AFDO Presents Concerns to FDA Leadership
On Thursday, July 14, 2020, key AFDO leadership had the opportunity to meet with Commissioner of Food and Drugs Robert Califf and Principal Deputy Commissioner Janet Woodcock. The AFDO group included board members Liz Wirsing, Katherine Simon, Angela Montalbano, Natalie Adan, Pamela Miles, and Executive Director Steven Mandernach.
Posted 7/18/22
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Legislation Would Establish a Single Food Safety Agency
Congresspeople DeLauro, Durbin Introduce Food Safety Administration Act
 
On Wednesday, July 13, Chair of the House Appropriations Committee Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) and Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) y introduced the Food Safety Administration Act, legislation that would establish the Food Safety Administration, a single food safety agency responsible for keeping the food we consume safe for market.
“Food safety is currently a second-class citizen at the Food and Drug Administration”, said Chair DeLauro. “Right now, there are no food policy experts in charge of food safety at the FDA. That is unacceptable and contributes to a string of product contaminations and subsequent recalls that disrupt the supply chain, contribute to rising prices, and in many cases, result in consumer illness and death. Look no further than the recent infant formula crisis to understand the need to create a single food safety agency, led by a food policy expert, to ensure the safety of products that go to market. I’m proud to join my friend Senator Durbin in introducing legislation that would strengthen food safety and protect consumers.”
“In recent years, FDA has been plagued by one failure after another—from a failure to properly recognize the dangers of prescription opioids, to a failure to protect children from e-cigarette products, to a failure to properly ensure the safety of our nation’s food supply,” said Senator Durbin. “The sad reality is that FDA seems unwilling or unable to use their authority to protect Americans from preventable illness and death. For that reason, Congresswoman DeLauro and I are introducing legislation to transfer all of FDA’s food responsibilities to a new agency that, we hope, will have more success in protecting the foods in our kids’ lunch boxes and on our dining room tables.”
The Food Safety Administration Act would establish the Food Safety Administration under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) by incorporating the existing food programs within FDA into this separate agency: the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN), Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM), and the Office of Regulatory Affairs (ORA). This agency would be led by a food safety expert confirmed by the Senate.
In addition to bringing focused leadership and more accountability, a unified structure and a full-time senior leader will strengthen oversight of the food supply and enhance the industry’s ability to operate effectively.
Joining DeLauro and Durbin as original cosponsors of this legislation are Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and U.S. Representatives Nannette Diaz Barragán (CA-44), Jimmy Panetta (CA-20), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12).
The legislation is endorsed by the Center for Food Safety, Consumer Federation of America, Consumer Reports, Defend Our Health, Environmental Working Group, Friends of the Earth, Healthy Babies Bright Futures, STOP Foodborne Illness, and Center for Environmental Health.
You can find the bill text here and a fact sheet here.
Posted 7/18/22
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AFDO Supports Congressional Call for FDA Changes
Also on Wednesday, July 13, 2022, Congresswomen Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44) and Rosa L. DeLauro (CT-03) led their colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives in a bipartisan letter to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Robert Califf urging him to unify the FDA food program and quickly appoint and empower a Deputy Commissioner of Foods. These actions would improve the agency's ability to respond swiftly to current and future food safety events and more effectively communicate with the public.
In May, Congresswomen Barragán and DeLauro were among the first lawmakers to sound the alarm that a lack of leadership over the FDA food program was slowing the FDA’s response to the shortage of infant formula. The FDA has not had a single individual overseeing the FDA food program since 2018. This lack of leadership has exacerbated longstanding issues around coordinated responses, unified leadership, and management problems within the FDA’s food program, leading to slow responses to foodborne illness outbreaks.
“Food safety is currently a second-class citizen at the FDA,” said Chair DeLauro. “Food safety needs to be reprioritized at the agency. The agency could do this today by appointing a Deputy Commissioner, with actual expertise in food safety, to oversee the FDA’s food program. We need to ensure consumers feel confident that the product they buy for their families and babies is safe – period.”
