The U.S. House of Representatives is considering two amendments to the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) that will undermine rules protecting America’s food supply. The House has taken up the Farm Bill after it, along with few amendments, was passed by the Senate this week. Update: The House just voted down the Farm Bill on … Read more
One of the new rules mandated by the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is being put into effect today. the “Information Required in Prior Notice of Imported Food” is now a final rule and is the law of the land. This rule is designed to stop contaminated food at U.S. borders. If a food that … Read more
During a budget hearing before a House subcommittee Friday, FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg said that food inspections were just one of many activities that will comprise the agency’s strategy to protect the nation’s food supply in the next budget cycle. But one element that she described as being “very, very important to our program” … Read more
The FDA’s hour-and-a-half-long budget hearing before a House subcommittee today began with the chairman enumerating the agency’s many challenges including its glacial pace with respect enacting guidance rules and regulations and filing its budget, and ended with Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) asking FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg for a breakdown of inspection personnel and an … Read more
Although two proposed rules of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) are already more than a year overdue, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is extending for the second time the comment period on both of them. The Agency will now be accepting comments on the preventative controls and produce safety rules, formally known … Read more
The Center for Food Safety (CFS) filed a lawsuit against the FDA last fall for failing to implement new food safety regulations as mandated by the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). Yesterday, U.S. District Judge Phyllis J. Hamilton ordered the FDA to work with CFS to establish a new timetable to implement those regulations. CFS … Read more
The FDA has announced it will extend the comment period for the Food Safety Modernization Act’s produce safety rule beyond May 16, 2013. The deadline will most likely be extended for another 120 days. The extension is in response to multiple requests from interested parties. This is the second time the comment period has been extended … Read more
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is requesting a budget of $4.7 billion for fiscal 2014. The proposed budget represents a 21 percent increase over fiscal 2012. The agency says almost all of the budget, 94 percent, will come from user fees including new fees stemming from the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). About … Read more
In response to a number of requests, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has decided to extend the comment period for a notice pertaining to a provision of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) that requires pilot programs to explore new ways to track and trace food from farm table. Comments for the notice, … Read more
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released a Q&A on new food safety rules for the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). The questions about the produce rule cover product tracing, record keeping requirements for high risk foods, the scope of the rules, and information about laws, regulations, and guidance documents. And the rules for … Read more