New guidance from FDA says the agency will not enforce requirements of the Foreign Supplier Verification Programs (FSVP) rule for live animals imported for use as food that must be slaughtered and processed at USDA-regulated establishments. The latest guide, Application of the Foreign Supplier Verification Program Regulation to the Importation […]

Food poisoning is awful, and it is more common than you think. Why does it happen, and what can you do about it? Bacteria live among us by the trillions. The total number of bacteria on Earth is estimated to be 5 million trillion trillion—that’s a 5 with 30 zeroes […]

Four years ago, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration released a draft risk profile on the public health dangers associated with spices, identifying the presence of pathogens such as Salmonella and filth in general. It described efforts to reduce the public health risk posed by consumption of contaminated spices and identified […]

Congress passed the first Agricultural Adjustment Act as part of the New Deal in 1933 to help struggling farmers during the Great Depression. In 1938, Congress passed another farm bill, which included the requirement that farm legislation would be updated every five years. With the Agricultural Act of 2014 nearing […]

The 1980s and 1990s were a challenging period for the U.S. restaurant and foodservice industry, marked by the evolution and globalization of food supply chains; increased regulatory oversight to control Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella and other potentially deadly foodborne pathogens; increased media attention on foodborne illness outbreaks; and […]

FDA modernization of rules and regulations to keep pace with the changing U.S. food supply will have a positive impact on U.S. cotton gins. Dr. Stephen M. Ostroff, deputy commissioner, Office of Foods and Veterinary Medicine, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) addressed the National Cotton Ginners Association (NCGA) during the […]

Pages intended to ease access to information and resources and aid in compliance. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has launched a new FSMA landing page on FDA.gov to help stakeholders more easily access information and resources about the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act to help them comply the rules. In addition, […]

Former FDA Deputy Commission Michael Taylor took a tour of the Pacific Northwest in 2013 to get a first-hand look at produce and irrigation operations and to discuss the proposed Produce Safety Rule with growers and other officials. ( Photo courtesy FDA ) Despite early January media reports of an E. coli outbreak […]

FDA officials outline the benefits of VQIP in an online conversation. In an online conversation, “Outlining the Benefits of the Voluntary Qualified Importer Program,” Amelia Tetterton, a Consumer Safety Officer in the Import Program Development and Implementation Branch in FDA’s Office of Regulatory Affairs, said, “The FDA will expedite import […]

In recent years, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been given the authority to expand food safety inspections. But the agency’s food safety program recently come under close scrutiny by federal watchdogs for failing to protect public health with these much-needed additional inspections mandated by federal law. The Office […]