The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced two new regulations as part of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), signed into law by President Obama in January.
The rules, which take effect on 3 July 2011, are the first to be issued by the FDA and will help ensure the safety and security of foods in the US, according to a press release from the agency.
The first rule allows the FDA to administratively detain food the agency believes has been produced under unsanitary or unsafe conditions for a period of up to 30 days, if needed, to ensure they are kept out of the marketplace.
Previously, the FDA only detained food when the agency had credible evidence that a food product presented was contaminated or mislabelled in a way that presented a threat of serious adverse health consequences or death to humans or animals.
“This authority strengthens significantly the FDA’s ability to keep potentially harmful food from reaching U.S. consumers,” said FDA Deputy Commissioner for Foods Mike Taylor.
“It is a prime example of how the new food safety law allows FDA to build prevention into our food safety system.”
The second rule requires anyone importing food into the US to inform the FDA if any country has refused entry to the same product, including food for animals.
“The new information on imports can help the FDA make better informed decisions in managing the potential risks of imported food entering the US,” explained Mr Taylor.
“These rules will be followed later this year and next year by a series of proposed rules for both domestic and imported food that will help the FDA continue building the new food safety system called for by Congress.”
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