Food safety education is important 365 days a year, but September is the month when many organizations, AFDO included, put a spotlight on what happens all year. This is also the 25th birthday of the Integrated Food Safety System, so there is a lot to talk about.
To celebrate these milestones, AFDO is premiering a series of interviews with key influencers conducted by AFDO Senior Advisor Joe Corby.
The first guest is Michael Taylor, a lawyer who has played leadership roles in public health and food safety in government, academia, and the private sector, with a major focus on modernizing the U.S. food safety system to prevent foodborne illness. From 2010 to 2016, he was the Deputy Commissioner for Foods and Veterinary Medicine at the FDA, and he currently co-chairs the board of STOP Foodborne Illness, a non-profit that supports victims of serious illness and their families in efforts to strengthen food safety culture and practices in government and industry.
The global meal kit delivery services market size was $20.54 billion in 2022, and it's expected to grow by 15% annually from 2023 to 2030, according to Grand View Research. With this increasing popularity in meal kits, the FDA has created a video highlighting tips for what to do – and watch out for – when the delivery first arrives to ensure the food inside is safe.
Play Bingo for Prizes
Promote Food Safety Education
September is Food Safety Education Month, and the Partnership for Food Safety Education is bringing more awareness to safe food handling and hand hygiene in your community.
Here is one way to participate: play Food Safety Bingo by completing food safety activities for the chance to win prizes.
Watch eNews for more ways to promote food safety education with PFSE.
Posted 9/5/2023
DEA Receives Marijuana Classification Review from HHS
On August 30, 2023, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) sent its findings on marijuana to the Drug Enforcement Administration. President Biden, in October 2022, requested the HHS secretary and the attorney general to conduct a review of marijuana’s current classification as a Schedule 1 controlled substance. Bloomberg has reported that a top official with HHS recommends reclassifying marijuana to a Schedule III drug.
September 13 Webinar
Food Safety Takes Adaptability and Persistence
The eighth in the ongoing series of webinars exploring food safety culture takes place Wednesday, September 13, 2023. Co-hosted by FDA and the Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness, "Facing Food Safety Challenges Through Culture and Persistence" begins at 12:00 p.m. ET and lasts one hour.
AFDOSS held its annual education conference for 125 registrants at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Asheville, North Carolina, August 27-30, 2023.
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New president Virginia Hamilton, MFRPS coordinator at Commonwealth of Kentucky (left), took over for Melissa Lombardi of the New Hanover County Health and Human Services in North Carolina (right), AFDOSS Board President, 2022-2023.
Among the speakers on the agenda was AFDO Executive Director Steven Mandernach, who discussed the cottage food business. At left is AFDOSS Board Secretary Jonathan Wheeler of the South Carolina Dept. of Health and Environmental Control.
Matthew Colson, FDA ORA-Office of Human and Animal Food Operations, is the 2023 winner of the Eugene Holeman Award, which goes to an individual who has demonstrated that they have served the Association and made a valuable contribution to food, drug, cosmetic, or consumer products and administration and enforcement.
This year’s 2023-2024 Mary Logan Scholarship winner is Mari Schroeder, who is completing a food science doctorate from the University of Florida. A malnourished child in China, she flourished after adoption with access to high-quality food products but says she stays mindful of poor conditions elsewhere. Educational opportunities have given Schroeder work with the Plain Community, an internship in Ethiopia with Ohio State University, and a fellowship with the Partnership for Food Safety Education.
She aspires to work for a nonprofit or nongovernmental organization that improves the health of individuals and communities in need through agriculture. The $4,500 scholarship is named for Mary Logan, a longtime Tennessee Dept. of Agriculture employee who served as AFDOSS secretary and treasurer for 30 years.
Posted 9/5/2023
September 15
Register Now for Part 2 in Series on Early Days of IFFS Efforts
Registration is open to attend Part 2 of a three-part webinar, "Tale of the Cocktail Napkin: The Origin of the Effort to Develop a Nationally Integrated Food Safety System," on September 15, 2023. Panel member Joe Corby, senior AFDO advisor and former executive director of AFDO, and others will discuss the early planning of a national food safety system, single food agency legislation, and the Partnership for Food Protection.
