Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) wants answers on alleged FDA food safety failures after a report in Politico listed problems with that agency. Senator Murray is Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. A letter was sent to FDA Commissioner Robert M Califf, asking for answers and immediate action. The Politico report was … Read more
There have been multiple E. coli outbreaks linked to fresh produce, especially leafy greens such as romaine lettuce, in the past few years. In several of those outbreaks, agricultural water has been implicated as the source of that pathogen. So the FDA has proposed a new agricultural water safety rule for use on produce. The … Read more
The FDA is proposing a new traceability rule for food manufacturers, as well as those who process, pack or hold foods on the Food Traceability List to help identify recipients of those foods quickly to help mitigate foodborne illness outbreaks. In the past few years, the government has blamed their inability to find the sources … Read more
The Center for Food Safety (CFS) has forced the FDA to complete the high risk food designations and reporting requirements that were part of the 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). CFS filed a lawsuit against the FDA in October 2018 for delaying those requirements. Now, the FDA must designate “high risk” foods by September … Read more
FDA’s Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb and Deputy Commissioner Frank Yiannas have addressed advancing new tools and science for produce safety via agricultural water, and have set new dates for implementation. The two E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks that were linked to romaine lettuce in 2018 were allegedly caused by contaminated agricultural water. In early 2018, 210 … Read more
Two groups focused on food safety are concerned about the government’s decision to extend compliance dates for Produce Safety Rule agricultural water requirements in the Food Safety Modernization Act. The Center for Science in the Public Interest and Center for Food Safety are worried that delaying this enforcement would cause more than 700,000 cases in … Read more
When you see the words “FDA Approved” on a product, what does that mean? The FDA is a government agency that is responsible for protecting the public health. It regulates human drugs, biologics, animal drugs, medical devices, tobacco products, food, cosmetics, and electronic products that emit radiation. Not all of those products are reviewed for … Read more
The FDA is setting the first major compliance dates for the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2011 for large food facilities. The agency also issued a final rule that “extends and clarifies the compliance dates for certain provisions in four of the seven foundational rules.” The final rule addresses technical issues and aligns compliance dates … Read more
The FDA released the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) final rule for mitigation strategies to protect food against intentional adulteration last week. This rule is intended to prevent public harm by requiring companies in the U.S. and abroad to take steps to prevent adulteration of the food supply. These facilities are required to complete and maintain … Read more
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) today published a final rule establishing procedures for retaliation complaints under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). This part of FSMA, which was signed into law by President Obama in January 2011, protects employees who “blow the whistle” about potential violations of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act … Read more