GLICKMAN, SHALALA TO OPEN INTERAGENCY PUBLIC MEETING
                                              Release No. 0074.97

Media Advisory
                                      Johna Pierce (202) 720-4623


GLICKMAN, SHALALA TO OPEN INTERAGENCY PUBLIC MEETING ON PRESIDENT'S NATIONAL 
  FOOD SAFETY INITIATIVE

     At 9:15 a.m. on Wednesday, March 5, Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman
and Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala will open an
Interagency Public Meeting on the President's National Food Safety
Initiative.

     On January 25, President Clinton announced a budget request for $43
million to fund a new food safety initiative involving many diversified
federal food safety functions in the Departments of Agriculture, Health and
Human Services and the Environmental Protection Agency.

     USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service, the Food and Drug
Administration and the EPA are holding the public meeting from 9am to 1pm 
to discuss the President's National Food Safety Initiative in USDA's
Jefferson Auditorium, 1400 Indepdence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 
Participants will have an opportunity to make public comments on the
initiative to help plan the agenda for a second public meeting to be held in
April.

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