a false or misleading label on any poultry 19 (f) is amended by striking out "for comfor marketing in a designated major consumI inserting in lieu thereof "for human on 9 (i) is amended by striking out "in coman official establishment or in a designated g area,". ion 10 is amended to read as follows: No establishment processing poultry or poulfor human consumption shall process any ltry product except in compliance with the f this Act." tion 11 is amended by striking out in the first ommerce or in a designated major consuming serting in lieu thereof "intended for human e heading of section 11 is amended to read as cords of Shipment". tion 16 is amended by striking out "in comdesignated major consuming area". The amendments made by this Act shall become hundred and eighty days after the date of enactAct. 6 Hon. ALLEN J. ELLENDER, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, Washington, D.C., June 28, 1968. Chairman, Committee on Agriculture and Forestry, DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: This is in reply to your letter of January 23, 1968, requesting a report on S. 2846, a Bill "To amend the Poultry Products Inspection Act so as to provide for Federal inspection of all poultry and poultry products intended for human consumption." The Department does not recommend passage of this bill. The bill would extend Federal inspection of poultry and poultry products to virtually all poultry slaughtering and processing plants not now under Federal inspection. The bill does not authorize the Secretary to enter into cooperative agreements to assist the States in developing and administering their own poultry products inspection program. Neither does it cover other operations which could introduce dead, dying, disabled, or diseased poultry, or other adulterated or misbranded poultry carcasses or the meat therefrom into the food supply. Although the volume of poultry produce and poultry byproducts from this type of operation is limited, it is a potentially serious threat to the health of consumers, and may affect the acceptance by American housewives of wholesome poultry products. This Department recently submitted to the Congress proposed legislation to amend the Poultry Products Inspection Act. This proposal includes provisions for cooperation with the States and regulation of the other plants mentioned above. Additionally, the administration proposal, introduced as S. 2932 would correct other deficiencies in existing legislation and would result in greater protection for consumers than would be provided by this bill. The House passed a similar bill H.R. 16363 on June 13, 1968. The Bureau of the Budget advises there is no objection to the presentation of this report from the standpoint of the Administration's program. Sincerely yours, OBVILLE L. FREEMAN, Secretary. S. 2932 [90th Cong., 2d Sess.] A BILL To clarify and otherwise amend the Poultry Products Inspection 1 Act, to provide for cooperation with appropriate State agencies with respect to State poultry products inspection programs, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 3 That this Act may be cited as the "Wholesome Poultry 4 Products Act". 5 SEC. 2. Section 2 of the Poultry Products Inspection 6 Act (71 Stat. 441, as amended; 21 U.S.C. 451) is hereby 7 amended to read: 8 "SEC. 2. Poultry and poultry products are an important 9 source of the Nation's total supply of food. They are con 2 1 sumed throughout the Nation and the major portion thereof 2 moves in interstate or foreign commerce. It is essential in 3 the public interest that the health and welfare of consumers 4 be protected by assuring that poultry products distributed to 5 them are wholesome, not adulterated, and properly marked, 6 labeled, and packaged. Unwholesome, adulterated, or mis7 branded poultry products impair the effective regulation of 8 poultry products in interstate or foreign commerce, are in9 jurious to the public welfare, destroy markets for wholesome, 10 not adulterated, and properly labeled and packaged poultry 11 products, and result in sundry losses to poultry producers and 12 processors of poultry and poultry products, as well as injury 13 to consumers. The unwholesome, adulterated, mislabeled, or 14 deceptively packaged articles can be sold at lower prices and 15 complete unfairly with the wholesome, not adulterated, and 16 properly labeled and packaged articles, to the detriment of 17 consumers and the public generally. It is hereby found that 18 all articles and poultry which are regulated under this Act 19 are either in interstate or foreign commerce or substantially 20 affect such commerce, and that regulation by the Secretary 21 of Agriculture and cooperation by the States and other juris22 dictions as contemplated by this Act are appropriate to pre23 vent and eliminate burdens upon such commerce, to effec24 tively regulate such commerce, and to protect the health and 25 welfare of consumers." hereby declared to be the policy of the Confor the inspection of poultry and poultry erwise regulate the processing and distribucles as hereinafter prescribed to prevent the le in interstate or foreign commerce of, or f such commerce by poultry products which or misbranded." tion 4 of said Act (21 U.S.C. 453) is hereby 1: "For purposes of this Act term 'commerce' means commerce between territory, or the District of Columbia, and de thereof; or within any territory not orgaegislative body, or the District of Columbia. ept as otherwise provided in this Act, the term any State of the United States and the ComPuerto Rico. term 'territory' means Guam, the Virgin IsUnited States, American Samoa, and any other ossession of the United States, excluding the e term 'United States' means the States, the -lumbia, and the territories of the United States. |