Sanitation in Retail
Beltway Beat

The FDA Releases 2026 Food Code

By Food Safety Tech Staff
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Sanitation in Retail

On September 17, 2026, FDA issued the 2026 edition of the FDA Food Code, which is a model of uniform provisions to assist local, state, tribal, and territorial regulators in safeguarding public health and ensuring food is unadulterated and safe when offered to the consumer at retail and in food service. The Food Code is updated on a biennial cycle to reflect advances in food safety science, regulatory practice, and emerging industry trends.

The 2026 FDA Food Code reflects updates intended to improve public health, regulatory clarity, and implementation, including an exception to allow for double gloving under specific circumstances; a new requirement for written employee illness policies that are maintained and available; and the establishment of an alternative cooling process for foods at retail.

The latest Food Code also addresses a range of food safety topics including sanitizer temperatures, consumer advisories, revised food establishment definition, new mobile food establishment definition, allergen cross-contact clarification, food donations, specialty mushroom hazards, dehydration and freeze-drying guidance, waste receptacle requirements, vending machine controls, and updates to the food establishment inspection report form. A full summary of changes can be found on FDA’s website.

Differences in the 2026 Code from the 2022 edition:

  • Allergen Rules: The new code tightens allergen safety and enforcement, requiring clearer communication and training to protect customers with food allergies.
  • Active Managerial Control: It pushes food leaders to take a more active role in preventing food safety mistakes before they happen.
  • More Documentation: Establishments face heavier tracking and logging requirements to prove daily safety compliance.
  • Chemical Safety: The update addresses modern chemical concerns, including reviews of food additives, synthetic dyes, and generally recognized as safe (GRAS) ingredients.
  • Retail Standards: The FDA is releasing a companion manual to help local health departments enforce these rules consistently.

As noted previously, the Food Code represents the FDA’s best advice for a uniform system of provisions that address the safety of food offered at retail and in food service. While it is a model code that is not required, it has been widely adopted by state, local, tribal and territorial agencies that regulate more than one million restaurants, retail food stores, vending operations and food service operations in schools, hospitals, nursing homes, and childcare centers.

The 2026 edition reflects the input of regulatory officials, industry, academia, and consumers that participated in the biennial meeting of the Conference for Food Protection (CFP). CFP and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Environmental Protection Agency help ensure the Food Code establishes sound model requirements that help prevent foodborne illness and injury and aim to eliminate food safety hazards in retail and foodservice facilities.

Mérieux NutriSciences

Mérieux NutriSciences Enters Agreement to Acquire Certified Group

By Food Safety Tech Staff
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Mérieux NutriSciences

Mérieux NutriSciences, announced on August 18 that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Certified Group. According to the announcement on Mérieux’s website, this strategic acquisition reinforces the company’s commitment to delivering highly practical, innovative solutions to the everyday challenges faced by the food and beverage, cosmetics, over-the-counter drugs, reduced-harm nicotine product and supplements industries in North America and beyond.

Certified Group, backed by Warburg Pincus, generates approximately $300 million in revenue through a network of 31 laboratories across North America. The company provides a comprehensive suite of services including core microbiology and chemistry testing services, contract research, certification and audit services, and regulatory consulting. The Certified Group is comprised of three verticals; Food & Beverage, through its Food Safety Net Services and Certified Labs businesses, has leading positions in protein, dairy, packaged foods and FDA Import Services; COS, a recognized expert in cosmetics, OTC products and Supplements testing; and Labstat International, a prominent reduced-harm nicotine product testing lab. These verticals are supported by specialized expert services including Lab Plus (contract research), EAS (regulatory consulting) and FSNS Certification and Audit (certifying body for GFSI and animal welfare audits).
Within the food sector, Certified Group has built a strong reputation as a bellwether for safety and quality in the animal proteins industry, and with extensive expertise in processed food, dairy, nuts, and spices.

By bringing together complementary strengths, Mérieux NutriSciences will provide customers with broader service offerings and enhanced regulatory support. With the North American Food TIC sector estimated at over $2.5 billion*, building a comprehensive, responsive network allows the organization to provide enhanced service delivery and continually invest in advanced lab technology to benefit our customers. Ultimately, this expanded coast-to-coast laboratory footprint will ensure that the company is even closer to its customers, meeting localized, time-sensitive needs with unmatched speed and reliability right where production happens.

