Guidelines

FDA Withdraws COVID-Era Temporary Guidances for Onsite Visits Under FSMA

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 11:51:25 -0400

As COVID-19 no longer significantly impacts travel, FDA believes the temporary guidances are no longer relevant. The withdrawals will be effective on June 16, 2026.

EFSA Clarifies Data Requirements for Microorganisms Used in Food Chain

Tue, 04 Nov 2025 11:29:21 -0500

To support the preparation of applications for regulated products, EFSA released a new guidance document detailing the scientific requirements for the characterization and risk assessment of both genetically modified (GM) and non-GM microorganisms used in the food chain.

Ireland Food Safety Authority Provides Food Safety Culture Guidance

Fri, 10 Oct 2025 10:08:07 -0400

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has published a new resource to assist food businesses in meeting food safety culture requirements, and to provide a framework for inspectors to assess food safety culture.

FDA Plans to Issue Guidance on Natural Food Colorants, Other Priority Topics in 2025

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 13:29:20 -0400

FDA’s Human Foods Program has published a proposed agenda for guidance document work to be advanced in 2025, prioritizing opiate alkaloids on poppy seeds, the use of food coloring from natural sources, and new dietary ingredient (NDI) notifications, among other topics.

Ultra-Processed Foods—Running for Cover(age)

Mon, 14 Apr 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Less than two months after the filing of a first-of-its-kind lawsuit against ultra-processed food manufacturers, President Trump released an Executive Order establishing the Make America Healthy Again Commission.

Food Safety Capability Building for Small Dairy Farms—A SSAFE Approach

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0400

The dairy sector contributes significantly to the resilience and economic viability of farmers and rural communities. Most of the milk produced across the world comes from either independent, family-owned farms or smallholder farms and cooperatives, rather than from large, corporate farming operations.

FDA Updates Human Foods Priorities; Releases FSMA 204, Foodservice Employee Health Resources

Mon, 01 Jul 2024 11:06:00 -0400

In the past week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has published an updated list of its Human Foods Program priority guidance topics, resources to help industry comply with the Food Traceability Final Rule (FSMA 204), and a new Employee Health Policy Tool for food establishments.

New WHO Guidance for European Food Safety Authorities on Tackling Foodborne AMR

Tue, 27 Feb 2024 12:31:37 -0500

The World Health Organization (WHO) has published a new guidance for food safety authorities in Europe about the prevention and control of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the food supply chain.

EFSA Updating Guidance on Novel Food Applications; Public Consultation Open, Stakeholder Webinar Upcoming

Fri, 16 Feb 2024 08:37:03 -0500

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has launched a public consultation for a draft guidance on the requirements for applications for novel food authorizations in the EU, and will hold a public webinar for stakeholders in March about the draft guidance.

FDA Withdraws Guidance on Chlorpyrifos Residues; Publishes Revisions to PCHF Draft Guidance

Mon, 05 Feb 2024 11:21:20 -0500

FDA recently published revisions to one guidance for industry and withdrew another. Specifically, FDA released revisions to the Preventive Controls for Human Food (PCHF) Draft Guidance, and withdrew its guidance on chlorpyrifos residues due to the U.S. Court of Appeals voiding EPA's ban on food tolerances for the pesticide chemical.

Safe Bites: Ensuring Ethics Make the Food Menu

solutions@foodsafetymuse.com (Cori Muse) — Mon, 09 Oct 2023 00:00:00 -0400

In the ever-evolving world of the food industry, ethics play a pivotal role in safeguarding consumers and upholding the integrity of businesses. This article aims to provide readers with a profound understanding of ethics in the food industry and how they intertwine with food safety culture. Thought-provoking stories highlight the importance of formal food ethics and their role in decision-making. As consumers, employees, or stakeholders, we all play a part in shaping a more ethically responsible food industry, where safety and trust are paramount.

New Guidance Documents for FSSC 22000 Version 6.0

Thu, 05 Oct 2023 13:43:22 -0400

Foundation FSSC has published new guidance documents on Equipment Management and Food Loss and Waste, as well as updated guidance documents in line with the FSSC 22000 Version 6.0 Scheme requirements.

FDA Releases Guidance for Sprout Operations Under Produce Safety Rule, States FSMA 204 Inspections Will Begin 2027

Thu, 28 Sep 2023 11:31:52 -0400

FDA has announced two updates for Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) rules: the finalization of a draft guidance for sprout operations under the Produce Safety Rule and additional information about Food Traceability Final Rule (also known as FSMA 204) inspections and FDA’s Product Tracing System.

FDA Updates Guidance to Address Food Manufacturers Circumventing Allergen Cross-Contact Requirements for Sesame

Tue, 26 Sep 2023 11:03:25 -0400

To address the trend of food manufacturers intentionally adding sesame to food products that did not originally contain the allergen in an attempt to circumvent allergen cross-contact requirements, FDA has updated its draft guidance for industry on hazards analysis and preventive controls with a new chapter on avoiding allergen cross-contact and proper labeling.

FDA Publishes Updated Seafood List Guidance for Industry

Thu, 31 Aug 2023 12:59:51 -0400

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has published updates to The Seafood List—FDA’s Guide to Determine Acceptable Seafood Names: Guidance for Industry.

