The U.S. Food and Drug Administration may call back furloughed workers to support the agency's inspection of high-risk foods, reports USA Today. Inspections were stopped because of the federal government shutdown, which began Dec. 22, but FDA says it will restart some inspections, recalling about 150 furloughed employees. More staff could be on the way depending on needs. High-risk foods include soft and semi-soft cheeses; custard-filled bakery products; unpasteurized juices; fresh fruits and vegetables; spices; shell eggs; sandwiches; prepared salads; and infant formula.
FDA typically conducts about 160 domestic food inspections weekly and 31 percent of those are considered high-risk. For context, about one-third of the approximately 8,400 inspections the agency performs annually are routine surveillance inspections of high-risk food facilities, according to the report. Full Story
Related: Food Recalls Increase Over Last 5 Years; FDA Reduces Food Facility Inspections.
from Foodservice http://bit.ly/2U54ZQs
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