FDA Report Finds a 25 Percent Increase in Amended Food Notices; Salmonella Remains at the Top
06-20-2012
Once a company reports a food hazard to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), what happens? What is the degree of follow up? According to the FDA’s Second Annual Reportable Food Registry Report, companies are increasingly staying in touch with the agency and attempting to understand what went wrong and find solutions. Since last year’s report, the rate at which companies amend their notices has increased by 25 percent.
According to industry experts, this increase suggests more facilities are looking into problems more often and following up on them with FDA. The follow up is especially important given the recent rise in imported food and drug products and increasing instances of foodborne illness outbreaks. Amended notices indicate that companies are working to review problems and their causes. Over time, these investigations and follow up reviews will limit the chances of similar problems occurring in the future.
Domestic and foreign food makers are required to report hazardous food products. FDA believes that the launch of the Reportable Food Registry has increased the speed with which federal, state and local officials investigate and recall food. The registry also helps the agency’s ability in understanding food supply chains.
FDA plans to continue to collect additional years of data to further identify trends. For example, Salmonella, undeclared allergens and Listeria contamination topped charts for two years in a row. The passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) will introduce new elements that will further enhance this program.
FDA’s annual report serves as a valuable reminder that response and prevention methods are key measures to successfully managing product recalls and preventing foodborne illnesses.
What do you think of FDA’s reportable food registry? Do you think it is helpful in identifying key risk points in the industry? How would your company implement improved recall procedures as a result of the report’s findings? We welcome your comments below.
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