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voiced about chemical contamination of seafood. We know that fish 

 can absorb chemicals from the environment, so the question is a 

 valid one. FDA has more than doubled our sampling program for 

 chemicals in the past few years. We seldom detect chemical con- 

 taminants at levels of concern in commercial species. There are no 

 available illness data that link commercially supplied seafood with 

 chronic health effects from chemicals. 



Regarding FDA's regulatory efforts, we operate a $40.5 million 

 annual program for seafood. This sum reflects an increase of over 

 60 percent from the $25 million provided by Congress in fiscal year 

 1990. The essential elements of our mandatory program are sur- 

 veillance inspections of domestic seafood processors and related 

 commercial entities, sampling and analyzing fish for toxins, chemi- 

 cals, and other potential hazards, targeted examination of imported 

 seafood shipments, negotiation of international agreements, re- 

 search, Federal-State cooperative programs, and public education. 



In addition to our mandatory surveillance program, the National 

 Marine Fisheries Service operates a voluntary fee-for-service pro- 

 gram which Nancy just described. The two agencies have worked 

 well together over the years on seafood issues, and we are proud of 

 our relationship with the National Marine Fisheries Service. States 

 also conduct inspections for seafood processors, so the overall fre- 

 quency of inspection, combining Federal and State is much higher. 

 The State of Alaska, for example, which accounts for half the do- 

 mestic seafood tonnage has a substantial inspection program. We 

 consider the States to be a critical and integral component of a sea- 

 food safety net. 



As my testimony has already described, there are a variety of en- 

 vironmental and processing hazards to which seafood can be ex- 

 posed from water to table. It is imperative that those who handle 

 and process seafood commercially understand the hazards and keep 

 them from occurring through a system of routine preventive con- 

 trols. Hazard analysis critical control points or HACCP is a system 

 of preventative controls that are established and maintained by a 

 processor for the purpose of keeping hazards from occurring. 



Two years ago Commissioner Kessler requested that the agency 

 study the feasibility of requiring industry-operated HACCP systems 

 for seafood. Coupled with our routine mandatory surveillance in- 

 spections by FDA that, among other things, would review the ade- 

 quacy of those inspections or HACCP systems. Such a step would 

 reflect a logical extension and evolution of longstanding policy and 

 program. It would also be responsive to the strong support for the 

 adoption of a mandatory HACCP-based inspection system for sea- 

 food shown by consumers, the Congress, and broad segments of the 

 seafood industry. Based on the results of that study. Commissioner 

 Kessler announced last March that FDA is developing mandatory 

 HACCP requirements for the seafood industry as part of its inspec- 

 tion program. 



Those requirements will establish HACCP preventative controls 

 that take into accounts the unique characteristics of seafood prod- 

 ucts. FDA believes that a HACCP approach would strengthen its 

 programs to ensure that seafood is safe and prepared under sani- 

 tary conditions. We also are exploring the application of HACCP to 

 imports. FDA is contemplating requiring that both importers and 



