In other news, the U.S. FDA has released five guidance documents to help importers and food producers meet key food safety provisions mandated by FSMA. Two of these documents, a draft guidance and a Small Entity Compliance Guide, are meant to help industry meet the requirements of the Foreign Supplier Verification Programs (FSVP) regulation. The third draft guidance addresses the term “same level of public health protection” that is used in both the FSVP regulation and the Produce Safety regulation. This draft guidance provides a framework for determining the adequacy of a process, procedure, or other action intended to provide the same level of protection as those required under FSMA for produce and for human or animal food. The fourth guidance is another chapter in the draft guidance that FDA has been issuing to help food processors and manufacturers comply with the regulation implementing FSMA’s requirements for hazard analysis and risk-based preventive controls for human food. This chapter is designed to help food facilities comply with the supply-chain program requirements of that regulation. The final guidance announces the agency’s intention to exercise enforcement discretion with regard to FSVP for certain importers of grains brought into the U.S. as raw agricultural commodities. More information about these guidance documents can be found at FDA.gov.
France’s Lactalis Forced into New Recall in Baby Milk Scare
As reported by Reuters in January, French dairy group Lactalis is widening a product recall to cover all baby milk manufactured by a factory at the center of a Salmonella contamination. The move comes as the government seeks to contain reputational damage to France’s strategic agri-business industry in overseas markets. At least three dozen children have fallen ill in France and at one other in Spain. Lactalis management said it would recall all infant formula milk products made at its Craon factory that were still in warehouses and on store shelves, regardless of the date of manufacture. The tough measure reflects high-level frustration at the botched handling of the crisis after France’s biggest supermarkets, including Carrefour, Auchan, and Leclerc, said that some Lactalis products subject to recalls in December still found their way onto their shelves.
Retail Food Waste Action Guide
ReFED launches the Retail Food Waste Action Guide, which finds that food waste represents an $18.2 billion opportunity for grocery retailers. Developed in partnership with the Food Waste Reduction Alliance and its members, the guide supports grocery retailers in developing and implementing prevention, recovery, and recycling solutions to help the industry prioritize and accelerate waste reduction activities. It was created with input from more than 30 expert contributors, including major retailers such as Ahold Delhaize USA, Albertsons, Kroger, Publix, Safeway, Target, Wegmans, Walmart, and Whole Foods. The guide finds that, on average, the value of wasted food in retail is equal to roughly double the profits from food sales; prevention solutions such as dynamic pricing and markdowns have the highest profit potential; and new digital technologies such as ride-sharing platforms and chain-of-custody records are being applied to food waste through solutions like dynamic routing and cold chain management.
Business Briefs
SGS of Geneva, Switzerland, acquires Vanguard Sciences.
The American Botanical Council (ABC)-AHP-NCNPR Botanical Adulterants Program changes its names to ABC-AHP-NCNPR Botanical Adulterants Prevention Program.
Limagrain Céréales Ingredients partners with Novolyze to reinforce the microbiological control of its proprietary heat process for flours.
PerkinElmer collaborates with TeakOrigin to develop technology that uses a single platform to analyze food for key indicators that determine authenticity, quality, and freshness.
Matrix Sciences acquires Neumann Risk Services.
The International Food Protection Training Institute moves to new office in Portage, Mich.
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