As part of its long-term strategy, Mérieux NutriSciences is committed to preserving and growing the Food Safety Net Services (FSNS) business, continuing to invest in the unique specialized testing, special projects, certification and audit requirements of North American beef, pork, and poultry producers.

The transaction is expected to close by the last quarter of 2026, once customary closing conditions have been met.

Beltway Beat

Dr. Justin Ransom, Administrator, USDA’s FSIS to present at the Food Safety Consortium Conference, Oct.21-23, in Washington DC

By Food Safety Tech Staff
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Dr. Justin Ransom, administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) will present at this year’s Food Safety Consortium Conference October 21-23 in Washington DC along side, Dr. Donald A. Prater, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Food, FDA.

As the U.S. food safety landscape undergoes major transformation, this session will explore evolving regulatory priorities at FDA and USDA, highlighting modernization efforts in oversight, surveillance and policy. With FDA’s Human Foods Program restructuring and USDA FSIS advancing pathogen control strategies, Dr. Justin Ransom, Administrator, USDA’s FSIS and Dr. Donald A. Prater, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Food, FDA will share updates on a variety of topics including but not limited to the salmonella rule, traceability, preventive controls and ingredient oversight.

As administrator, Dr. Ransom oversees FSIS’ mission to ensure the safety, wholesomeness and proper labeling of America’s commercial supply of meat, poultry and processed egg products. He leads the agency’s modernization efforts, streamlining inspection systems, strengthening public health protections and advancing science-based policies.

Dr. Ransom brings more than 20 years of executive leadership in food safety, quality systems, animal welfare and sustainability. Immediately prior to his appointment, he served as senior director of sustainable food strategy at Tyson Foods, where he spearheaded enterprise-wide sustainability programs. His diverse industry experience also includes roles at McDonald’s and OSI Group, where he managed and advanced complex food supply chains across global markets.

With roots in production agriculture, Dr. Ransom has worked as a scientist, livestock breeder and global supply chain leader, deepening his first-hand knowledge of end-to-end food system management. His career reflects a strong commitment to enterprise collaboration and the seamless integration of food safety practices from farm to fork. He is driven by a genuine passion for protecting the safety and security of American agriculture — from the farmers who produce our food to the consumers who depend on it. He draws on his leadership development experiences to cultivate future leaders and foster strong, high-performing teams grounded in trust, accountability and shared purpose.

He began his public service career at USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, contributing to the development of technical standards for the National School Lunch Program, instrument grading systems and international trade facilitation.

Dr. Ransom holds a Bachelor of Science in agricultural communications from Texas Tech University and earned both his Master of Science and doctorate in animal science from Michigan State University and Colorado State University, respectively.

Food Safety Tech Launches 2026 Excellence Award Recognizing Technology That Delivers Measurable Food Safety Improvements

By Candace Taylor
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Food Safety Tech today announced the launch of the 2026 Food Safety Tech Excellence Award, a new industry recognition honoring organizations that are putting technology to work to measurably improve food safety.

The award recognizes food and beverage organizations that have implemented innovative technical solutions, including AI driven monitoring, traceability technologies, automated sanitation, and other applications that address real food safety challenges and demonstrate measurable results.

As technology becomes increasingly integrated into food safety and quality operations, the Excellence Award is designed to recognize organizations moving beyond implementation alone and demonstrating how technology can translate into stronger performance, reduced risk, and meaningful operational improvement.

Eligible organizations include food and beverage producers, manufacturers, retailers, and foodservice companies.

Recognizing Results, Not Technology Alone

The Food Safety Tech Excellence Award places particular emphasis on measurable improvement. Nominees will be asked to describe the technology or project, the food safety challenge it was designed to address, how the technology was applied, and the results achieved.

Submissions should include quantitative results where applicable, such as reductions in incident rates or downtime, improved inspection or audit scores, or faster recall response times. Organizations can also demonstrate qualitative improvements in areas including food safety culture and employee engagement.

