Denise Eblen, Deputy Administrator for the USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) provided an update on recall and public health alert trends. She emphasized the undeclared allergens, pathogens, and extraneous matter remain the leading causes of recalls and alerts. She also outlined FSIS’s plans to revise internal directives to better align with recent FDA guidance on allergens and ingredient labeling.

States are increasingly enacting their own food ingredient safety laws, often exceeding federal standards and creating a patchwork of regulatory requirements for food manufacturers. This session provided an update on recent state-level activity, including bans on specific food colors and additives, new chemical disclosure and labeling requirements, and other ingredient-related legislation. Special attention was given to New York’s proposed lead limits in spices and broader implications for the spice supply chain.