The Food & Drug Administration today unveiled the New Era of Smarter Food Safety, a strategic blueprint to bolster protection of the nation’s food supply that builds on the nearly decade-old Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).
FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn said the New Era plan marks a new approach to food safety in terms of employing technology and other tools to establish a more digital, traceable food supply chain. The goal is to “bend the curve” of foodborne illness by enhancing traceability, improving predictive analytics, responding more rapidly to outbreaks, addressing new business models, reducing food contamination and developing stronger food safety cultures.
“The blueprint outlines a path forward that builds on the work the FDA has already done through implementation of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). As you know, FSMA has been a centerpiece of our work to help ensure food safety and prevent foodborne illnesses through the use of science and risk-based standards. The authority granted by FSMA enables a flexible framework that is adaptable to the changing food environment as science and technologies evolve,” Hahn said in a press conference on Monday.
“The blueprint we release today represents the next stage in this process — a commitment we are making to the American people that we will work as fast and effectively as we can to help ensure that we have the safest food system in the world. And we’ll do this in part by incorporating the use of the most modern technologies that are already in use in society and the business sector,” he explained. “Some of this innovation is already creating a revolution in food production, supply and delivery.”
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Hahn said tech-enabled traceability will allow the FDA and food supply chain stakeholders to address a key challenge in recent years: recurring outbreaks of illnesses related to the consumption of certain foods. Greater use of technology will enable faster tracing of contaminated food to its source in minutes — “not days, weeks, or even longer,” he noted.
“We want to explore ways to encourage companies to adopt tracing technologies and also to harmonize efforts to follow food from farm to table. We should strive to speak the same language by espousing similar data standards across government and industry for tracking and tracing a food product,” Hahn said.
Source: Supermarket News