The letter included support from AFDO, Consumer Reports and the Environmental Working Group (EWG). "The lack of a single, full-time, fully empowered, and expert leader affects all aspects of the FDA’s food program," said Steven Mandernach, Executive Director of the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO). "At risk is the ongoing implementation of FSMA and the full implementation of the New Era of Smarter Food Safety blueprint. It is not just naming someone to the revived post but the person appointed should have relevant and appropriate food credentials. It's critical to all major food program units working together seamlessly with their state regulatory partners and with a common strategic direction, clear priorities, sound resource management, and external and internal accountability."
Read the letter here.
Posted 7/13/22
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AFDO Launches Upgraded Retail Food Regulatory Programs Directory
In an effort to increase collaboration across the regulatory food sector and continue the advancement towards an integrated food safety system, AFDO has upgraded its Retail Food Regulatory Programs Directory. The directory contains listings for 2,239 state, local, and territorial food safety agencies involved in regulating the retail food supply. The directory listings provide the customary agency address and phone numbers as well as a key contact person for each agency, and the types of retail food facilities regulated by the agency.
Additional details about key elements in the agency’s food code are also displayed for users. You can quickly identify (1) the FDA Food Code Version that the state/local code is based on, (2) barehand contact with ready to eat food restrictions, (3) Certified Food Protection Manager requirements, and (4) food handler training requirements. The directory also includes a number of filters that allow searches based on the state, key words, state/local jurisdiction, the types of retail facilities regulated, and the code elements identified above. AFDO hopes this tool will facilitate communication, sharing of information, and collaboration between regulatory agencies and between industry and regulators. The directory is available on the AFDO website at https://www.afdo.org, under the “Connect with Experts” tab or directly at https://www.afdo.org/directories/rfrp/.
Posted 7/18/22
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FDA Outlines Progress on Anniversary of the New Era of Smarter Food Safety Blueprint
Wednesday, July 13, 2022, was the second anniversary of the release of the New Era of Smarter Food Safety Blueprint, which outlines FDA's commitment to continuous modernization to address the ever-changing food system and potential challenges ahead.
FDA’s New Era of Smarter Food Safety is leveraging technology and other tools and approaches to create a safer and more digital, traceable food system. The goal is to bend the curve of foodborne illness in this country by reducing the number of illnesses so that consumers can live better lives.
Over the past two years, working collaboratively with stakeholders, FDA has made significant progress in working toward the goals outlined in the blueprint. This includes:
- Continuing to explore the use of artificial intelligence, specifically machine learning, in a pilot designed to strengthen our ability to predict which shipments of imported seafood pose the greatest risk of violation. Early findings suggest that machine learning could greatly increase the likelihood of identifying a shipment containing potentially contaminated products. Enhancing the ability to predict which shipments are violative is expected to result in much more effective utilization of resources expended to examine, sample, and test products at the port of entry.
- Launching the Low- or No-Cost Tech-Enabled Traceability Challenge to encourage the development of traceability systems that are cost effective for food operations of all sizes. FDA received 90 submissions from around the world and chose 12 winning teams representing the U.S., Canada, and New Zealand. They are now actively working to disseminate these ideas to the stakeholders who need them most.
- Increasing the amount and quality of data FDA has through information-sharing agreements with regulatory and public health partners, academic institutions, industry, and others. One of the ways FDA is doing that is through domestic mutual reliance agreements signed with five states – California, Florida, Minnesota, Utah, and Wisconsin.
- Working to improve the speed, effectiveness, and coordination of outbreak investigations. In December, FDA released its New Era of Smarter Food Safety Foodborne Outbreak Response Improvement Plan. Tackling outbreaks faster and revealing the root cause are essential for the prevention of future outbreaks.
For more information, please visit the New Era of Smarter Food Safety page on fda.gov.