The award also considers how technology supports broader organizational food safety excellence, including leadership commitment, communication, training, and KPI tracking. Supporting evidence may be submitted to document the impact and metrics associated with the project.

Food Safety Tech Advisory Board to Evaluate Nominations

Nominations will be evaluated by the Food Safety Tech Advisory Board using four criteria designed to assess both the immediate results and the longer term value of each initiative.

Measurable Improvement, 40%
Judges will evaluate the data demonstrating a clear reduction in biological, chemical, or physical food safety risks.

Innovation, 25%
Entries will be evaluated on the originality of the technology or the creativity demonstrated in applying existing tools to food safety challenges.

Sustainability, 25%
Judges will consider the ability of the initiative to deliver continued impact beyond its initial implementation period.

Scalability, 10%
Entries will be evaluated on the potential for the solution to be adopted by other organizations or across different levels of the food supply chain.

Together, the criteria place the greatest emphasis on a fundamental question: Did the technology make food safety measurably better?

Nominations Now Open

Organizations are invited to nominate a qualifying food safety technology initiative for consideration for the 2026 Food Safety Tech Excellence Award.

Submissions should identify the organization and FSQA team, provide a concise title and description of the technology or project, explain the problem it addressed, and document its impact. Nominees may also submit up to five supporting attachments demonstrating the project’s results and metrics.

Nominate Now: Submit a nomination for the 2026 Food Safety Tech Excellence Award

The award program comes as Food Safety Tech and the Food Safety Consortium mark their 15th anniversary in 2026. This year’s Food Safety Consortium will address technology, innovation, policy, digital transformation, AI, risk management, FSQA benchmarking, and other issues influencing the next phase of food safety.

The 15th Annual Food Safety Consortium Conference & Expo will take place October 21 through 23, 2026, at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Virginia, directly across the Potomac River from Washington, DC. The conference brings together food safety and quality assurance professionals for education, practical knowledge sharing, and industry collaboration.

 

From the Editor’s Desk

Food Safety Tech Launches FSTR – Food Safety Tech Research to Bring Independent Benchmark Intelligence to the Food Industry

By Candace Taylor
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After more than a decade of informing and connecting the global food safety community through independent journalism, conferences, webinars, and expert insights, Food Safety Tech is expanding its mission with the launch of Food Safety Tech Research (FSTR), a dedicated research and advisory practice focused exclusively on the intersection of food safety, technology, and data driven operational performance.

FSTR is launching with its flagship Food Safety Digital Maturity Benchmark, an independent industry study designed to establish the first comprehensive benchmark of how food and beverage manufacturers are adopting digital technologies, where they are succeeding, where they face barriers, and how digital maturity influences food safety, operational resilience, and business performance.

For years, food companies have invested in software, automation, artificial intelligence, analytics, laboratory systems, traceability, and connected technologies without an independent benchmark to understand what meaningful progress or outcomes looks like. Vendors publish case studies. Analysts publish opinions. Individual organizations measure themselves. Until now, the industry has lacked an independent, research driven benchmark that objectively measures digital maturity and tech use cases across food manufacturing.

Food Safety Tech Research was created to close that gap. Through primary research, advisory services, and longitudinal benchmark studies, FSTR will generate practical intelligence that helps manufacturers make more informed investment decisions while providing solution providers, insurers, investors, and other stakeholders with credible market insights.

“The food industry has reached a point where digital transformation is no longer optional, but organizations still lack independent evidence that helps them separate technology promises from measurable business outcomes,” said David Hatch, Co-Founder and Chief Research Officer of Food Safety Tech Research. “Our goal is to create trusted research-driven insights that helps organizations understand where they are today, where they can improve tomorrow, and how the industry is evolving over time.”

Rick Biros, Founder and President of Innovative Publishing, Publisher of Food Safety Tech, and Co-Founder of Food Safety Tech Research, said the launch represents a natural evolution of Food Safety Tech’s mission. “For over fifteen years, Food Safety Tech has helped the industry understand emerging technologies, regulatory developments, and best practices. FSTR extends that mission by generating original research that the industry can use to make smarter decisions and accelerate meaningful progress.”

