FDA Issues New Guidance on Food Safety Modernization Act
The US FDA recently announced it would be making changes to the way it enforces the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) of 2011, an act meant to help ensure the safety of the food supply. The agency is calling the act the biggest food safety overhaul in 70 years. Estimates suggest that every year 48 million people get sick, 138,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die from consuming contaminated food.
The FDA has recently come under fire for taking too long to remove contaminated food from shelves, prompting some of the biggest changes. Though food recalls are most often voluntary and it’s up to the individual companies and producers to issue the recall, the FDA plays a large part in monitoring food and aiding companies with the proper steps to take during a recall. Additionally, they alert the public to food recalls if the recall is deemed a serious health hazard.
Prior to Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), the FDA lacked the authority to issue mandatory food recalls, and has only used this power twice since. When reviewing the agency to determine whether they were fulfilling their responsibility “in safeguarding the nation’s food supply,” investigators looked at 30 food recalls from 2012 to 2015. Investigators ultimately found the FDA to not have an “efficient and effective food-recall process,” as it took companies an average of 57 days to issue a recall.
The reviewers cited a lack of policies and procedures that kept the US FDA from taking fast action once they were made aware of a contamination issue. US Food and Drug Administration commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb agreed that immediate action “to address unsafe foods” needs to be taken to ensure consumer protection.
The new guidance aims to work closer with food producers and farmers to improve food safety. Additionally, the FDA hopes to work closer with stakeholders and other partners to ensure each understands their role and what is required of them regarding the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and additional training, assistance, documents, etc.
Click to read the full Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)
Contract Laboratory has helped numerous companies with their FDA food safety testing like the following:
- Food Laboratory needed for chemical analysis of tea to ensure it is safe and chemical free.
- FDA GMP Consumer Products Laboratory needed for lead residue testing in brass food bowls (that have been manufactured in India)
- Food importer needs a USA food laboratory for tea testing compliant with FDA standards in addition to filing any paperwork
- FDA-compliant Food Microbiology Laboratory needed for salmonella testing for testing for tahini
- LONG-TERM TESTING A Food Laboratory is needed for shelf-life stability testing for cooked meals in vacuum-sealed glass jars including pH, water activity, mold, aerobic plate count, listeria, salmonella, e-coli, staph.aureus
- Bakery needs a Food Laboratory for nutritional analysis to develop the nutrient labels for baked goods such as cakes
- LONG-TERM TESTING A Large hospitality company needs a food microbiology laboratory laboratory for monthly environmental monitoring and microbial analysis of food samples, hand swabs, water, and equipment
- Food Microbiology Laboratory needed for seafood testing: HAACP analysis for Clostridium botulinum in dried fish.
- Dairy farm/processing facility needs FDA cGMP Food Analytical Chemistry Laboratory for Vitamins A and D testing for FDA compliance.
- MEDIA Food Laboratory needed for dried ramen noodle testing for identification of foreign objects.
If you are a food manufacturer, distributor, importer, retailer, or restaurant that needs FDA food safety testing, simply give us a call at 1-855-377-6821 or Submit FDA Food Test Request
