Bites
Understanding Proposed Rules under
FSMA Key for Produce Industry
With the passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act
(FSMA) in 2011, new food safety regulations mandated by the
government are an important concern for the produce industry.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will
release proposed rules on produce production, food
safety plans and imports in the coming weeks.
To ensure fact is separated from fiction
and to ensure proper understanding
of what these proposed
rules mean to the industry,
the Produce Marketing
Association (PMA) is
providing valuable
resources that ensure
industry stakeholders
can influence and shape the final regulations.
In preparation for the upcoming comment period, PMA is
offering three ways for its members and stakeholders to gain
more information and insight:
•;The;ability;to;sign;up;for;FSMA;updates;and;notifications
of educational sessions, including a free webinar, to help
organizations understand what is included in the proposed
rules and how they will affect operations
•;A;new;FSMA;community;on;PMA;Xchange;to;post
questions and engage with PMA staff experts and members.
Discussions also will be updated on PMA’s Facebook
page and through Twitter using hashtags: #FSMA and
#freshproduce.
•;An;updated;FSMA;resource;page;with;full;details;on
the legislation and other useful resources, including how
organizations will be able to provide comments on the
proposed rules once they are published.
AMI Issues Statement on Meat
Nutrition Labeling
American Meat Institute (AMI) President J. Patrick Boyle
issued the following statement on behalf of the AMI with
regard to the new nutrition labeling requirement:
“On March 1, nutrition labels will be required on
ground meat and poultry packages and on or near major
cuts of meat and poultry sold in supermarkets. This
nutrition information will confirm for consumers what
the latest U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans recently
said: that lean meat and poultry products are an
important part of a healthy, balanced diet. This
final rule has been in progress for more than
a decade, and the meat and poultry industry
is pleased to provide nutrient content
information to consumers about our fresh
products.
“Nutrition labels have been required on processed meat
and poultry products like bacon, ham and marinated pork
loins for many years. Many fresh single-ingredient meat and
poultry products like steak, tenderloins and ground beef also
have carried labels voluntarily. Now this valuable information
will be offered more widely and will provide a pleasant
nutrition surprise to many meat and poultry consumers.
“Meat and poultry products are nutrient dense and rich in
protein, vitamins and minerals. Consumers should note that
29 cuts of beef, pork and lamb are considered lean. A three-
ounce serving of meat or poultry contains between 160 and
200 calories and contains all nine essential amino acids. That
is why meat is considered a ‘complete protein.’
“Recent research has shown that lean meat and poultry
provide a sense of satisfaction that helps control hunger and
aids in weight control. More than 40 cuts of meat and poultry
qualify for the definition of lean.”
NRFSP Earns ANSI Accreditation
The National Registry of Food Safety Professionals (NRFSP) has become the
first food safety manager certification program to be accredited by the American
National Standards Institute (ANSI) based on the ANSI/ISO/IEC 17024 standard
for conformity—a general requirement for bodies operating certification of
persons.
The ISO/IEC standard is globally regarded as the standard for organizations
operating certification programs and providing assurance that the certified
body meets the requirements of the certification. NRFSP maintains its existing
CFP accreditation and has added the more rigorous accreditation to support,
among others, multinational food organizations seeking a food manager
certification that has multijurisdictional acceptance.
NRFSP helps thousands of restaurant and foodservice organizations uphold
essential food safety personnel standards through its certification programs.
NRFSP’s relationship with UK-based Chartered Institute of Environmental Health
will further expand the organization’s reach into the global food safety network.
