FDA Commissioner Speaks On Common Visions of Food Safety

FDA Deputy Commissioner for Foods Michael Taylor spoke on May 19 about common consumer/industry vision and prevention principles on which the Food Safety Modernization Act is grounded. Whether looking at today’s food safety challenges through the public health lens or that of the food industry, “we see the same basic principles,” Taylor said. At the highest level, he said, the prevention vision embodied in FSMA is simple: to make food safer by setting and gaining high rates of compliance with standards to prevent hazards from entering the food supply. FSMA provides FDA with a strong mandate to set such standards, and inspection and enforcement tools to achieve compliance.

“The new law shifts our food safety focus from reaction and response to prevention of the problems that can make people sick—from catching food safety problems after the fact to systematically building in prudent preventive measures across the food system,” he said, explaining that it does this by creating a comprehensive regulatory framework for prevention; strengthening FDA’s inspection, compliance and outbreak response tools; modernizing oversight of food imports; and calling for enhanced partnerships as part of a more integrated food safety system.

However, he said, the public health community and the food industry look at prevention through different lenses. The public health community and consumers are focused on reducing foodborne illness and ensuring consumer confidence in food.

The food industry also has strong interest in preventing foodborne illness to prevent harm to customers, but also from a business perspective, to avoid the costs, market disruptions, and loss of consumer confidence of outbreaks.

So, though looking at food safety through somewhat different lenses, he said, consumers and industry embrace a common vision: prevention of food safety problems. “That shared understanding and the vision that goes with it is why FSMA was enacted.”

Read the full speech at www.qualityassurance.com, click online extras.