July 2023

2022 FDA Food Code Gives Us an Updated Temperature Danger Zone

The FDA has released it’s updated version of the Food Code.  Major changes included new definitions, updated references, the addition of sous vide instructions, sesame as a declarable allergen, and a change to the Temperature Safety Zone to between 41°F and 135°F.

The FDA Food Code is in its 30th year this year. Click here to read a Q&A with FDA food safety experts about the history of the code, how often it is updated, and how it is intended to be used.

 

Free Foreign Supplier Verification Program Training

Do you have imported ingredients and want to know if you must comply with the FDA’s Foreign Supplier Verification Program?  The Food Safety Preventive Control Alliance (FSPCA) is offering free FSVP training on their website.

 

January 2023

New Georgia Food Truck Regulations

Did you know that the Georgia Department of Public Health recently created new regulations for food trucks operating in Georgia? House Bill 1443, which allows food trucks to sell food anywhere in the state under a single permit, was passed in March of last year, but went into effect January 1, 2023. Click here to read more.

Join Government Agency Mailing Lists

Many government agencies distribute the latest information through email newsletters and mailing lists. Be among the first to hear about new regulations, news, and recalls by signing-up for government agency email lists.

• U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA)
• U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) Recalls

 

October 2022

The Problem with PFAS

 PFAS (Pre- and Polyfluoroalkyls) are a group of man-made chemicals that have been used for a variety of coatings and surfaces, such as nonstick cookware (Teflon), for decades. Although PFAS are being phased out, these “forever chemicals” never degrade and can build-up in the environment, even making it into the food/water supply. In 2016, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) created a Lifetime Public Health Advisory for 70 parts per trillion in drinking water. In 2021, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released a report, Toxicological Profile for Perfluoroalkyls, and has expressed concern about the toxicity to humans and animals. The same year, the USDA also released a PFAS Fact Sheet. The USDA started testing foods, and in July 6, 2022, the USDA issued it’s first recall (Smoked Clams in Olive Oil, imported from China) due to elevated PFAS limits.

What can you do as a food manufacturer to make sure you are in compliance? Conduct a formal risk assessment to determine if you have high risk ingredients or packaging materials.

Here are some additional resources to help:

• PFAS Information on Department of Defense Website
• General Information on PFAS on EPA Website
• EPA Fact Sheet, PFOS and PFOA Drinking Water Health Advisories
• Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Information on PFAS
• NRCS Science and Technology Webinar Portal For webinars concerning PFAS in water and agricultural production (Search for “PFAS”)

Sesame – Added to USA Mandatory Allergen Labeling Rule

Don’t wait to add any sesame ingredients to your finished product ingredient statements. On January 1, 2023, the Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education, and Research (FASTER) Act will make this mandatory for all food produced in the USA.

Start now to review your ingredients, formulas, and make any needed changes to your labels. Click here to listen to the FDA webinar on this new rule and please reach out with any questions about how this may affect your product formulation or labeling.

 

USDA New Regulations on Breaded, Stuffed Raw Chicken Products

On August 2, 2022, the USDA made a major announcement and declared Salmonella an adulterant in breaded, stuffed raw chicken products such as cordon bleu or chicken Kiev. This means that any of these products that are found to contain Salmonella (limit is 1 cell per gram), the USDA can issue a recall. In fact, prior to this declaration, there have been over 200 cases of Salmonella from these types of products across 14 outbreaks. The problem is that these products are breaded and often par cooked, which makes the product look fully cooked.  Consumers often ignore the cooking directions and just warm-up the product, instead of fully cooking it.

Click here to read the press release on the USDA Website.

October 2022

Get Ready for BRCGS Issue 9 Changes

Certification audits against Brand Reputation Compliance Global Standards (BRCGS)’s new standard will start on February 1, 2023.

These changes were derived from the most common non-conformities for Issue 8. In fact, these eight clauses counted for 30% of all non-conformances over the past few years:

• 11.1 – Premises and equipment hygiene
• 4.8 – Doors – both internal and external
• 6.1 – Equipment construction and maintenance
• 9.1.1 – Chemical control
• 4.1 – Walls – condition and cleaning
• 7.1 – Hazard identification
• 15.1 – Risk assessment for safe storage of ingredients
• 1.2 – Food Safety culture plan

Here’s a list of the Key Changes from BRCGS Issue 8 to Issue 9:

• Product Safety Culture – Consideration of the behavior changes needed to improve culture
  • Sites shall plan to maintain and develop product safety and quality culture within the business
• HACCP/Food Safety Plan – Latest publication of the Codex Alimentarius HACCP principles influence update to several clauses
  • The food safety plan/HACCP requirements updated with the Codex Alimentarius HACCP principles
  • Sites are advised to avoid having multiple plans with different terminology
• Outsourced Processing – New requirements added to ensure outsourced processes are built into a site’s HACCP plan and requirements agreed in a specification
  • Statement of Intent updated to ensure clarity
  • New requirements added to ensure outsourced processes are built into a sites HACCP plan and requirements agreed in a specification
• Root Cause Analysis
  • Clauses reviewed to ensure consistent approach
  • Better linkage to other sections for continual improvement
• Food Defense
  • Section now specific to food defense requirements
  • Clauses mirror food fraud section, so the site can choose to consider the two topics (food defense and food fraud) together
• Equipment – Several standards and industry guidelines updated that provide detailed recommendations for hygienic equipment. Section updated to align with current industry best practices.
  • Consideration when purchasing new equipment or equipment that is new to the site
  • New clause on installation and commissioning
  • New clauses on mobile & static equipment. Battery charging considerations.
  • Requirements for moveable equipment (when moved from one area to another or outside)
• Animal Primary Conversion (slaughter) – New section. Specific controls are required to ensure that food remains safe, authentic, and legal during animal slaughter/dressing.
  • New section
  • The clauses within this section are closely linked to clauses within other sections of the Standard.
• Changes to audit format options
  • Blended audit (optional) – document review can be remote, followed by a shorter, onsite visit. Only available for announced options.  Still required to have one unannounced every three years.
• Unannounced audit – one in three audits must be unannounced. (Already introduced in 2020)

Visit BRCGS’s website for more information.

Have a customer that is asking for a third-party audit and don’t know where to start? GaMEP food-industry experts explain the process and help you prepare to satisfy this frequent customer requirement in our recent webinar, “Demystifying GFSI, SQF, and other Third Party Audits.”

If you need additional assistance getting started, GaMEP can help you prepare for third-party food safety audits by conducting a comprehensive onsite gap assessment. Please visit our Food and Beverage Industry Page or reach out to GaMEP’s Food Safety Industry Manager, Wendy White, for more information.