U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must complete three major new regulations by the end of 2003 under the new Bioterrorism Preparedness Act.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Washington, must complete three major new regulations by the end of 2003 under the new Bioterrorism Preparedness Act, which was signed into law by President Bush on June 12 this year, according to the National Food Processors Association (NFPA), Washington.

According to Paul Wood, senior vice president o corporate affairs for Unilever USA and member of NFPA's board of directors, "There is a clear imperative that the Agency closely conform to the intent of Congress simply given the vast scale of the Bioterrorism Act's food provisions and the potential impact on commerce if not properly implemented. If nothing else, the aggressive time frame under which FDA must complete its work leaves little if any margin for error."

Wood praised Congress, the President and his Administration for their efforts to craft a "focused, workable and bipartisan product. ... [But, the] government can't do it alone. The food industry must continue to do all it can to ensure the safety and security of our products." This includes food processors and users of heat processing equipment within the industry.