The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on May 20, 2016, finalized rules updating the Nutrition Facts Panel and changing the serving sizes (reference amounts customarily consumed) for certain foods. The rules may be found here and here. Compliance is required by July 26, 2018. Small businesses have an additional year to comply. For more…
On May 4, 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that it had recognized Canada’s food safety system as being comparable to that of the U.S. This has very significant implications for importers of Canadian products. These implications are discussed in this USFI regulatory alert. Foods not intended for further processing that are imported…
U.S. Food Imports LLC (USFI) is pleased to announce that USFI President, Erik Lieberman, has been named to the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance (FSPCA) International Subcommittee. The FSPCA is a public-private partnership created by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Illinois Institute of Technology’s Institute for Food Safety and Health…
Erik Lieberman, president of U.S. Food Imports LLC appeared on FDA’s “Voices of FSMA” video released June 26, 2015. The video was taken at the Agency’s public meeting on implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) April 23-24 and contains great commentary from many stakeholders. FSMA is the most sweeping change to U.S. food law…
The 2013 Grade “A” Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (PMO) has not been readily available online. This is the most recent version of the Grade “A” PMO to date. The Grade “A” PMO is the model regulation for the United States governing the processing, packaging, and sale of Grade “A” milk and milk products, including buttermilk and buttermilk products,…
Significant Changes to Registration Process in the Works On April 9, 2015, FDA published a proposed rule in the Federal Register (the “Proposed Rule”) to amend and update its existing regulation on registration of food facilities. The Proposed Rule would implement provisions of FSMA that require food facility reregistration and changes to the definition…
On March 26, 2015, Erik Lieberman, President of U.S. Food Imports LLC, gave a presentation at Ka pasesi 2015, an international agriculture conference in Kaunas, Lithuania, entitled “Key Issues for Food Exporters to the United States.” Lieberman reviewed key U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulatory requirements among other things. The slides may…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that they will be holding a national meeting regarding the beginning of their implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). The meeting will be held in Washington, DC, from April 23-24, 2015. More details on the meeting may be found here. Please contact Erik Lieberman…
On December 1, 2014, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a final regulation in the Federal Register requiring businesses who own or operate 20 or more vending machines to provide calorie declarations for certain foods sold from the vending machines. Calorie declarations must be clear and conspicuous and be on the machine itself…
All U.S. and foreign facilities that process, pack or hold food for consumption in the United States are required to be registered with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Foreign facilities are required to appoint an agent in the U.S. as a point of contact for FDA. In 2011, the Food Safety Modernization Act…