Posted 7/18/22
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Schaneberg to Lead IFSH
Brian Schaneberg has been appointed the new Executive Director of the Institute for Food Safety and Health, effective September 1, 2022. Schaneberg’s extensive scientific and regulatory experience, as well as his leadership in the food safety industry, uniquely positions him to effectively lead and grow IFSH, the university’s one-of-a-kind applied food science research consortium, according to an IFSH announcement. IFSH is the university institute that brings FDA, corporate, and academic researchers together to tackle food safety and health challenges.
Over the years, Schaneberg has worked closely with trade groups, industry, academia, and government leaders. Most recently he was a guest editor for the Journal of AOAC International, which provides the latest information in basic and applied research in analytical sciences related to foods, drugs, agriculture, and the environment. He has been a member of various review committees, including National Institutes of Health grant reviews, analytical validation ERPs at AOAC International, and the Report on Carcinogens. Schaneberg is a fellow of AOAC International.
To read more about Schaneberg's appointment click here.
Posted 7/18/22
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FSPCA Conference Goes Virtual in October
The 6th FSPCA Annual Conference will be held virtually on Wednesday and Thursday, October 19-20 from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. CDT each day. The conference will provide insight into the latest innovative ideas, regulatory updates, industry learnings over the past year, and more! The 2022 Conference will feature the latest developments in the various FSPCA training curricula to support compliance with the prevention-oriented standards of FSMA. The conference will provide an interactive forum for participants to hear from FDA senior officials on inspection results, as well as from industry leaders on industry trends, food safety best practices, and insights into complying with the FSMA regulations
Please visit the FSPCA website for the detailed agenda and to register.
Posted 7/18/22
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Produce Document Provides Clarity on Inspections and Audits
 AFDO has released a new collaborative document, AFDO Produce Safety Rule Inspections and Voluntary USDA Audits: Guidance to Help Understand the Differences and Commonalities, to help explain the differences between mandatory requirements of the Produce Safety Rule (PSR) and the requirements within market-driven buyer-specific audits.
The embedded chart will help to explain differences and commonalities between PSR inspections and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) audits. In some cases, growers may need both an inspection to satisfy the regulatory requirement and an audit to meet a market-driven buyer requirement. Growers may fall under the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule (PSR) and be subject to regulatory inspections depending on commodities grown, covered activities performed, and the dollar amount of sales over a three-year average.
Some growers may also have a market-driven buyer requirement for an audit. The terms inspection and audit are commonly confused and this document may help to provide better clarity. Check out this resource here.
Posted 7/11/22
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Hemp Joins National Discussion
Fifteen leading experts from feed manufacturing, hemp production, scientific research and regulatory oversight will come together for a three-part panel discussion, Q&A and complex conversation around:
• Scientific research and data
• Ingredient review and approval
• Interests and concerns everyone is facing
The goal is to connect with industry peers and share meaningful dialog around overcoming the challenges and moving forward together so hemp can become a safe and beneficial feed ingredient.
This virtual event will be free, but attendees must register. Attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions for the panelist in advance.
Posted 7/18/22
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AFDO Conference
2022 AFDO Alumni Committee annual meeting
The 2022 Alumni Committee met at the 2022 AFDO AEC with seven members in attendance. Discussion ranged from how to encourage involvement of alumni with the committee and recruit newly retired members to mentoring the new AFDO members. (These alums met with the over 100 AEC attendees during a special session just for first timers.) If you are an AFDO alumnus and are willing to share your wisdom and AFDO experience with younger members, we would like to hear from you. If you are interested in joining the committee or participating, please send your contact information to Steve Moris at smoris@afdo.org.
Back row
Ron Klein, Terry Macaig, Yvonne Salfinger, Joe Corby
Front row Claudia Coles, Ballard Graham, Joanne Brown
Posted 7/18/22
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Salmonella Case Study
Rapid Response Saves Lives and Resources
Quantifying the effect of public health actions on population health is essential when justifying sustained public health investment. Using modeling, we conservatively estimated that rapid response to a multistate foodborne outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium in the United States in 2018 potentially averted 94 reported cases and $633,181 in medical costs and productivity losses. Dr. Brad Greening, a health scientist at CDC in Atlanta, and Sarah Gregory discuss a multistate foodborne outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium in the United States. Learn more and listen to the podcast here.
