In April 2026, ASTA signed onto a multi-industry letter to Congressional leaders on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health, and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, urging for continued funding to support the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet), the only active foodborne illness surveillance network in the United States, as well as other food safety work at the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC).

The ASTA FSMA Decision Tree was designed to assist ASTA members in evaluating their obligations under the five foundational FSMA rules that are likely apply to spice companies: Preventive Controls in Human Food, the Produce Safety Rule, the Sanitary Food Transportation Rule, the Foreign Supplier Verification Program and the Intentional Adulteration rule. The Decision Tree guides users through a series of questions about their operations to help determine which FSMA rules could apply. It also provides an overview of each rule’s requirements, depending on the nature of the company’s operations. "ASTA Webinar on the Food Safety Modernization Act Decision Tree was presented by Jessica O’Connell, a member of Covington & Burling’s food and drug practice group in Washington, DC. The ASTA Government Relations and Advocacy Committee worked with Jessica to design and develop this new tool. During this 90-minute webinar, Jessica demonstrates how the Decision Tree can be used to navigate the complex framework of FSMA regulations.