The launch also opens participation in the inaugural Food Safety Digital Maturity Benchmark. Qualified professionals from food and beverage manufacturers are invited to contribute confidentially and anonymously. Participants will receive a findings report and a personalized maturity scorecard while helping establish an independent benchmark that will benefit the broader industry.

Take the Food Safety Digital Maturity Benchmark SurveyEarly findings from the benchmark study will be shared throughout the fall, culminating in the official public debut of Food Safety Tech Research during the 15th Anniversary Food Safety Consortium Conference & Expo, October 21 through 23, 2026, in Washington, DC. The conference, organized by Food Safety Tech, will provide the industry’s first opportunity to explore the benchmark findings, discuss emerging trends, and engage directly with FSTR leadership.

Food Safety Tech Research is a subsidiary of Innovative Publishing and operates as the research and advisory division of Food Safety Tech.

 

 

Dole Organic Lettuce
Beltway Beat

FDA Finalizes Guidance for Ready-to-Eat Fresh-Cut Produce Operations under Preventive Controls for Human Food Rule

By Food Safety Tech Staff
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Dole Organic Lettuce

On August 11, 2026, the FDA released final guidance called “Guidance for Industry: Guide to Minimize Biological Hazards in Ready-to-Eat Fresh-Cut Produce” to help manufacturers and processors of fresh-cut produce comply with the FSMA Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls (PCHF) rule.

According to the FDA’s website, Fresh-cut produce can be particularly susceptible to contamination, which can be introduced in the environment where it’s grown, during transport, during manufacturing, when it’s commingled with other products or at retail, and the opportunity for contamination can be amplified through each of these steps as it makes its way to consumers. Fresh-cut produce does not receive a kill step to eliminate pathogens that may be introduced during these processes and most are sold ready-to-eat.  The guidance provides recommendations and examples of how the PCHF requirements can be implemented to protect fresh-cut ready-to-eat produce from contamination with biological hazards.

Fresh-cut produce includes any fruit or vegetable that has been physically altered from its whole state (e.g., by chopping, dicing, peeling, shredding) without additional processing (such as freezing or cooking) and distributed in fresh form.  Examples of fresh-cut produce include chopped lettuce, cut cantaloupe, diced onions, and shredded carrots.

The final guidance reflects public comments received on the October 2018 draft guidance and replaces the 2008 FDA fresh-cut produce guidance. This guidance represents the agency’s current thinking on the issues related to preventing contamination in fresh cut produce.  The agency encourages the industry to continue advancing and improving food safety practices, including through the development and implementation of Best Practice documents tailored to their specific commodities and processes.

FDA’s guidance documents, including this guidance, do not establish legally enforceable responsibilities. Instead, guidance documents describe the agency’s current thinking on a topic and should be viewed only as recommendations, unless specific regulatory or statutory requirements are cited. The use of the word should in FDA guidance means that something is suggested or recommended but not specifically required.

Scanning electron micrograph shows a colony of Salmonella typhimurium bacteria. Photo courtesy of CDC, Janice Haney Carr
Beltway Beat

Taylor Fresh Foods Recalls Products Made with Jalapeno Peppers Due to Potential Salmonella Contamination

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Scanning electron micrograph shows a colony of Salmonella typhimurium bacteria. Photo courtesy of CDC, Janice Haney Carr

Coast Citrus Distributors is voluntarily recalling fresh jalapeños due to potential Salmonella contamination, Taylor Fresh Foods is recalling finished products containing jalapeños subject to this recall according to a notification on FDA’s website.

The FDA and CDC, in collaboration with state and local partners, are investigating illnesses in a multistate outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to fresh jalapeños supplied by Coast Citrus Distributors. A grower in Sinaloa, Mexico, that supplies to Coast Citrus Distributors was identified as the potential source in this outbreak.

Taylor Fresh Foods is no longer sourcing products from this farmer and will be filling orders from alternative suppliers. To date, Taylor Fresh Foods is not aware of any reported illnesses linked to its products containing jalapeños.

Beltway Beat

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announces two significant actions on GRAS and UPFs

By Food Safety Tech Staff
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On August 10, 2026, HHS proposed a rule requiring food manufacturers to notify the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) when concluding that the use of a substance added to human or animal food is Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) and, alongside the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), submitted for final review the federal government’s first proposed definition of ultra-processed foods (UPFs).

