Throughout our business, we deal with one or more of the above mentioned agencies • 

 be it the at the border, distribution center, or restaurant. 



As a restaurant company that is continually looldng for ways to offer the highest quality 

 seafood and one that is always listening to our guests, Red Lotister t>egan discussions 

 in 1985 with the United States Department of Commerce/National Marine Fisheries 

 Sen/ice, to pursue a Voluntary Integrated Lot Inspection Program in an effort to offer 

 government-approved seafood. This served two purposes. First, through the investigation 

 process, we hoped to identify additional steps or procedures that might provide even 

 greater quality in our seafood products. Second, we were tiecoming aware of increasing 

 consumer demand for confidence in seafood quality. This program has been evolutionary 

 step in our quality commitment by ensuring the Red Lobster program is second to none. 



Red Lobster contracts with inspectors from the USDC's National f^arine Fisheries Service 

 to certify that the quality control checks and steps conducted by Red Lobster inspectors 

 are proper and result in an accurate representation. 



RED LOBSTER'S VIEWS ON FEDERAL INSPECTION 



In 1979 Red Lobster was the first restaurant company in the United States to incorporate 

 HACCP into our internal quality assurance inspection program. All Red Lobster Quality 

 Assurance t^anagers use the HACCP principles when inspecting our restaurants. In 

 addition, all store managers use in-house self-inspection cards based on HACCP 

 principles. While the inspection covers a wide range of safety areas, the Quality 

 Assurance (Managers focus on critical areas of food safety which might lead to unsafe 

 consequences. Temperatures, cross-contamination, proper storage, and personal 

 hygiene are of particular emphasis. 



In conjunction with the inspection aspect of their job, the Quality Assurance hAanagers 

 provide continuing education and information to members of management and store staff, 

 tvfanuals, posters, and video tapes are some of the training vehicles used. Hands-on time 

 is spent with managers and store staff in not only providing the "rules", but providing the 

 rationale for our standards. 



HACCP has been a successful tool in monitoring our critical food safety points. We see 

 no reason it cannot t>e successful for other operations. 



As I mentioned earlier, I am testifying today on t>ehalf of the National Fisheries Institute 

 as well as my company. We have been an active member of the N.F.I, for many years 

 and in the early 1980's we initiated the first step in the association's progressive stance 

 towards improving the nation's seafood regulatory program. 



At that time, concerns over inconsistent quality and fair dealing on the part of some in the 

 industry prompted an industry education program. This in turn led to recognition that 

 more effective regulation was needed. 



Through NFI's instigation. Congress mandated the development of the model seafood 

 sun/eillance plan which included the design of HACCP models for the many products 

 produced by the industry. 