Posted 7/11/22
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Seeking Retail Food Safety Regulatory Opinions
Retail regulatory food safety professionals are sought to participate in a national survey to identify the strengths of the retail food safety regulatory community and assess knowledge gaps as they pertain to workforce needs. As part of this effort, participants are asked to complete a 20-minute anonymous online survey.
Results will be shared widely to bolster educational resources, reduce knowledge gaps in training materials, and improve workforce capabilities. Visit the NEHA-FDA RFFM page to learn more and take the survey.
Posted 7/11/22
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AMC Training Makes Midwest Stop
This is a good opportunity if you want to take the class and reside in the Midwest. Seats are still available for the Advanced Managerial Control Methods Workshop in Broken Arrow, OK (Tulsa metro area) on Wednesday, August 17, 2022. This course is part of the Association of Food & Drug Official’s (AFDO) professional development series and is supported by FDA grant funding. This course is limited to twenty attendees. This is an interactive course geared towards food professionals and is designed to help teach individuals how to evaluate active managerial control in regulated food businesses.
Active Managerial Control (AMC) is the purposeful incorporation of specific actions or procedures by industry management into the operation of their business to attain control over foodborne illness risk factors. It embodies a preventive rather than reactive approach to food safety through a continuous system of monitoring and verification.
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FDA Independent Course Delivery and Train-the-Trainer Programs Launched
The Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Regulatory Affairs (ORA), Office of Training, Education, and Development (OTED) has launched its new Independent Course Delivery (ICD) and Train-the-Trainer (TTT) programs. Through the ICD program, state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) regulatory partners can apply to deliver certain OTED courses within their jurisdictions using their own instructors who have completed OTED's Train-the-Trainer (TTT) program requirements. In the spirit of promoting a nationally Integrated Food Safety System (IFSS), SLTT ICD applicants are encouraged to invite participants from other SLTTs and the FDA. Through OTED’s TTT program, FDA, SLTT, and association regulatory officials receive the training and skills to become Qualified Instructors (QIs). QIs may then serve as instructors in OTED-approved ICD courses delivered by SLTTs or as instructors in courses delivered by FDA or OTED’s grantees.
The following ICD courses are available in 2022-2023:
- Virtual Instructor-Led Training (vILT) FD190 Food Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Application, and Evidence Development
- vILT FD249 Conducting Seafood HACCP Inspections
- vILT FD219 Juice HACCP and Conducting Juice Inspections
- vILT FD202 Conducting Acidified Food Inspections
- Instructor-Led Training (ILT) FD152 Food Processing and Technology
The ICD and TTT programs support the goals of FDA’s New Era of Smarter Food Safety and promote efforts to advance an IFSS and Domestic Mutual Reliance by helping to ensure the FDA/SLTT integrated workforce has access to the necessary OTED courses to meet their training and development needs. SLTT partners who deliver approved ICD courses are recognized as “OTED Partners in Training” on FDA’s website. For more information on these programs or to apply to deliver your own ICD course and/or nominate members of your staff to become QIs, visit the ICD and TTT web pages or contact OTED’s ICD Program Administrator at oraotedicdadmin@fda.hhs.gov.
Posted 7/5/22
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2022 AAFP Conference Announced
The annual AAFP conference will be September 12-14, 2022 at the Fayetteville Town Center, Fayetteville AR with both in-person and virtual attendance options available. The state of Arkansas’ food processing and food safety reaches far beyond the state and regional borders with products and decisions by global entities headquartered in our state. This conference and other workshops will keep food safety professionals informed of their impact at home and beyond Arkansas.
Questions can be submitted through the contact portal on the AAFP website at https://www.arkafp.org/contact-us
Posted 6/27/22
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AFDO has launched a career website, www.foodsafetycareers.org, to highlight regulatory food safety job postings for state & federal agencies (and LHDs if you send us your jobs). The site offers state-by-state general hiring specifications, a heat map of regulatory food jobs, and the ability for state agencies to sign up for job manager accounts so you can directly upload and edit your job postings, and search resumes shared by job seekers to find potential candidates. Here is a sample of what you’ll find listed new this week or visit the site to explore all jobs.