“Nearly 60% of the American diet is made up of ultra-processed foods, and childhood obesity now affects more than one in five American children,” said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. said within the press release “We cannot reverse America’s chronic disease epidemic without transforming our food system.”

Acting FDA Commissioner Kyle Diamantas, J.D. added “By proposing mandatory GRAS notifications, we are closing critical information gaps and giving the FDA greater visibility into substances entering the food supply. By advancing a proposed definition of ultra-processed foods, we seek to create a stronger foundation for future nutrition research. Together, these reforms represent a significant step toward a more transparent and modern food safety system.”

FDA Proposes Stronger Oversight of Food Ingredients

The FDA issued a proposed rule that would require manufacturers to notify the agency whenever they conclude that the use of a substance added to human or animal food is Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS). The proposal would modernize the GRAS framework, increase transparency, and give the FDA greater visibility into substances entering the food supply.

Since Congress established the GRAS exemption in 1958, manufacturers have been permitted to reach their own conclusions that certain substances are generally recognized as safe under the conditions of their intended use. Although the FDA has long operated voluntary notification programs, companies have not been required to notify the agency when making these determinations.

The proposed rule would modernize that framework by making GRAS notifications mandatory and expanding the public-facing inventory of submitted notices, significantly improving transparency while strengthening the FDA’s ability to oversee ingredients entering the food supply.

For substances already on the market based on industry self-GRAS conclusions, the proposal would establish a time-limited streamlined submission pathway that would allow manufacturers to provide the FDA with information about existing uses. This enables the agency to prioritize post-market safety evaluations while minimizing unnecessary regulatory burden.

Consumer Reports Chimes in on the Announcement

Consumer Reports issued a statement regarding the proposed rule today pointing out that while the rule would require manufacturers to notify the FDA when they determine a new food substance is GRAS, manufacturers would still self-determine that safety conclusion themselves. Substances introduced into the market before the regulations go into effect, would be eligible for a separate, time-limited streamlined submission pathway.

“Considering the out-of-control, self-regulatory system we currently have for food ingredients, it’s disappointing that today’s announcement lacks substance and doesn’t propose anything meaningful,” said Brian Ronholm, Director of Food Policy at Consumer Reports. “Given the lack of any real enforcement under the proposed rule for failing to submit a GRAS notice, combined with the fact that it would not apply to chemicals already in our foods, it risks maintaining the status quo that allows secret ingredients and chemicals to remain on the market without FDA review.“
“The absence of a meaningful proposed rule demonstrates how budget cuts and years of underfunding have created a system where we may never fully know all the ingredients and chemicals in some of our foods. If the process for this proposed rule gets drawn out, it may be years before anything is implemented, if at all, so this should not preclude states from passing laws that protect consumers more quickly.”
Consumer Reports (CR) has called for closing the GRAS loophole in a recent petition with Yuka, which urges the FDA to end the practice of allowing companies to introduce new food additives without notifying the agency or undergoing federal safety review.

Definition of Ultra-Processed Foods

HHS and USDA submitted for final review the federal government’s first proposed definition of UPFs. Although research has linked high consumption of UPFs to preventable chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes and heart disease, the absence of a standardized federal definition has limited research consistency across the federal government. The proposed definition incorporates feedback from thousands of stakeholders, including industry, consumer organizations, researchers, and members of the public.

 

Recall
Beltway Beat

Ukrop’s Homestyle Foods Announces a Voluntary Recall Due to Possible Foreign Object

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Recall

Ukrop’s Homestyle Foods, LLC announced that they are voluntarily recalling six of its products due to the potential presence of a foreign object.

FDA posted the company’s announcement on their website. The company said during a routine review, a small sliver of aluminum was discovered in the baking pan used to prepare six of its products. A similar metal fragment was also identified in a Chicken Cobbler product July 29.

Out of an abundance of caution, Ukrop’s is recalling all products that were prepared using similar baking pans. No injuries have been reported.

The baking pan supplier has been notified and has initiated actions to remove all potentially affected pan lots from distribution.

