Content about Food safety

WASHINGTON — The dietary supplement industry’s self-regulatory coalition, the SIDI Work Group, on Thursday announced the release of its voluntary Dietary Supplement Component Supplier Qualification Guideline — a document designed to assist the industry in supply chain integrity, which is a requirement for complying with current good manufacturing practices. 

WASHINGTON — The Council for Responsible Nutrition on Monday announced Jim Griffiths has been named as the association’s VP scientific and international affairs, effective Oct. 10.

Drug store chains have an enormous appetite for consumables. Fresh food sales — defined as dairy, deli, fresh meat and fresh produce — grew nearly 13% year over year through April, according to ACNielsen data.

WASHINGTON — The Grocery Manufacturers Association has pledged $1 million to the creation of the world's first Global Food Safety Fund, an innovative public-private partnership that will be managed by World Bank, an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programs.

WASHINGTON — The New Dietary Ingredient draft guidance, which recently was issued by the Food and Drug Administration, is causing a stir within the dietary supplement industry as experts continue to evaluate what kind of impact the guidance will have on their businesses.

An attorney panelist at a recent industry-sponsored webinar suggested the draft guidance may not stand up in a court of law if finalized and enforced as is.

WASHINGTON — A new multimedia public service campaign that is designed to help families prevent food poisoning in the home has made its debut.

Drug Store News spoke with Greg Tradup, category manager of perishable, supplies and foodservice at McLane Co., about how chain drug retailers successfully can operate in the growing perishable foods space.

Drug Store News: Why have fresh and frozen food become such an attractive category for chain drug retailers?

SILVER SPRING, Md. — The Food and Drug Administration on Friday addressed the current outbreak of E. coli O104 in Europe.

The U.S. regulatory agency said that it has been in "routine contact" with the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention and the European Union to monitor the current outbreak of E. coli O104 and to track any illnesses in the United States that may be related to the outbreak.

HAWTHORNE, N.Y. — Taro said that the Food and Drug Administration has declared the drug maker's manufacturing facility in Canada as having acceptable regulatory status.

The drug maker said it diligently worked to resolve issues noted in an FDA warning letter dated Feb. 5, 2009. The regulatory agency reinspected the manufacturing facility last February.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Food Marketing Institute said Tuesday that it has appointed Robert Rosado as director of government relations.

According to FMI, Rosado will focus on legislation that impacts supermarkets in the areas of food safety, health care, food deserts and the 2012 Farm Bill.

“Rob has a broad range of expertise in food and agriculture that will be very helpful to FMI and its members. His background also includes working with federal agencies on many issues related to the food retail industry,” FMI president and CEO Leslie Sarasin said.

SILVER SPRING, Md. — U.S. marshals have seized more than $6 million in products distributed by Triad Group at the company’s facility in Hartland, Wis., the Food and Drug Administration reported Wednesday.

“We took this action to stop Triad from continuing to distribute products [that] may pose a risk to public health,” stated Dara Corrigan, FDA associate commissioner for regulatory affairs.

WASHINGTON — The House of Representatives on Wednesday passed the Food Safety Modernization Act by a vote of 215-144 to wide industry aplomb.

The bill now only needs President Barack Obama’s signature to become law.

If signed into law, the food safety bill will require biennial registration of all food manufacturing facilities, will provide the Food and Drug Administration with new authority to mandate food recalls and will require companies to develop food safety plans.