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When will the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) finally issue rules that form the core of the heralded Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)? A Federal Court seeks to change that dynamic, ordering the FDA to promulgate final rules by June 30, 2015.  

Without clear standards regulating labeling definitions, food and beverage companies are finding themselves under greater scrutiny over the validity of what is found on their products’ labels.  

The report to Congress on Building Capacity to Implement the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Food Safety and Modernization Act (FSMA) serves as a valuable overview of how FDA intends to shift the food safety paradigm, from reacting to food safety problems after they occur to preventing contamination and foodborne illness before they happen.  

As the Food Safety Modernization Act materializes, packaging operations come under a microscope. Read more about the increased focus on food packaging safety.

The produce industry came together to reduce the audit burden that it had enabled by accepting and supporting a wide variety of food safety audit standards.  

FSMA gives FDA broad new powers, including the authority to mandate that companies recall products as well as the ability to review internal records at farms and food production plants

The bottom line is that the internal audit program like ISO 22000 is a systems approach to verifying that procedures are being followed as documented.  

Food producers operate in an environment of ever-increasing regulation and complexity, but as a senior manager, you just have to make sure that your company follows the rules and meets the new FSMA standards.  Do that and you will have nothing else to worry about.

Making a difference with respect to foodborne illness outbreaks begins with increasing awareness and acceptance of contributing factors, and demands a commitment to following best practices in food handling and preparation.  

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) can refuse admission of articles to U.S. that appear to be in violation of FDA regulations and may automatically place a company on an Import Alert involving Detention without Physical Examination. Read more for how to navigate this process.