USDA-FSIS Finds Appendix B Guidance for Cooling to Control Clostridium perfringens is Adequate, Will Not Revise

Tue, 22 Aug 2023 11:22:44 -0400

Based on the results of a recent Clostridium perfringens Market Basket Study, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA’s FSIS) has concluded that the guidance currently being used for the cooling of large-mass, non-intact ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry products is adequate and does not merit revision.

USDA-FSIS Updates Guidance for Salmonella Control in Swine Slaughter, Pork Processing Establishments

Thu, 01 Jun 2023 10:58:53 -0400

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA’s FSIS) has released an updated Guideline for Controlling Salmonella in Swine Slaughter and Pork Processing Establishments.

FSA Seeks Input on Precautionary Allergen Labeling Advice

Mon, 27 Mar 2023 15:38:09 -0400

The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) is seeking stakeholder input on official advice for the proper use of precautionary allergen labels (PALs), which suggests that food businesses specify which of the 14 major allergens to which a PAL refers.

Codex-Based Effort to Mitigate Foodborne AMR Underway in Six Countries

Fri, 13 Jan 2023 12:29:38 -0500

Six nations have assessed their performances in minimizing and containing foodborne antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The work was done as part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations’ (FAO’s) ACT project, which aims to support the global implementation of Codex Alimentarius texts on AMR.

FDA Issues FSVP Final Guidance, Training Materials

Tue, 10 Jan 2023 13:18:24 -0500

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a final guidance for the Foreign Supplier Verification Programs for Importers of Food for Humans and Animals (FSVP), which is a regulation under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).

President Biden Signs NSM-16 to Strengthen U.S. Food Safety, Security; Highlights Climate Change, Cybersecurity

hendersonb@bnpmedia.com (Bailee Henderson) — Tue, 15 Nov 2022 10:58:57 -0500

On November 10, 2022, U.S. President Joe Biden signed the National Security Memorandum-16 (NSM-16), which aims to strengthen the security and resilience of the U.S. food supply and agricultural systems. NSM-16 focuses on threats such as climate change, supply chain disruption, cyberattacks, worker safety and workplace development, and other topics.

FAO Encourages E-Notification Systems for Imported Food Safety, Releases Guidance

Fri, 26 Aug 2022 13:44:25 -0400

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is encouraging countries around the world to adopt e-notification systems to bolster food safety, and has released a publication to support such efforts, titled, Technical Guidance for the Implementation of E-Notification Systems for Food Control.

FDA Issues Draft Guidance on Evaluating Non-Listed Food Allergens

Mon, 18 Apr 2022 15:40:02 -0400

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently published a draft guidance that will clarify how FDA evaluates the public health risk of food allergens that are not one of the major nine food allergens identified by law in the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

New Codex Guidance for Managing Foodborne Illness Outbreaks

hendersonb@bnpmedia.com (Bailee Henderson) — Fri, 25 Mar 2022 11:00:00 -0400

The Codex Alimentarius Committee has drafted a new guidance for the management of microbiological foodborne illness outbreaks at the recent Committee on Food Hygiene meeting.

FDA Finalizes Voluntary Recall Guidance

hendersonb@bnpmedia.com (Bailee Henderson) — Tue, 22 Mar 2022 16:00:00 -0400

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s recommendations for all firms in the food supply chain include how and when to initiate a voluntary recall, including personnel training, product identification, and communication strategies.

Alternative Thinking about Violations

Tue, 22 Feb 2022 00:00:00 -0500

Understanding the types of violations observed during inspections is a requirement for correctly citing a violation and providing quality feedback to the facility operator. Breakdowns in this chain of communication can lead to additional inspections and possible enforcement actions, which waste valuable time, money, and effort. To ensure that this chain is firm, inspectors are provided with access to training and continuing education, as needed, to properly identify violations and apply their guiding regulations.

Improving the Safety of Meal Kits: A Holistic Approach

Mon, 18 Oct 2021 10:00:00 -0400

To improve food safety and reduce the risk of foodborne illness related to meal kits, it is important to evaluate operations with a farm-to-fork lens, ensuring not just the safety of the meal kit itself but also promoting proper handling and preparation by the customer.

Bioengineered Food Disclosure Compliance across the Supply Chain

Sun, 20 Jun 2021 21:50:40 -0400

How are you preparing for January 1, 2022, the mandatory compliance date for the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard? Learn what you should already be doing.

Off-Premises Dining Safety in the Restaurant and Foodservice Business

Thu, 17 Jun 2021 18:11:10 -0400

Food safety concerns of off-premises sales for restaurants are the food safety risks associated with food preparation and the additional risk of keeping the food safe after the food has been prepared.

How Is Climate Change Affecting the Safety of Our Food?

Wed, 16 Jun 2021 21:31:36 -0400

Even under the best of circumstances, agriculture faces myriad pressures. Exacerbated by climate change, these pressures are making agriculture a more vulnerable and challenging enterprise, impacting food production, processing, storage, and distribution. In other words, our entire food system is threatened by climate change.