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Retail Food Science Manager - Indiana
The Food Scientist Supervisor supervises the Food Scientists within the Indiana Department of Health Food Protection Division’s Retail Program. You will serve as a specialist in public and environmental health, enforcing laws and rules applicable to food protection, and assisting local health departments and other units of local government with training, technical assistance, and resolution of problems of variable complexity or questionable jurisdiction. You may also be called upon to investigate or resolve public health or environmental problems that do not fall into the purview of other State or local agencies.
Posted 7/18/22
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Food Inspector - New York State
Two (2) positions are currently open for a Food Inspector 1 or Trainee with the New York Department of Agriculture and Markets in Seneca County and Oneida County to conduct food safety inspections of food establishments.
Posted 7/18/22
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Peanut Inspection Worker - Seasonal Hourly - MO
The Missouri Department of Agriculture, Grain Inspection and Warehousing Division has several seasonal Peanut Inspection Worker positions available in Kennett, Missouri. An employee in this position performs semi-skilled manual work obtaining peanut samples, and performing basic technician and inspection functions. Training is provided. Work is performed under the supervision of a Lead Inspector or other designated superior.
Posted 7/18/22
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Food Safety Specialist (EHS I) - Fauquier County
The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is seeking a self-motivated person to become part of the Food Safety team. This position is responsible for the evaluation of food processes and the enforcement of the Virginia Food Laws and related federal and state regulations. Duties include evaluating the condition of food processing facilities relative to food safety and food defense; assisting new and existing food processing technologies and food labeling at manufacturing operations and retail food establishments; investigating complaints; conducting food borne illness investigations; collecting official samples of food and food related products; reviewing new food business proposals and assisting in the development of safe food processes; and evaluating and interpreting nutritional related claims for foods and dietary supplements. The selected individual will establish and work from a home office under the guidance and direction of a regional field office and will be required to live in or convenient to the assigned territory. This is a re-announcement; previous applicants do not need to re-apply.
Posted 7/5/22
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Other Training Opportunities
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Paster Training, Inc.
Paster Training, Inc – Food and Alcohol training and consulting for Retailers and Manufacturers.
The education you need from experienced trainers and consultants.
FSMA Training - VIRTUAL and CLASSROOM AVAILABLE! Dates and Times available on the Paster website.
- Preventive Controls for Human Food (PCHF), Full and Part 2
- Intentional Adulteration Vulnerability Assessment (IAVA)
- Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP), Full and Part 2
- Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs)
Retail Training – VIRTUAL and CLASSROOM AVAILABLE! Dates and Times available on the Paster website.
- Certified Protection Food Manager (CPFM)
- Food Handler/Food Employee
- HACCP Manager
- HACCP Employee
- Food Defense
- SPANISH TRAINING AVAILABLE!!!!!
Not seeing what you need, visit www.pastertraining.com or call 610.970.1776 to inquire about both public or private classes or consulting services.
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The Food Safety Doctor LLC
Promoting Public Health and Food Safety through Training and FSMA Awareness
While sheltering in place, The Food Safety Doctor LLC is offering
FSMA Compliance Courses - Virtual Instructor Led Training (vILT)
Information Page
Click here to access the schedule of PCQI courses
Click here to access the schedule of FSVP-QI courses
Intentional Adulteration Vulnerability Qualified Individuals (IAVA-QI) Courses
Click here to access the schedule of IAVA-QI courses
ONLINE Foreign Supplier Verification Courses (FSVP-QI) Courses
Click here to access the schedule of FSVP-QI courses
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Laws and Regulations Committee Updates
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Laws and Regulations Committee Update
A collection of current food, drug, device, and consumer product regulatory issues and news
July 11 - 12, 2022
July 13 - 14, 2022
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