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Guidelines for industry include draft guidance from regulatory agencies and recommended practices for industry to help ensure the production of safe food that is free from contamination.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.
Thursday morning at the 2024 Food Safety Summit (FSS), top U.S. food safety regulators and public health officials took the stage for an interactive Town Hall discussion.
On May 20, 2024 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will hold an informational webinar about the recently published Agricultural Water Final Rule.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed Senate Bill 1084 into law, becoming the first U.S. state to ban the sale of cell-based meat (also known as “cultivated” or “lab-grown” meat).
The EU Court of Justice has made three rulings that set a precedent requiring Member States to consider more modern, comprehensive scientific literature in their pesticide safety assessments.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has published the long-anticipated Preharvest Agricultural Water Final Rule, fulfilling Subpart E of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule.
The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) has granted its first positive safety assessment under novel foods regulations to a cannabidiol (CBD) product intended for use as a novel food supplement.
While stressing that the U.S. meat supply is safe, USDA has revealed that it is testing ground beef at retail for the presence of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1—also known as “bird flu”—in light of the ongoing outbreak among cattle.
The Alabama House of Representatives recently passed Senate Bill 23 banning the production or sale of cell-based meat products in the state. The bill has been returned to the Senate for concurrence.
To help predict and mitigate the presence of Escherichia coli and other foodborne pathogens on lettuce, a new weather-based model has been developed by USDA-ARS researchers and collaborators.
FDA recently revealed results of a survey that found HPAI H5N1 genetic material in one in five retail milk samples; additional testing is required to understand the possible
presence and risk of intact, infectious virus. Supported by other studies showing the efficacy of pasteurization against HPAI, FDA maintains its position that the U.S. milk supply is safe.
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.