Top Stories
2010 Annual Meeting Registration Now Open-New
Online registration for the Annual Meeting is now open. Complete online program with sessions and speaker information is also available. Registration brochures have been mailed to members and colleagues.
Become a 2010 Exhibitor or Sponsor-New
ASTA is now accepting annual meeting sponsorships and contracts to reserve a tabletop exhibit. To find out more about these opportunities or to veiw 2010 exhibitors and sponsors, click here.
Apply Now for the Susan L. Abbott Memorial Scholarship-New
Susan L. Abbott served as president of ASTA from 1998 to 2000. To commemorate Susan's life and work, ASTA and her husband created a scholarship to honor her memory. This scholarship is open to anyone related to an employee of an ASTA member company. For complete details, including requirements click here.
Microbial Safety in Spices
A number of well publicized salmonella outbreaks traced to food have heightened public awareness of the need to ensure food safety programs are in place. This white paper looks at the role microbiological testing can play.
The Senate HELP Committee voted unanimously on Wednesday in support of S. 510, the FDA Food Safety modernization bill.
The Senate bill would expand U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversight of the food supply.
Provisions include:
- FDA would have the power to order recalls
- All food facilities would be required to have a food safety plan
- FDA would have to inspect all food facilities at least once every four years and high-risk plants no less than once a year
- FDA's access to food facility records would be expanded in a food emergency
- Importers would be required to verify the safety of foreign suppliers and imported foods. The FDA would require certification for high-risk foods and could deny entry to a food that lacks certification or is from a foreign facility that has refused U.S. inspectors
Two major differences between the Senate and House bills:
- The House bill requires food facilities to pay a $500 registration fee per year, but the Senate bill does not.
- The House bill has a traceability provision that includes all food facilities, but the Senate bill requires traceability for fruits and vegetables, and requires the FDA to conduct a pilot study for processed foods.
Committee Chairman Senator Tom Harkin predicted the bill is unlikely to be heard before the full Senate until next year because of the legislative log-jam triggered by the ongoing debate on healthcare reform.
The FDA's Reportable Food Registry was Implemented on September 8, 2009
New Guidance and Informaiton Was Recently Published
http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/FoodSafetyPrograms/RFR/default.htm
The Reportable Food Registry covers all foods regulated by the FDA, with the exception of infant formula and dietary supplements. All "reportable food," which is defined as any food product that has a "reasonable probability"of causing health problems or death in humans or animals, must be reported within 24 hours. The FDA listed bacterial contamination, allergen mislabeling, and the presence of certain chemicals at high levels as examples of reasons why a food product may be reported. Once a company submits a report on a product via the RFP it is then required to cooperate with the FDA to help determine the cause and prevent any public health problems. Companies must notify relevant suppliers and distributors of the potential safety issue, be ready to submit further data and tests to the FDA and mount its own investigation if the problem is thought to originate from the company concerned. It is not necessary for food companies to submit reports if a problem was found and resolved before products were shipped.
