Regulatory concerns include audits and inspections, government agencies, the pivotal Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), and international standards and guidances.
Audits are an important tool for verifying the safety and quality of a company's or facility's food products. Audits are conducted both internally and by certified third-party certification entities. The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) is a private organization that benchmarks different auditing certification platforms as meeting its criteria to provide a harmonized umbrella certification.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for regulating about 80 percent of the U.S. food supply, encompassing all foods and food ingredients introduced into or offered for sale in interstate commerce, except for meat, poultry, certain processed egg products, and catfish, which are regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) gave FDA new authority to regulate the way foods are grown, harvested, and processed. FSMA grants FDA the authority to impose mandatory recalls and has paved the way for the issuance of more than a dozen rulemakings and at least ten guidance documents. FDA's New Era of Smarter Food Safety builds on the work done to implement FSMA.
Guidelines for industry include draft guidance from regulatory agencies and recommended practices for industry to help ensure the production of safe food that is free from contamination.
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) is a management system in which food safety is addressed through the analysis and control of microbiological, chemical, and physical hazards from raw material production, procurement, and handling, to manufacturing, distribution, and consumption of finished products.
Inspections cover many areas of food and beverage production, from farms and ranches to food processing facilities to restaurants. Inspectors are trained to ensure that facilities and equipment are in proper working order and properly sanitized, maintained, and permitted.
Food safety standards vary by country and world region, and different aspects of food safety are regulated differently depending on the region. Harmonization and tightening of food safety standards around the world are important as emerging countries seek to improve quality of life by ensuring safer food for all people.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) oversees meat, poultry, and egg products, accounting for 20 percent or less of the food supply. The majority of the food supply (80 percent or more) is regulated by FDA. USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) ensures that the U.S. meat, poultry, and processed egg supply is safe and properly labeled.
In a May 16 webinar, a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) official revealed some findings from the agency’s ongoing testing of beef products for viable Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released its FDA Food Code Adoption Report, which states that, as of December 31, 2023, only three states and two territories have adopted the most recent version (2022).
In the second of this two-part episode of Food Safety Matters, we interviewed professionals from the industry, regulatory, and nonprofit sectors, live from the show floor of the Food Safety Summit, which took place on May 6–9 in Rosemont, Illinois. We discussed women in food safety, allergen control, the future of auditing, and more.
The Global Retailer and Manufacturer Alliance (GRMA) Inc. Certification Program Version 1.2 has received recognition against the Forum’s Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) Benchmarking Requirements.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded $611,000 to University at Albany researchers to develop a rapid, portable, colorimetric Salmonella detection kit for food products.
As part of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) continued efforts to more systematically and transparently review and regulate food additives, the agency has reassessed and revoked the Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) determination for tara flour. The ingredient is not authorized for use in food.
The European Commission has updated its internal guidance document on the implementation of its regulations on the hygiene of food of animal origin, to clarify how cultivated meat, insects, and other foods for which no detailed requirements are established should be regulated in accordance with the provision’s requirements.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed to cancel all agricultural uses of the pesticide acephate due to dietary risks from drinking water for currently registered uses of the chemical.
In the first of this two-part episode of Food Safety Matters, we interviewed professionals from the industry, regulatory, and nonprofit sectors, live from the show floor of the Food Safety Summit, which took place on May 6–9 in Rosemont, Illinois. We discussed food safety culture, food safety regulation for cannabis-infused edibles, traceability, legacy facilities and equipment, and more.
To protect the health of young children, the Baby Food Safety Act of 2024 has been introduced in U.S. Congress to give FDA the authority to enforce scientifically established limits on heavy metals in commercially produced infant and toddler food.
On Demand: From this webinar, you will learn an invaluable understanding of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) 204 from the architect of Rule 204, Frank Yiannas, which will demystify its nuances and progress.
On Demand: In this webinar, the speakers will discuss the RCA workshop they led at the 2023 Food Safety Summit that included a hands-on exercise and the presentation of case studies, and they will preview their planned RCA session at the 2024 Food Safety Summit.