To help consumers build nutritious diets, the FDA updated the nutritional requirements a food must meet to use the claim “healthy” on the package.
On December 17, 2024, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced several new steps to strengthen the agency’s oversight of food processing facilities it regulates (meat, poultry and egg products) and ensure safe food.
New Federal Order Will Require National Milk Testing and Support State Officials and Dairy Regulators; Builds on Actions to Protect Farms, Farmworkers and Communities from H5N1 Avian Influenza
Dr. Denise Eblen, currently FSIS’ Assistant Administrator for the Office of Public Health Science, has been named agency Administrator. Paul Kiecker will take on the role of Assistant Administrator in the Office of Investigation, Enforcement and Audit, where he will apply his deep experience with the agency and his leadership capabilities to head FSIS’s investigation, enforcement, and audit functions.
The guidance document describes FDA’s policy regarding participation in FDA’s Voluntary Qualified Importer Program (VQIP) by importers of food for humans or animals.
Food facility registration is critical to helping the FDA identify the location and possible source of a foodborne illness outbreak or potential bioterrorism incident.
The reorganization will enable the FDA to be more efficient, nimble and prepared for the ever-changing and complex industries they regulate, new food and medical product technologies, as well as the impacts of globalization, climate change and other factors that require the agency to quickly adapt.
Following the October 2023 recall of cinnamon apple puree and applesauce products due to elevated lead levels linked to the cinnamon in those products and the concern for lead toxicity in children, the FDA initiated a targeted survey of ground cinnamon products from discount retail stores and analyzed the samples for lead and chromium.
The proposal would establish final product standards to prevent raw chicken carcasses, chicken parts, ground chicken, and ground turkey products that contain any type of Salmonella at or above 10 colony forming units (CFU) per gram/ml and any detectable level of at least one of the Salmonella serotypes of public health significance from entering commerce.
This paper compares U.S. food laws with GFSI standards, highlighting their respective strengths and weaknesses. U.S. food laws provide a legally enforceable, standardized framework that ensures consumer protection and public accountability. Conversely, GFSI standards offer flexibility, global recognition, and industry-driven innovation, albeit at higher costs and with less enforcement power. The U.S. food safety system, despite its complexity, delivers robust protection through comprehensive federal regulations. A balanced approach that integrates the strengths of both systems could optimize food safety, leveraging legal enforcement and global industry standards.
