The Produce Marketing Association (PMA) submitted comments on the proposed U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rule ‘
Requirements for Additional Traceability Records for Certain Foods’. The intention of the rule is to establish record-keeping requirements for foods on the Food Traceability List designed to improve the traceability information during foodborne illness outbreaks and to increase the speed and precision of trace-back and trace-forward investigations for recall events.
The comments put forth by PMA were informed by the challenges the industry has faced in obtaining critical tracing information and the advancements in traceability approaches that industry has already begun implementing. PMA supports FDA efforts to use the proposed rule to reduce the harm to consumers caused by foodborne pathogens and limit adverse impacts on industry sectors affected by the outbreaks. This will be done by improving the ability to trace the movement quickly and efficiently throug
January 14, 2021
Markon, whose reputation is built upon its dedication to food safety, hired Kate Burr as its new food-safety director.
In her new role, Burr will use her proficiency of field and processing practices, product recall expertise, and sustainability knowledge to enhance Markon’s food-safety initiatives. She will be responsible for compliance with Markon’s 5-Star Food Safety Program standards throughout Markon’s supply chain; ensure all Markon First Crop, Ready-Set-Serve, and Markon Essentials products meet or exceed its stringent food-safety standards; and serve as the voice of Markon for all food safety-related matters. She will also deliver relevant industry information to members, alert customers about food safety concerns, and conduct ongoing research in the field.
Our Crystal Ball for 2021
By Jeff Lenard
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Whether through weak signals or a steam roller, the convenience retail industry is experiencing unique trends and possibilities.
January 11, 2021
No one realistically could have predicted the specific events of 2020, but if you take a step back, some broad trends continued last year that were very much forecast, whether the continuation of online shopping or the consumer embrace of new forms of convenience. So, thinking broadly, we’ve identified 10 broad trends that are already happening and poised to emerge to as much greater extent in 2021. And, we’re not just identifying trends, we’re actively engaged in looking at what our role is as they develop.
Young lambs enjoying the last of the evening light at Easter Dounie Farm, Perthshire APRIL saw pedigree sheep breeders hoping for an outbreak of common sense in the administration of the Premium Sheep and Goat Health Schemes, as the clampdown on vet visits precluded testing and threatened hard-won disease-free accreditation – at a possible cost to farm businesses of tens of thousands of pounds. At the centre of this storm was the SRUC, which stated that, in cases where a flock was due to have its three yearly test for Maedi Visna, but could not now do so, its MV free status would be suspended one month after the intended renewal date, and would not be reinstated until on-site testing can be resumed. Breed societies described this edict as ‘ridiculous’ and called for a much longer grace period between an unavoidably missed test and the loss of MV status – not least because the major breed sales of the summer could be severely disrupted by top breeders being excluded from th
CDC and FDA declare third E. coli outbreak over
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced yesterday that the third outbreak of pathogenic E. coli strain REPEXH02 is over.
The FDA indicated that its investigation will continue and a report will be forthcoming. The investigators expressed confidence that they could connect the strain to leafy greens consumption, but a specific type or brand was not identified. Since the beginning of the outbreak, CDC and FDA have not recommended that consumers avoid any product.
The industry has invested significantly in traceability to facilitate removal of tainted product from commerce. The Produce Marketing Association (PMA) continues to convene experts to identify production practices that have a realistic chance of reducing the risk of contamination and transfer. The risk will never be zero, but we continue to monitor emerging science-based knowledge and support the l