FDA Logo
Beltway Beat

The FDA is implementing a major reorganization plan called “Simple Reform” on October 1, 2026

By Food Safety Tech Staff, Rick Biros
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August 10 update to this article: Apparently, there has been some confusion when the Simple Reform info went out because it is not affecting food, according to Dr. Stephen Ostroff, in a follow up email. Also, Steven Mandernach, J.D. Executive Director of Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO) told FST, he spoke with his food program contacts at the FDA last week, and they confirmed that the Human Foods Program is not affected by Simple Reform.

Originally reported: The Trump administration approved FDA’s reorganization proposal, according to an internal agency announcement. In the announcement, Melanie Keller, the FDA’s deputy commissioner for operations and chief operating officer, said the reorganization proposal known as “Simple Reform” will go into effect on Oct. 1 of this year.

The FDA’s “Simple Reform” reorganization primarily changes internal agency administration rather than regulatory standards, meaning current compliance rules and quality system requirements remain legally unchanged for industry facilities. However, shifting to a generalist inspectorate heavily reshapes how inspections will play out in practice.

Under the revised structure, individual centers like the Human Foods Program (HFP) will no longer conduct their own administrative affairs like human resources, finance and information technology services. Instead, the agency will operate under a “shared service” model in which the FDA Office of Operations controls those functions across the agency.

The agency will end deep technical specialization for field inspectors, merging food & beverage, medical devices and clinical research inspectorates into a mixed pool of generalists. Investigators will handle inspections across multiple industries instead of focusing exclusively on one narrow technical product field.

The food and beverage industry should expect a shift in audit dynamics, meaning audits will likely focus less on highly specific, niche technical processes and more on foundational, broad-spectrum quality systems.

In 2017, FDA moved to place inspectors within specific programs of expertise, rather than requiring them to work across multiple programs. Simple Reform will reverse that.

Food Safety Tech reached out to Dr. Stephen Ostroff, who was the Deputy Commissioner for Foods and Veterinary Medicine at FDA a position he assumed in May 2016.

Rick Biros: “Steve, I’m curious to learn your opinion on Simple Reform and the impact you think it will have on food safety. I’ve reached out to Mike and Frank as well.”

Stephen Ostroff, FDA
FDA’s Stephen Ostroff, M.D. answers audience questions at the 2017 Food Safety Consortium Conference

Steve Ostroff: “I was  the Acting Commissioner of FDA when Program Alignment was finalized after several years of work.  I recall celebrating in Chicago (after your conference) at the district office downtown.  Program alignment was an effort to better vertically and horizontally align inspection activities – vertically within the inspectorate and horizontally between the Office of Regulatory Affairs inspectors and the headquarters programs.  It recognized that having generalist inspectors was inefficient and failed to take into account how technically sophisticated FDA regulated products had become (and were rapidly becoming).  It wasn’t possible for an inspector to be technically proficient in medical devices, gene therapies, regenerative medicine, infant formula, synthetic foods, etc. etc.  It also wasn’t helpful to have an inspector principally working on foods be supervised by someone with expertise in medical devices.  It was an effort that recognized the need for specialization and it was right then and it continues to be right.

The idea that inspectors would return to being generalists is a step in the wrong direction.  The significant loss of inspectors since early 2025 may in part explain why this is being proposed.  But this won’t solve that problem and won’t address the significant backlog of inspections in the food program, especially international inspections.  It’s more likely to exacerbate it.
As for centralizing administrative functions like HR, finance and IT, this is like a pendulum that swings back and forth.  It’s been tried over the years and there’s little evidence that it works or helps.  In addition, given the resource imbalances at FDA between the medical products programs and the food program, it’s a recipe for the interests of the food program and needs of the food program to end up at the back of the line.  As is so often the case, unfortunately. “
Frank Yiannas, who followed Dr. Ostroff as the next Deputy Commissioner for Food at FDA added “Don’t think it will achieve better results.”

“Simple Reform” will go into effect on Oct. 1 of this year. Dr. Donald A. Prater, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Food, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will be presenting at the Food Safety Consortium Conference. October 21-23, 2026 in Washington DC. More info at FoodSafetyConsortium.org.