Re: ECOP/ESCOP Food Safety Subcommittee

Food safety issues continue to be a priority with ECOP and ESCOP. In response to these issues, ECOP and ESCOP made the decision to form a joint Food Safety Subcommittee. This subcommittee will make recommendations to the leadership of ECOP, ESCOP, and CSREES on specific action items. In addition, the subcommittee will provide liaison for the land-grant system with the food safety community including the Joint Institute for Food Safety Research (JIFSR).

In July 1998, President Clinton directed the Secretaries of HHS and USDA to create the JIFSR through the President's Council on Food Safety. JIFSR will coordinate planning and priority setting for food safety research among the two departments, other government agencies, and the private sector and will foster effective translation of research resulting into practice. The JIFSR expects to optimize food safety research investments, channel federal resources to research that is needed to minimize the impact of current and emerging food safety problems, and avoid research redundancies. The ECOP/ESCOP Food Safety Subcommittee will help the land-grant system be an active partner in this process.

Please send names of nominees who have adequate time to help the task force complete their assignment. People are needed with expertise in all aspects of food safety. Please provide the name of your nominee(s), area of expertise, mailing address, telephone number, fax number, and internet address of no more than two people from your institution to Madelyn Alt in the North Central Executive Director's Office by Monday, February 21, 2000. Her email address is: madelyn.alt@ccmail.adp.wisc.edu.

ECOP is separately soliciting names for this task force. Your institution will need to cover travel costs to attend any meetings of the task force. We anticipate a committee of about 8-10 ECOP and ESCOP members plus ad hoc members from CSREES and ARS. If you have any suggestions on the process of establishing the subcommittee, please respond to me at rlj@gnv.ifas.ufl.edu or by phone at 352-392-1784.

Thank you for your assistance.