that product came from a large, small or very small plant. Nor should it matter.

We understand and embrace the need for accountability on all levels. Only by holding ourselves accountable can we ensure that we're fulfilling our duty to regulate and educate the industry. It's a good example of how our effort to change how we think is also changing how we act.

I believe that our actions will continue to demonstrate just how much has changed regarding FSIS' approach to outreach to small and very small plants.

Closing

Please don't think of today as the culmination of our efforts to improve outreach to small and very small plants. Rather, it's just the beginning. This issue will remain an important priority for the Office of Food Safety.

We want to ensure that small and very small plants will remain strong and vibrant partners as we move into the next hundred years of food safety.

The bottom line is that we all have the same objectives - safe food and healthy people. We must never lose sight of these common goals.

Thank you again for your time and I look forward to your thoughts during the discussion section of our program.