The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is soliciting volunteers to participate in the first phase of the rollout of the new Observation and Corrective Action Report (OCAR) industry portal, which enables human and animal food facilities to submit documentation of voluntary corrective actions they have taken to address regulatory non-compliances noted by the agency during facility inspections.

On October 31, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a proposed rule which, if finalized, would amend its prior notice regulations for human and animal foods imported by mail.

Singaporean officials recently provided an update on the proposed national Food Safety and Security Bill, which was first introduced in 2021 and aims to provide greater clarity on the regulation of novel food innovations, such as cultured meat, while preventing foodborne illness. The country also opened a new National Center for Food Science.

PFAS concentrations, which do not break down easily in the body, tend to increase rather than diminish over time. In light of these concerns and the prevalence of PFAS in consumer products like food packaging, many state and local governments, as well as public interest organizations, have begun enacting or promoting legislation that would regulate the implementation of PFAS in consumer products.

Due to a steady increase of foodborne Cyclospora cayetanensis infections in recent years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) charged the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) with producing a report that provides information on the factors that contribute to the contamination of produce by the parasite, as well as recommendations for a prevention and management strategy.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced the appointment of 21 new members and nine returning members to the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF). A virtual public meeting will be held in November to welcome the committee members and introduce a new charge on the genomic characterization of pathogens.

A new coalition between various food safety stakeholders has been formed with the purpose of advocating for a modernized, effective Human Foods Program at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

In this bonus episode of Food Safety Matters, we are joined by two experts from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about the agency’s enforcement of allergen requirements for foods, allergen recall trends, and the implications of the FASTER Act officially making sesame a major food allergen.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released the report for its fiscal year (FY) 2021 pesticide residue monitoring program, summarizing findings from FDA testing of human and animal foods for pesticides and industrial compounds. 

SQFI recently collaborated with McDonald’s Corporation and NSF International to develop an audit addendum for McDonald’s produce suppliers that are SQF-certified for plant production.