FDA Names First Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods
On Wednesday, August 23, 2023, the FDA announced its selection of James "Jim" Jones as the first Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods. The new executive position will lead the charge in setting and advancing priorities for a proposed unified Human Foods Program (HFP), including food safety.
“Jones is highly regarded as a great partner. He has a record of working with state partners in his roles at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),” AFDO Executive Director Steven Mandernach commented last Wednesday shortly after the announcement.
“Because of his role as a member of the Panel that did an operational evaluation of the FDA’s Human Foods Program at Commissioner Califf’s request, Jones is knowledgeable of the agency’s challenges and opportunities and the panel’s recommendations that the FDA is adopting in its proposal for a unified HFP,” said Mandernach.
Final Food Traceability Rule Is Effective in 2026
Webinar Covers Ways to Manage Compliance
To help understand the Food Safety Modernization Act Rule 204 – which has a January 2026 compliance date – catch the September 6 webinar, FDA's Food Traceability Rule: Going Beyond Regulatory Compliance With Ambient IoT. Rule architect Frank Yiannas will clarify the FSMA rule's nuances and progress. Steve Statler, chief marketing officer at webinar sponsor Wiiliot, will address how ambient Internet of Things (IoT) fits in revolutionizing the food supply chain.
The most consumed seafood in the United States is shrimp, and Ecuador is one of the leading exporters of aquacultured shrimp to the U.S. market. On August 24, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration signed a Regulatory Partnership Arrangement (RPA) with the Vice Ministry of Aquaculture and Fisheries in Ecuador to strengthen food safety in shrimp and reinforce food safety practices along the entire supply chain.
AFDO eNews is showcasing FoodSHIELD and its secure online collaboration tools that are available to regulatory professionals at no cost. The platform’s capabilities, or tools, are all designed with food safety and public health collaboration in mind.
Suggestions Are Under Review
The FoodSHIELD Joint Advisory Group (JAG), which comprises platform users from the state, federal, and association sectors, met in August to review proposals for the 2023-24 development year.
Proposals come from the general FoodSHIELD user community and cover a wide range, including enhancements to existing tools and capabilities or ideas for completely new tools. Selected projects support inter-organization collaboration to advance the Integrated Food Safety System (IFSS).
Points of contact for accepted 2023-24 projects will receive an acceptance letter in mid-September 2024.
Contact Randy Treadwell at rtreadwell@afdo.orgwith any questions or to request a FoodSHIELD demo. If you’re looking for FoodSHIELD brochures and one-pagers on its various tools and capabilities, go to www.afdo.org/Foodshield.
Posted 8/29/2023
Wednesday, September 13
2023 Food Safety Forum Is Free and Virtual
AFDO is partnering with the American Frozen Food Institute for its Food Safety Forum in 2023. Food safety and public health stakeholders, such as AFDO Executive Director Steven Mandernach, will have an open and frank conversation about risk communications in relation to food safety. This free and virtual event promises an engaging dialogue on the public acceptance of food safety risks, communications techniques, and the role of public health officials in risk communications.
The Food Safety Forum is Wednesday, September 13, 2023, from 11 a.m.–2:45 p.m. EDT.
Save the Date for Root Cause for Retail Food Safety
Root Cause Analysis is a critical part of the food safety problem-solving process. This analytical process breaks down the system into its components, enabling an understanding of the effect of each component on others and/or the system. Root cause analysis techniques assist in identifying possible causes and determining actual causes.
This AFDO course develops the skills needed to define the problem, collect data, determine the “why” of the violation or outbreak, and identify solutions by applying the concepts of root cause analysis to reduce risk factor violation occurrence and enhance foodborne illness outbreak investigations. Course objectives include:
Enhance problem-solving effectiveness by providing a model for more deeply analyzing problem situations, e.g., foodborne illness outbreaks.
Clarify the difference between analytical and creative thinking, and learn when each is most useful.
Promote the ability to provide problem-solving support in situations where one is not an expert in the process or technology involved.
Expand the range of tools available for analysis of problems.
This virtual course consists of four 4.5-hour sessions and will have activities and exercises. To be notified when registration is open or to ask questions, please contact Deanna Copeland at DCopeland@afdo.org.
