FROM THE
EDITOR
The year 2011 ushered in the most exciting and significant news in the realm of food safety in the past 100 years: the
signing into law of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).
While it is certainly long overdue, this new piece of legislation
promises to upgrade the U.S. food safety system by giving the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the tools, resources and authority to prevent contaminated food from reaching consumers.
At present, the U.S. food safety system is primarily reactive, tracing contaminated food after
outbreaks occur. The new system will focus on
prevention, requiring food facilities at every stage
of the supply chain to adopt practices and implement policies that have been shown to reduce
product contamination.
Changes to the food system won’t happen overnight; however,
certain elements of the new law, such as the FDA’s mandatory recall authority, will certainly speed the removal of contaminated
food from store shelves (or keep it out of the distribution chain entirely) in the absence of a company-issued recall to safeguard public
health. Such efforts at ensuring a safe food supply will finally be
able to keep pace with the complex and global food supply chain
that has developed since the first Food Act was passed in the early
20th century.
Additionally, importers of ingredients and foods from foreign
countries will be required to show verification that their suppliers
are taking the necessary food safety precautions and are following
the same safety standards as those that exist in the U.S.
In essence, the FSMA will allow the construction of a more robust and better coordinated food safety system to keep Americans
healthy and spare food producers from costly recalls.
As we at Food Safety Magazine continue to set the standard for
science-based solutions in the food industry, we will be more
closely examining these new food system requirements and providing relevant content to aid all organizations along the food supply
chain in their compliance with the new law. The January eDigest articles, for example, focused on what the food industry can expect
with the passage of this law.
Another exciting development in the food safety arena is our
new feature for 2011, Spotlight on Meat and Poultry. This addition to
our editorial content will focus on the most critical and cutting-edge issues that affect meat and poultry safety, providing insights
and solutions for the safe production of these foods.
The new year has brought many changes, and important challenges are ahead. We at Food Safety Magazine will help you navigate
the future of food safety.
Best Regards,
Barbara VanRenterghem, Ph.D.
Editorial Director
CEO, The Target Group Inc. Don Meeker
Publisher Stacy Atchison
Right Again Bobby Meeker
Editorial Director Barbara VanRenterghem, Ph.D.
Art Director/Production Craig Van Wechel
Circulation Manager Andrea Karges
Administrative Manager Allison Demmert-Poland
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