Mr. JOHNSON. That is all. Senator CLEMENTS. Any questions, Senator Williams? Senator CLEMENTS. We appreciate your coming before the committee and bringing us the viewpoints expressed by the two groups from your State, from your district. And I take it that you would want to say for the record here this morning that you, too, are in favor of compulsory inspection. Mr. JOHNSON. Well, I am submitting the statements for these two men. I know these men are out in the field, and they are actually acquainted with the facts and you are getting practical advice from people who are actually doing the work, and I am submitting as their Congressman, for them their views to the committee for their consideration. Senator CLEMENTS. You know these people? Mr. JOHNSON. I know them personally. Senator CLEMENTS. You have confidence in their judgment? Mr. JOHNSON. I have confidence in their judgment, especially in this field, and I know also they are men who have made a success of the industry. Senator CLEMENTS. And they have used the voluntary inspection system, and from that they base their conclusions? Mr. JOHNSON. That is right. Senator CLEMENTS. They have had a wealth of experience upon which to base it; is that correct? Mr. JOHNSON. Yes; and I hope that legislation is not passed which will put these people and like people out of business. They are smallbusiness men, which we are all trying to help, and I think that should be considered when the legislation is considered. Senator CLEMENTS. Congressman, you may be certain that neither this committee nor the Committee on Agriculture in the House would be interested in bringing out legislation which was to the detriment of, or would hurt, the poultry growers of this country. If they made errors in it, it would be errors of the head and not of the heart. Senator WILLIAMS. And promptly change. Senator CLEMENTS. And each succeeding Congress can correct such errors if any are made by the preceding Congress. Mr. JOHNSON. I might say for the record that in my earlier years, I had quite a little experience with poultry myself, and I know a little about the trials and tribulations of the people who are in the industry. Senator CLEMENTS. You recognize, then, that the only way the small handler is going to get compulsory inspection is by the Government assuming the costs for it. Mr. JOHNSON. That is right. And I would hate to see legislation passed so that all the dressing had to be done by the big packers down at Chicago and places like that, so that these little industries which are situated all over the country would be unable to carry on because of the cost of the operation. But I know we have got to consider the health angle, too. I do not want to have anything and these gentlemen here, both of them, in the statements they made, are willing to do anything to improve the quality of the poultry that is going out to the consumers all over the country. Senator CLEMENTS. Mr. Congressman, they made it quite clear in their statements. Senator WILLIAMS. I think both of the bills before this committee for consideration at this time carry the provision that the Government would underwrite the cost of this inspection service. Senator CLEMENTS. Both of them recommend that it be under the Department of Agriculture. Senator WILLIAMS. They do now, yes; both of them recommend that. Mr. JOHNSON. I want to thank the Senate Agriculture Committee for the privilege of coming over and testifying, and I am always glad to see your chairman here when he comes over to our House Committee on Agriculture to testify on the needs of the tobacco farmer of Kentucky. Senator CLEMENTS. Thank you very much, and we are delighted to have had you. The next witness will be Dr. H. E. Kingman, assistant executive secretary of the American Veterinary Medical Association of Chicago. You may proceed, Doctor. STATEMENT OF DR. HARRY E. KINGMAN, JR., ASSISTANT EXECUTIVE SECRETARY, AMERICAN VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION, CHICAGO, ILL. Dr. KINGMAN. I am Harry E. Kingman, Jr., a doctor of veterinary medicine. I am appearing on behalf of the American Veterinary Medical Association. The AVMA, representing the profession of veterinary medicine in the United States, appreciates being afforded the opportunity to have a representative appear before this committee concerning S. 3983 and S. 3588, 84th Congress. The American Veterinary Medical Association favors and endorses legislation which would prohibit the movement in interstate or foreign commerce of unsound, unhealthful, diseased, unwholesome, or adulterated poultry or poultry products. This year is the 50th anniversary of the Federal Meat Inspection Service. It has been repeatedly stated and is undoubtedly a fact that the United States has the finest and safest meat supply in the world. This service since its inception has been administered by the United States Department of Agriculture. This Department, through its Bureau of Animal Industry in the early years, and more recently through the Meat Inspection Branch of the Agricultural Research Service, has developed a program that is now used in this country and throughout the world as the foundation for food-inspection systems. Those who have had opportunity to observe closely the work of the Federal Meat Inspection Service are immediately impressed with the close adherence to the basic criteria necessary for an adequately safeguarded inspection system. These are: 1. The inspectors must be qualified and competent. In the case of products of animal origin, there must be a sufficient number of professional (venterinary) workers available to assure scientifically accurate disposition of products. 