Course Dates:
October 10-13, 2023
Dec 4-7, 2023
Cost: $250 Registration Seat limit per course: 15
Posted 8/22/2023
September 19-22
WAFDO's AEC and FDA Retail Seminar Is This Month
Portland, Oregon, is the site for the 2023 WAFDO AEC and a FDA Retail Seminar, four days of training, information sharing, and networking. Industry, academic, and regulatory partners can join in learning, open dialogue, and collaboration to improve public health outcomes.
September 29
FDA Public Meeting Focuses on Recalls
The FDA will hold a public meeting entitled "Modernizing Food and Drug Administration Recalls Listening Session" on September 29, 2023, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EDT. The in-person and virtual all-day (hybrid) public meeting provides stakeholders an opportunity to share information, ideas, questions, and concerns about topics related to recall modernization.
Registration deadlines and details on how to prepare for the meeting can be found here.
Posted 8/7/2023
October 4-6
Registration Is Open for 2023 FDA Retail Food Protection Seminar
The FDA Retail Food Seminar will be held in Michigan at the Sheraton Grand Rapids Airport Hotel October 4-6. Find hotel information, register online for the seminar, preview the agenda, and read about sponsorships here.
The deadline to register without a late fee is Wednesday, September 20, 2023.
Participants at the July 16-19, 2023, International Association for Food Protection's annual meeting in Toronto were able to attend the AFDO-organized Consumer Food Complaint Systems Roundtable. AFDO was also represented in a session called "From Inspection to Insight: Using Regulatory Retail Inspection Data to Improve Food Safety Policies and Practices."
Posted 7/24/2023
FDA UpdatesCOVID-19 Onsite Visit Guidance's
On July 13, 2023, the FDA reissued two temporary guidance's originally published during the COVID-19 public health emergency for certain regulatory requirements that involve onsite visits abroad under the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).
There is an opening for Associate Commissioner for Regulatory Affairs (ACRA) with the Food and Drug Administration in Silver Spring, Maryland. The ACRA is responsible for providing overall executive leadership and direction to staff at the Office of Regulatory Affairs (ORA).
IFSH-Led Alliance Receives International Association for Food Protection Award
The Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance (FSPCA) at Illinois Tech's Institute for Food Safety and Health (IFSH) was selected to receive the 2023 Food Safety Award from the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP).
“FSPCA has trained more than 3,000 lead instructors from 78 countries who are now using the FSPCA curricula to train industry personnel on food safety preventive controls principles and practices, ”says Jason Wan, Director of FSPCA, Associate Director of IFSH, and Illinois Tech professor of food science.
Posted July 24, 2024
Omaha in March 2024
Save the Date for 2024 MCAFDO AEC
Planning is underway for the 2024 MCAFDO Annual Educational Conference. The agenda for the event in Omaha, Nebraska, will be available later on the MCAFDO web page. Take a peek at the location, Scott Conference Center, here.
Posted 7/24/2023
3 Days in September
International Symposium Comes to the USA
Dallas, Texas, welcomes the 2023 International Food Ionizing Processing Symposium (IFIS) this year. It will be held in The Dallas Center – Texas A&M Agri Life) from September 26-28, 2023.
The event brings together food industry technology developers and providers, researchers, and others so attendees can learn about ionization processing for feed, food, and phytosanitary uses.
ER Visits Linked to Cannabis Climbed During Pandemic
During the pandemic, emergency room visits related to cannabis use increased among people under age 25, and they've remained elevated, according to a new study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Yet, the exact reasons are unclear. According to the report, contributing factors may be:
Increased use as a coping mechanism for pandemic-related stressors
Use of highly concentrated THC products
Increased availability in states with legal marketplace
Increased unintentional ingestions due to appealing or confusing packaging
Researchers advise that data used in the study does not represent national demographics. View the full report here.
Posted 7/17/2023
Streaming Next Week
Netflix Food Safety Documentary Airs in August
"Poisoned: The Dirty Truth About Your Food" is based on the 2011 book Poisoned: The True Story of the Deadly E. Coli Outbreak That Changed the Way Americans Eat. The documentary about the food industry and its regulators drops August 2, 2023.
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