48 million people are sickened each year by foodborne pathogens. 3,000 are killed each year according to the CDC. For the non-Mathletes, that’s 1-in-6. The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) passed in 2011 was supposed to change all that. With the FSMA, for the first time, the U.S. FDA is authorized to help prevent rather than simply respond to outbreaks of foodborne illness. But 4 years later, changes are still a work in progress.
After farmers complained that the regulations could hurt business, The Food and Drug Administration revised sweeping food safety rules proposed last year. Regulators say balancing the need for tighter food safety standards after major food-borne illness outbreaks in spinach, eggs, peanuts and cantaloupe against the needs of farmers who are new to such regulations has been a challenge.…
Registered dietitian and author Keri Glassman
Frozen food makers have launched their first national TV ad in defense of their products as the category fights to boost slipping sales. The ad includes the tag line, “Frozen: How Fresh Stays Fresh,” and is intended to address negative misconceptions people have about frozen foods. In a phone interview, Kraig Naasz, president of the American Frozen Food Institute, disclosed that the group plans to invest as much as $90 million in the campaign over three years.
“This is a long-term strategy. The primary purpose is to enter into a dialogue with consumers,” he said.…
At Cansler Consulting we are stay ahead of issues so that our clients can make informed and timely decisions.
As foretold (Article #1, Article #2) the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently released a report to Congress stating the agency cannot implement the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) without additional funding. For FY 2011 & 2012 Congress provided FDA with an additional $100 million for implementation of the law that provides the most comprehensive reform of our food safety laws in more than 70 years. President Obama signed FSMA into law on January 4, 2011. The ideas behind FSMA are to ensure the safety of the U.S. food supply by shifting focus from responding to food contamination to preventing it.…
In February of this year Cansler Consulting foretold of the fiscal challenges ahead 
at the Food and Drug Administration (click here to read article) in implementing the nation’s new food safety law, The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). Late last week the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released a congressionally-mandated report outlining potential impacts of budget sequestration on defense and non-defense discretionary programs verifying our analysis. The 400-page document showcases the impacts that budget cuts would have on all areas of government, including the safety of our nation’s food supply that is under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Agriculture.
According to the OMB report the Department of Agriculture would be required to cut a total $2.996 billion in the remaining eight months of FY 2013 (January to September 2013). This includes $86 million from the Food Safety Inspection Service that is responsible for the safety of the nation’s commercial supply of meat, poultry, and egg products.…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will face significant challenges in coming years to implement the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). The new law gives FDA additional authority to regulate food safety laws especially those impacting food product imports. One of the big challenges is how to pay for the stricter regulations?
Consider, about 65% of all FDA inspections of U.S. food manufacturing systems are conducted through cooperative efforts with state and local agencies. But state and local governments continue to operate under significant fiscal constraints.…
President Obama signed into law The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA – P.L. 111-353) on January 4, 2011. The Food and Drug Administration will publish their FSMA regulations this year. What this means for importers is:
The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA – P.L. 111-353) was signed into law by President Obama on January 4, 2011. The new law was created to address the estimated 48 million people who are sickened, 128,000 who are hospitalized and 3,000 who die each year as a result of food borne diseases according to the CDC. Leading officials indicate this public health issue is “largely preventable.”
Since the new law was enacted the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been busy on several fronts to begin implementation of the new law. It is estimated that 50 new rules, numerous guidance dockets and reports will be required to implement the law over the course of three years.…