2. The inspectors and supervisory personnel must have tenure of office so long as they competently perform their work. 3. The service must be responsible to the consumer. 4. The system should be financed by public funds. At the time of the establishment of the Federal Meat Inspection Service, poultry meat was marketed largely in the live state. At that time, there were no large poultry slaughtering operations where the viscera were removed from the carcasses and no provision for poultry inspection was made. Conditions today are quite different. The need for an inspection program for poultry products became apparent many years ago and the American Veterinary Medical Association, through its members and committees, has in many ways called attention to this problem and made recommendations designed to correct some of the deficiencies. A complete documentation of AVMA activities in this area would be voluminous and of little value to the committee. We would, however, like to submit for the committee's consideration two documents, included as appendix A and B to this statement. Senator CLEMENT:. They will appear at this point in the record. (The documents referred to are as follows:) EXHIBIT A OUTLINE FOR THE PREPARATION OF GOVERNING LEGISLATION AND A PROPOSED CODE This reprint is the Appendix to the Report of the Committee on APPENDIX OUTLINE FOR THE PREPARATION OF GOVERNING LEGISLATION The outline here presented is suitable for use by States, counties, municipalities, and other political subdivisions. It provides for the protection of the public health by preventing the use in trade channels of food that is diseased, unsound, unwholesome, or otherwise unfit for human consumption and is designed also to prevent the misbranding and adulteration of foods. It provides further for the proper disposal of unfit and misbranded foods. It provides for establishing local agencies that can act in cooperation with livestock and public health organizations in the control of diseases of animals and man, thus safeguarding the livestock industry and promoting the public welfare. The Special Committee on Food Hygiene of the American Veterinary Medical Association has concluded that these purposes can best be accomplished by the organization of a coordinated food-control program under veterinary planning and direction. An outline of the salient features that should be included in proposed legislation follows. To effect this purpose the legislation should include: INSPECTION OF HUMAN FOOD (1) Title.-A statement of the purpose of the enactment. (2) Definitions.-Definitions clearly setting out: (a) The office responsible for the inspection; (b) definition of the term "meat" (to include, with proper designation, the flesh of all food animals, including poultry; (c) definitions of other foods; (d) definitions of other special terms used in the enactment. (3) Administration.-Provision for the appointment of a qualified veterinarian-in-charge to enforce this enactment, with authority to appoint such assistants as he may deem necessary. (4) Licenses.-A clear statement of the signficance of licensing provisions and a statement of the procedures involved in granting licenses upon application and the circumstances under which licenses may be revoked. (5) Plant Construction and Equipment.-A statement in general language, broad enough to permit the office responsible for inspection to meet changing conditions, prescribing the required type of construction of plants and the character and installation of equipment and necessary facilities for handling products, and for conduct of the inspection with the more important features mentioned specifically, showing the requirements for maintaining clean premises. (6) Antemortem Inspection.-A provision for antemortem inspection by veterinarians or under veterinary supervision on the day of slaughtering, stating in general the facilities for this purpose which the plant operator must provide, and including in general language broad principles to guide veterinary inspectors in disposing of animals showing deviations from the normal. (7) Postmortem Inspection.-Provision for thorough postmortem inspection, at the time of slaughter, by veterinarians with provision for nonveterinary assistants, stating generally the requirements which the plant operator must meet to present carcasses and parts of inspection and to handle dressing operations properly, and giving in general language principles governing the disposal of diseased carcasses and parts, which will serve to guide veterinary inspectors. (8) Time of Operations.-Provision for the veterinarian-in-charge to designate the hours of the day and the days of the week during which plants may be operated when few animals are slaughtered or when but a small quantity of product is prepared. (9) Preparation and Handling.-Provision for adequate inspection of meat and other foods during their preparation and handling, whether in the packing plant, wholesale distributing plant, retail market, restaurant, or other food-handling establishment. (10) Inspection Legend.-Provision for marking inspected and passed meat and products with a specified inspection legend with a number identifying the plant, this to be applied in a prescribed form whether by branding on the product or printing on labels. (11) Marking and Labeling.