Food Safety Modernization Act Becomes Law

On January 4, 2011 President Barack Obama signed into law the Food Safety Modernization Act, a significant reform of US food safety laws. A key purpose of the legislation is to prevent foodborne diseases that impact as many as one in six Americans each year.

Under the new law, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will be provided with the use of additional tools and resources to enhance their oversight of domestic food products, as well as the millions of imports coming into the United States each year. In addition, the FDA will have expanded access to food safety records and increased authority to issue mandatory recalls as necessary.

Summary of Key Points
The legislation is meant to strengthen the US food safety system by using a prevention-focused approach and increasing the FDA’s authority to protect the public. At this time, the law gives FDA authority over 80% of the food supply, but does not include US Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulated meat and poultry products.

The Food Safety Modernization Act can be divided into the following main requirements:

Preventative Controls – The FDA will require prevention-based controls across the food supply.

Inspection and Compliance – A comprehensive inspection plan by the FDA utilizing a risk- based approach and innovative inspection processes will be required.

Imported Food Safety – Importers will be required to verify that their foreign suppliers have appropriate preventative measures in place to ensure safety and will be utilizing 3rd Party auditors to inspect foreign food facilities.

Response – The FDA will now have mandatory recall authority for all food products retailed in the United States.

Improved Partnerships Between Federal, State, Local and Foreign – The FDA must strengthen and improve collaboration and training of food safety personnel across these various entities.

Additional Information

Text of the Act: http://origin.www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-111hr2751enr/pdf/BILLS-111hr2751enr.pdf

Contact Information
Bureau Veritas can assist you with your food product quality monitoring programs including testing and inspections. If you have any comments and/or questions, please contact your customer service representative or email: jonathan.byrne@us.bureauveritas.com

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