The FDA has proposed a rule that would establish new traceability requirements for the food industry. The rule would mandate additional recordkeeping requirements for companies that manufacture, process, pack, or store foods that the FDA believes are likely to cause food borne illness. These foods, which include shell eggs, nut butters, leafy greens, and shellfish, are identified in the agency’s draft Food Traceability List.
“More comprehensive traceability through access to records of key data elements associated with critical tracking events in food production and distribution has the potential to help us pinpoint the exact sources of foods involved in outbreaks,” said Frank Yiannas, Deputy Commissioner for food policy and response at the FDA, in a statement. “Not only does this help us to remove potentially unsafe products from the market more quickly, preventing additional illness or death, but it also helps us to conduct root cause investigations to figure out what went wrong leading to the outbreak. Without knowing the source of a contaminated food it is extremely hard, if not impossible, for us to fully diagnose the problem and work with industry to develop and implement strategies to prevent similar issues in the future. Recent outbreaks of foodborne illness tied to fresh produce like leafy greens and papayas, among others, highlight the importance of this work.”
Related: USDA: Poultry Food Safety Guidelines are Inadequate; Peaches Recall Expands Globally.
from Specialty Food News https://ift.tt/3hTocAf
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