Tag: food safety
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Pew Report Urges Integration of Pathogen Data
The Pew Charitable Trusts’ Produce Safety Project (PSP) at Georgetown University has issued a report that calls for a “unified, cross agency” approach to tracking foodborne pathogens in humans, animals, food, and feed. Titled Building the Foundations of a Modern Food Safety System, the report charges the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Food…
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FDA Initiates Steps to Increase Food Safety During Transport
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) under the Sanitary Food Transportation Act of 2005 that establishes guidance on reducing the risk of food contamination during transport. The ANPRM is the first step in creating new federal regulations to govern sanitary practices by shippers, carriers by motor…
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House Subcommittee Considers Food Safety Reports
The Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing on May 6, 2010, to consider food safety reports prepared by the Government and Accountability Office (GAO) and the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Both the GAO report and testimony from an Inspector General…
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USDA IG Concerned about Monitoring of Drugs, Pesticides and Heavy Metal Residues in Meat
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Office of Inspector General (IG) has released a report, which finds that the federal government’s “national residue program is not accomplishing its mission of monitoring the food supply for harmful residues” of veterinary drugs, pesticides and heavy metals. According to the report, federal agencies have failed to establish thresholds…
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USDA Proposes Rule to Enhance Safety of Meat, Poultry Products
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued a proposed rule designed to enhance the safety of meat and poultry products. The proposal would require that regulated establishments (i) promptly notify FSIS if any unsafe, unwholesome or “misbranded meat or poultry product has entered commerce”; (ii) “prepare and maintain current…
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USDA Sponsors Food Safety Conference; CSPI Calls for Improvements to Outbreak Reporting
During a U.S. Department of Agriculture-sponsored food safety education conference in Atlanta this week, government, industry and academic speakers addressed a range of issues, including the causes of food borne illness, data collection and analysis, consumer behavior, food recalls, and foodservice workforce training. Caroline Smith DeWaal, food safety director with the Center for Science in…
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New York Senator Unveils Consumer Recall Notification Act
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) has introduced legislation (S.B. 3114) that would require food distributors, retailers and health agencies to notify consumers and local officials in the event of a Class I food recall. Under the Consumer Recall Notification Act, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) could ask grocery stores and other retailers to provide…
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FSIS Holds Meeting to Discuss E. Coli Traceability Standards
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) held a March 10, 2010, public meeting to discuss agency procedures “for identifying suppliers of source material used to produce raw beef product that FSIS has found positive for Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7.” FSIS announced the meeting as part of its ongoing efforts to…