-Provision for adequate labeling (and adequate marking of unlabeled product) to prevent deception and to inform the purchaser as to the common or usual name of the product; the ingredients with which it was prepared; the name and address of the manufacturer, packer, or distributor; and an accurate statement of the quantity of contents in terms of weight, measure, or numerical count, whichever is appropriate. In order to make the label control effective, it is necessary also that provision be made for control of the composition of products prepared with two or more ingredients to insure preparation with proper ingredients and distribution under commonly understood names. (12) All Products to Be Inspected.-Provision for inspection of all products, within the jurisdiction, in accordance with this enactment, except that inspections by other agencies acceptable to the veterinarian-in-charge will be recognized. (13) Access to Premises.-Provision for access by inspectors at any time to all parts of premises covered by the enactment. (14) Seizure.-Provision for seizure of product wherever found, within the jurisdiction, in the channels of trade, when the inspector has reasonable cause to believe that the product is unfit for food, adulterated, or misbranded. (15) Disposal of Retained or Seized Products.-Authority for inspectors summarily to dispose of retained or seized products, and to condemn, and to require under the supervision of an inspector the destruction for food purposes of diseased animals, carcasses, parts of carcasses, and unfit or adulterated products, and to require that misbranded products be made to conform to the requirements of this enactment. (16) Appeals.-Provision for appeal from the decision of an inspector to his immediate superior having jurisdiction over the subject matter of the appeal. (17) Rules and Regulations.-Authority for the inspection agency to promulgate rules, regulates, and orders implementing the broad terms of the enactment and consistent with it. (18) Financing.—Proivision for financing the inspections required by this enactment through the permanent establishment of an adequate, annual appropriation. (19) Reports.-Provision for reporting of inspections by inspectors, and the furnishing of information for that purpose by plant operators and owners of products inspected. (20) Cooperation with Other Agencies.-Provision for the veterinarian-in->› charge to exchange information with public health and other disease control agencies. (21) Penalties.-Penalties for failure to comply with any portion of the enactment or the rules, regulations, and orders properly issued thereunder. (22) Saving Clause.-A provision whereby the invalidation of any section will not affect the legality of the remainder of the enactment. Proposed code for the inspection of human food: FOOD INSPECTION ACT1 An act relating to the public health, safety, and welfare, providing for: the establishment of a food inspection service; the inspection of articles of human food; the condemnation and destruction for food purposes of diseased, unsound, or otherwise unfit food; the prevention of misbranding and adulteration of food; the issuance of licenses and collection of fees; the adoption of regulations for the administration of the Act; and penalties for violations of the Act. Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Commissioners of the County of SECTION 1.-DEFINITIONS For the purpose of this Act the following words, phrases, names, and terms shall be construed, respectively, to mean: (a) Service.-The Food Inspection Service established by this Act. (b) Inspector.-An inspector of the Service, authorized by the Chief of Service to do any work or perform any duty in connection with food inspection under this Act. (c) Licensed Plant.-Any food-handling plant licensed under this Act. (d) Food.-Any article capable of being used for human food and which is subject to regulation by the State [County of] [City]. (e) Animal.-Cattle, calves, sheep, swine, goats, and other domestic food animals, including poultry. (f) Carcass.--All parts, including viscera, of a slaughtered animal that are capable of being used for human food. (g) Meat and Product; Meat or Product.-Carcasses, parts of carcasses, meat and products of, or derived from, cattle, calves, sheep, swine, goats, and other domestic food animals including poultry, which are capable of being used for human food. (h) Person.-Natural person, partnership, corporation or other organization, and every officer, agent, or employee thereof. This term shall mean either the singular or the plural as the case may be. SECTION 2.-ADMINISTRATION (a) Organization of Service.-There shall be organized a Food Inspection Service whcih shall be charged with the enforcement of this Act. (b) Chief of Service.-The Chief of Service shall be a duly qualified veterinarian, graduate of a school approved by the American Veterinary Medical Association. (c) Inspectors; Qualifications; Appointments.-The Chief of Service shall cause to be appointed such inspectors as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act. Appointees shall meet all applicable civil-service rules and regulations: PROVIDED, That veterinary inspectors shall be duly qualified veterinarians, graduates of schools approved by the American Veterinary Medical Association; AND PROVIDED FURTHER, That other inspectors shall meet such qualifications as the Chief of Service may prescribe. SECTION 3.-LICENSES (a) Licensee.-No person shall operate any slaughtering plant, packing plant, wholesale distributing plant, retail market, restaurant, or other food-handling 1 This code was primarily designed to cover meat and meat products, but may be broadened so as to apply to foods of milk, marine, or other origin when not in conflict with specific codes intended for those products. The term "ordinance" may be substituted throughout for "act" in the case of county or city enactment. |