FDA Foods Program Update

Transcription

1 FDA Foods Program Update Comments by Stephen F. Sundlof, D.V.M., Ph.D. Director Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition JIFSAN Annual Meeting, College Park, MD March 25, 2010

2 The Food Safety Working Group will bring together cabinet secretaries and senior officials to advise me on how we can upgrade our food safety laws for the 21st century; foster coordination throughout government; and ensure that we are not just designing laws that will keep the American people safe, but enforcing them." President Obama, 3/14/09 Radio Address

3 3 Core Food Safety Principles 1. Preventing harm to consumers is our first priority. 2. Effective food safety inspections and enforcement depend upon good data and analysis. 3. Outbreaks of foodborne illness should be identified quickly and stopped.

4 FDA Office of Foods and Deputy Commissioner for Foods The President s Food Safety Working Group called for the establishment of a Deputy Commissioner for Foods position to enhance food safety at FDA Dr. Hamburg has charged the Office of Foods and the Deputy Commissioner for Foods with the responsibility of leading a functionally unified FDA Foods Program

5 One Mission, One Program Initiative To provide vision, strategy and commitment across all of the FDA to build a unified FDA Foods Program that works effectively to prevent foodborne illness and improve nutrition in a dynamic and innovative U.S. food marketplace and increasingly complex food system.

6 One Mission, One Program Launch This Initiative involves nearly 100 experts from throughout FDA who are charged with tackling cross-cutting issues critical to our success. From those in the field, to the lab, to the office, we are working together to modernize our food safety program.

7 New FDA Authorities? Preventive controls Performance standards Risk-based inspection schedule Records access Product tracing Administrative detention Mandatory recall authority Importer controls

8 Strengthening Focus on Nutrition Nutritional efforts to reduce the risk of such illnesses as heart disease, diabetes, and stroke and address the epidemic of obesity Give consumers better, easier-to-use information Reduce misleading, confusing information Motivate industry to offer healthier food choices

9 Nutrition Initiative Better Nutrition Information Targeted enforcement of violative front of package (FOP) claims Nutrition Facts Panel Modernization Calories Serving Size % Daily Value Sugar Dietary Guidance Proposed Rule FOP Symbols Sodium Reduction Trans Fat Reduction

10 Revisions to Good Manufacturing Practices Working group formed and codified text and preamble development underway Writers and economists making visits to industry to learn more about how 21 CFR 110 is currently being translated into corporate policy and implemented by industry FDA grateful for all of the willing assistance received from industry Food GMP survey

11 Produce Issued draft commodity-specific guidance (leafy greens, melons, tomatoes) July 2009 Established public docket February 2010 (75 FR 8086) Participating in regional listening sessions and other engagements Drafting a proposal to establish safety standards through regulation

12 Health Care Reform Requires chain restaurants to post calorie counts on menus, menu boards and drivethrough displays, as well as on vending machines. The federal legislation applies to chains with 20 or more outlets; the law also requires the chains to provide additional nutrition information on request.

13 RFR Statistics September 8, 2009 to January 31, 2010 YTD 651 Actual RFRs Industry Primary Reports Subsequent Reports (one up or one down) Amended Reports Voluntary Regulatory Reports 448

14 RFR Statistics September 8, 2009 to January 31, Industry & Regulatory Primary RFRs 17% 15% 9% 21% Lm Salmonella E. coli O157:H7 Undeclared Allergens Foreign Objects 2% Other 36% The Registry has been operational for too short a time to assess patterns of food adulteration

15 RFR Statistics September 8, 2009 to January 31, % 130 Industry & Regulatory Primary RFRs Produce 4% 3% 4% 4% 7% 5% 12% 11% 6% 8% Seafood Dairy Bakery Animal Feed Chocolate/Confections Nut Products Spices Flour Soups Other The Registry has been operational for too short a time to assess patterns of food adulteration

16 The challenges of the Foods Program have never been as great as they are today. They are inherent in the complexity and dynamism of the global food system and are reflected in the growing scope and impact of illness outbreaks and contamination incidents affecting food and feed. Further, nutrition-related public health challenges, such as obesity and diet-related chronic disease, complicate food policy decision making. Finally, the steady stream of new food technologies and new manufacturing and marketing practices and the flood of food imports constantly change the food supply. FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg 12/15/09 Memo to Foods Program Management and Staff