(RxWiki News) Food has never been safer with the new revisions from the Food Safety Modernization Act. With these revisions the Food and Drug Administration has the power to prevent foodborne outbreaks.
Foodborne outbreaks can occur from many factors, but many outbreaks can be completely prevented. This is the goal the new law hopes to achieve: stopping unsafe foods from being distributed in the first place.
"Foodborne outbreaks are a thing of the past."
The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is different than any other regulation because it is a mandatory law. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)now has enforcement and inspection authorities by putting certain provisions in place:
Preventative measures:
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Foods that are adulterated or misbranded will not be allowed to be released into the marketplace. This allows the FDA to remove food while processing legal issues.
- Adulteration refers to bacterial or chemical contamination, filth or decomposition, addition of food additives or other materials that are unsafe and conditions where food being prepared, held or contained is unsanitary.
- Companies that don't declare certain ingredients or possible food allergens, and not obeying nutrition information content labeling will be considered misbranded.
- The FDA now has access to records that pertain to potentially hazardous foods and any other food that is likely affected.
- The FDA now has the authority to deny foods from other countries if the other country food producer does not allow the FDA to inspect the facility.
Enforcement measures:
- The FDA has the authority to suspend the registration of a facility that manufactured, processed, packed, or handled any food that poses a health hazard. The suspended registration remains until the FDA removes it.
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Recalls can now be ordered by the FDA if company/food producer are not doing it themselves. Before, recalls were completely voluntary.
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There is a new search engine available to consumers that will allow quick and easy access to most the recent recalls.
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More rules and regulations are being experimented with to determine the best, most effective way to keep foodborne outbreaks away from America.
