Food Safety

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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced it will hold a full-day public meeting on October 21, 2019, regarding “A New Era of Smarter Food Safety.” As explained in more detail in this memorandum, as part of FDA’s ongoing implementation of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), the agency is exploring new and…

On July 24, 2019, the Health Commission of the Chamber of Deputies approved the draft opinion that amends and adds various provisions to the General Health Law concerning overweight, obesity, and front labeling of food and non-alcoholic beverages.

The approved amendments to the General Health Law have, as its main purpose, the right to health…

FDA recently released a Draft Guidance for Industry entitled, “Reducing Microbial Food Safety Hazards in the Production of Seed for Sprouting” (“Draft Guidance”). The Draft Guidance addresses the growing, harvesting, conditioning, and holding of seed for sprouting.

The Draft Guidance notes that the FDA has reported 50 outbreaks of foodborne illness associated with sprouts in…

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Acting Commissioner Ned Sharpless, M.D., and Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response Frank Yiannas recently issued a public statement on steps to usher the U.S. into a new era of smarter food safety (the Statement). The Statement reflects on the evolution of our food system from an “around…

Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report entitled, “Preliminary Incidence and Trends of Infections with Pathogens Transmitted Commonly Through Food – Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network, 10 U.S. Sites, 2015-2018” (the Report). The Report summarizes data collected by the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet), which tracks infections caused…

This post summarizes several regulatory developments related to cannabis and cannabisderivatives, including cannabidiol (CBD). The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced it will hold a public meeting on May 31, 2019 and open a docket for public comments to obtain scientific data and information about the safety, manufacturing, product quality, marketing, labeling, and sale…

FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D., and Deputy Commissioner Frank Yiannas recently issued a statement addressing new steps included in the President’s 2020 Budget proposal to advance FDA’s food safety program and expand food safety monitoring. The statement details how FDA would use requested funds, if provided by Congress, to build a “smarter, more technologically advanced…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released the second of three installments of its Draft Guidance to support compliance with the Mitigation Strategies to Protect Food Against Intentional Adulteration (IA) rule. Under the IA rule, the last of the major FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) rules to be released, food facilities must…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently released the “FDA Strategy for the Safety of Imported Food” (the Strategy), which outlines the agency’s approach to ensuring the safety of the ever-rising volume of imported foods. The Strategy sets out four food safety goals: 1) preventing food safety problems in the foreign supply…

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Scott Gottlieb recently issued a statement affirming that Produce Safety Rule inspections will begin this spring. Last year FDA chose to delay routine inspections to allow more time for farmers and state regulators to receive training on the rule. Routine inspections for large farms (i.e., farms with more…