A new coalition between various food safety stakeholders has been formed with the purpose of advocating for a modernized, effective Human Foods Program at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

In this bonus episode of Food Safety Matters, we are joined by two experts from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about the agency’s enforcement of allergen requirements for foods, allergen recall trends, and the implications of the FASTER Act officially making sesame a major food allergen.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released the report for its fiscal year (FY) 2021 pesticide residue monitoring program, summarizing findings from FDA testing of human and animal foods for pesticides and industrial compounds. 

SQFI recently collaborated with McDonald’s Corporation and NSF International to develop an audit addendum for McDonald’s produce suppliers that are SQF-certified for plant production.

With California Assembly Bill 899 recently being signed into law, any baby food products sold or made in the state will require testing for arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury, beginning January 1, 2024. Consumer disclosures will be required a year after.

After finding that more than a third of water courses in England and Wales contain medium- to high-risk levels of per- and polyflouralkyl substances (PFAS), the Royal Society of Chemistry is calling upon the UK Government to enact stricter drinking water standards for the “forever chemicals.”

In an October 19 invite-only media roundtable and written statement, James (Jim) Jones, the first Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), revealed his priorities for forging a new, unified Human Foods Program. Significantly, amid the wave of state legislators aiming to ban possibly harmful food additives, Jones stated his intent to more closely address the issue, beginning with brominated vegetable oil. 

A recent assessment conducted by the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) and funded by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (­FDA) has provided a better understanding of NEHA-FDA Retail Flexible Funding Model Grant Program (RFFM) distribution based on social needs. RFFM provides funding to state, local, tribal, and territorial retail food regulatory agencies as they achieve and advance conformance with FDA’s Retail Program Standards.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA’s FSIS) has published its annual plan for fiscal year (FY) 2024, which acts as a guide for the agency’s efforts to prevent foodborne illnesses associated with FSIS-regulated products, transform inspections, and achieve operational excellence. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA’s FSIS) has released a notice informing agency inspection program personnel about the continuation of and changes to the Raw Pork Products Sampling Program.