Integration of Food Safety Systems

By Mike Rozembajgier

The Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO), a nonprofit organization that works to streamline government regulation, has received a government grant that will help it to help integrate national food safety networks. Greater coordination between food safety organizations is a crucial development for recall management. By integrating the oversight of domestic food supplies, regulators will be better able to identify the origin of contaminated food, determine the scope of a recall, and help companies and regulatory agencies effectively manage the recall process.

Earlier this month, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that AFDO would receive $500,000 to promote long-term changes that would enhance collaboration among public agencies responsible for food safety. The grant will give AFDO the opportunity to link different food safety regulation networks, including the FDA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture in order to help reduce the chances that contaminated food will reach the marketplace.

The government has been criticized recently about the divisions among its food control systems.  Critics cite insufficient communication among various federal and state health departments as a primary cause of lapses in oversight that have resulted in foodborne illness outbreaks. Following last year’s passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act, however, the FDA has been given the power to implement new systems that would prevent outbreaks and more effectively investigate those that do occur.

In a statement issued following the announcement of AFDO’s award, the FDA Senior Advisor for Federal-State Regulations said, “A national integrated food safety system will increase the capacity of federal, state and local officials to mitigate the impact of food borne illness, to advance public health and maintain a safe food supply for US consumers.”

According to Food Safety News, AFDO plans to expand its current activities, including maintaining a Directory of State and Local Officials, Registry of Subject Matter Experts, Topical Index of Regulatory Guidance, Program Manager Information Portal and conducting the State Food Safety Resource Survey.

In addition, AFDO plans to will work with FDA to establish a network of manufactured food program managers who supervise the inspection of food manufacturing and distribution facilities, develop and implement pilot projects to support the Manufactured Food Regulatory Program Standards (MFRPS), and develop food safety and defense training programs.

This latest development in food safety oversight is a big step forward for regulators and consumers alike. As agencies are given the resources they need to ensure the safety of our food supply the recall logistics required to remove contaminated food become much easier to manage.

Stericycle ExpertRECALL™ is the industry leader in recall logistics and regulatory compliance for consumer product, pharmaceutical, medical device, juvenile product, and food and beverage recalls. ExpertRECALL’s professionals are experts in recall management who can help you streamline the entire product recall process.