Know more about FSMA
What does FSMA stand for?
- FSMA stands for Food Safety Modernization Act.
- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is being called the most sweeping reform of U.S. food safety laws in more than 70 years. It was originally signed into law by President Obama on January 4, 2011, and in the years since, FDA has been working to develop the final rules that the act requires them to implement. The focus of the act is more effective prevention of food safety issues in the U.S. food supply.
- FSMA is a comprehensive top-to-bottom overhaul of the United States food safety regulatory framework. FSMA will touch every segment of the produce business supply chain from farm-to-fork. The FDA has proposed seven major regulations. The proposed regulations will affect how produce is grown, packed, processed, shipped and imported into the U.S. The Food Safety Modernization Act is changing the culture of the food safety system in the United States.
- FSMA shifts the focus of the FDA to ensuring food safety through prevention of microbial contamination rather than just reacting to the problem after it has already occurred. With new changes in food safety regulations also come new compliance challenges for the food industry. Growers, producers, harvesters and processors need to fully comprehend the rules in order to overcome the challenges associated with FSMA. The Food Safety Modernization Act will require a multitude of standards to be met and procedures to be followed in order to comply with the law.
What triggers FSMA?
- As a result of the campaign launched in the aftermath of the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA)’s outbreak, President Barack Obama signed the Food Safety Modernization Act, which the FDA called the most sweeping reform in food safety laws in 70 years.
- The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), enables FDA to better protect public health by strengthening the food safety system. It enables the FDA to focus more on preventing food safety problems rather than relying primarily on reacting to problems after they occur.
- A series of high profile food outbreaks generated increased consumers fear and interest, but 3 major events promoted the congress to sign FSMA into law:
1. The 2006 E.coli multistates outbreak (26 US states) linked to frozen uncooked spinach sickened 200 people (100’s were hospitalized) and led to five deaths : There was an outbreak of food-borne illness caused by Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria found in uncooked spinach in 26 U.S. states.
2. The 2007 melamine outbreak linked to contaminated pet food from China
3. The 2008-9 salmonella outbreak where the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) knowingly sold tainted peanut butter which killed nine people and sickened 714 others, some critically, across 46 states. The responsible person was sentenced to life behind bars for knowingly shipping out deadly food.
