Federal Food Inspection Act

(LATEST SUMMARY)

Consumer Food Act - =Title I: Food Surveillance= - Requires that any person who owns or operates any establishment in which food is processed shall develop, implement, and maintain safety assurance procedures for such establishment. States that in developing such procedures a food processor or shall: (1) identify those control points in the food processing operation carried out by any establishment owned or operated by him which are important in the prevention of adulteration; (2) identify the hazards associated with each such point; (3) establish adequate controls at each such point; and (4) establish adequate monitoring of the controls at each such point.

Directs the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare to prepare annually a safety assurance assessment report concerning existing and potential risks of adulteration which are known to him and for which safety assurance procedures, standards, or inspections by the Secretary appear necessary or appropriate to protect the public.

Stipulates that if the Secretary finds that any food or class of food is being processed in such a manner as to present an unreasonable risk of adulteration, and that existing safety assurance procedures and inspection and monitoring activities are not adequate to protect against such risk to the extent required, he shall promulgate regulations or amendments to existing regulations in order to establish a safety assurance standard to reduce or eliminate such risk.

Authorizes the Secretary to appoint and organize such standing or ad hoc advisory committees as he deems necessary or appropriate to study and report to him with respect to existing and potential hazards to health and safety related to food, risks of adulteration, and recommended action to reduce such hazards or risks.

Requires a food processor upon learning or acquiring information that there is, with respect to food processed by him, an unreasonable risk of adulteration, to immediately notify the Secretary of such risk, if such food has left his control.

Directs the Secretary to cooperate with the Small Business Administration with respect to applications for loans to assist affected small concerns to comply with requirements under this Act.

Sets forth civil penalties for violation of the provisions of this Act.

Grants the Secretary exclusive authority to initiate, defend, or appeal any court action arising under this Act.

=Title II: Food Establishment Registration= - Requires that on or before December 31 of each even-numbered year, each food processor in any State shall prepare and submit to the Secretary a registration statement which shall include, but not be limited to, his name; principal place of business; the location of each such establishment owned or operated by him; and, for each such establishment, a complete list, in such form as the Secretary shall by regulation prescribe, of all classes of foods processed therein. States that such list shall identify the types of processing utilized for each class of food. Provides that the Secretary shall promulgate regulations defining classes of foods and types of processing to promote uniformity and expeditious administration with respect to such registration.

=Title III: Food Labeling= - States that the Congress finds that the availability to consumers in a uniform manner of information regarding the dating, ingredients, and nutritional qualities of food will enhance the health and the nutritional and economic welfare of the consumer.

Stipulates that regulations promulgated under this Act shall: (1) identify, upon a finding of need to prevent violations of this Act, those foods or classes of food with respect to which date information must be provided, or those characteristics of a food or class of foods which necessitate the providing of date information; (2) require the processor of a food, with respect to which the Secretary has made a finding that date information is necessary, to place on the package or label of such food the date by which the processor recommends that such food be sold at retail for consumption (sell date); (3) require that the date be stated on the package or label in a clear and conspicuous manner and in such form as will enable the consumer readily to identify the day or date, without reference to any decoding information; (4) require that the date be accompanied by a statement or phrase which clearly states that the date expressed is a sell date; (5) require a statement of the storage conditions recommended by the processor, if such storage conditions differ from ordinary room temperature; (6) prohibit a processor of any food with respect to which the Secretary has made a finding that date information is necessary from placing on a label or in labeling of such food any other information which may appear to the ordinary consumer to represent a sell date; and (7) prohibit a processor of any food with respect to which the Secretary has not made a finding that date information is necessary from placing on the label of such food any date information which may appear to the ordinary consumer to represent a sell date, unless such information is expressed in a manner consistent with the requirements of this Act.