In This Week’s Edition:
- Honey Food Fraud; FDA Finds 10% of Imported Honey Affected by Food Fraud
- AMS Solicits Information on Digital Links for GMO Disclosure Requirements
- FNS Updates Foods Provided Through WIC
- FDA Draft Guidance on Sampling Recommendations for Seafood Subject to DWPE; Reopening of Comment Period
- FSIS Updates Directive on Cecal Sampling Under the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System Surveillance Program
- Establishment of the Comptche Viticultural Area
- FSIS Updates Guideline for Retained Water
- USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service Foreign Audit Report: China
- APHIS Proposes to Allow the Importation of Avocado From Guatemala Into the United States
- Update on FDA Investigation of Elevated Lead & Chromium Levels: Cinnamon Applesauce Pouches
- FDA Approves New Antimicrobial Drug for Cattle and Swine
- FDA CORE Outbreak Investigation Status Update
- FSIS Updates Lists of Foreign Establishments Eligible to Export to U.S.
- FDA Import Alerts
- FDA Warning Letters
Honey Food Fraud; FDA Finds 10% of Imported Honey Affected by Food Fraud
FDA is releasing data from a sampling assignment carried out in 2022 and 2023 to test imported honey for economically motivated adulteration (EMA). EMA occurs, for example, when a valuable ingredient or part of a food is intentionally left out, taken out, or is substituted or when a substance is added to a food to make it appear better or of greater value. The sampling was designed to identify products that contained undeclared sweeteners that are less expensive than honey, such as syrups from cane and corn. This assignment follows a previous EMA in honey assignment in 2021-2022 and was intended to identify whether there continues to be issues with EMA for imported honey.
AMS Solicits Information on Digital Links for GMO Disclosure Requirements
AMS is soliciting information about potential amendments to the electronic or digital link disclosure option as it pertains to the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard.
FNS Updates Foods Provided Through WIC
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced that USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service has finalized updates to the foods prescribed to participants in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, known as WIC. These science-based revisions incorporate recommendations from the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025.
FDA Draft Guidance on Sampling Recommendations for Seafood Subject to DWPE; Reopening of Comment Period
FDA will reopen the comment period for 60 days for the draft guidance “Recommendations for Collecting Representative Samples for Food Testing Used as Evidence for Release of Certain Fish and Fishery Products Subject to Detention Without Physical Examination (DWPE) and Removal of a Foreign Manufacturer’s Goods from DWPE,” announced in the Federal Register on February 12, 2024.
FSIS Updates Directive on Cecal Sampling Under the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System Surveillance Program
This directive provides instruction to Veterinary Medical Officers, Supervisory Consumer Safety Inspectors and Consumer Safety Inspectors for the collection of National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) cecal samples at selected slaughter establishments. FSIS is reissuing this directive to specify the personnel who may collect cecal samples. This directive clarifies that the FSIS NARMS program includes isolations of Salmonella, Escherichia coli, Campylobacter, and Enterococcus spp. from intestinal contents and the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine NARMS program includes the same target organism isolations from products collected at retail. Further, NARMS objectives are supported by FSIS antimicrobial resistance Salmonella and Campylobacter data isolated from its verification sampling programs.
Establishment of the Comptche Viticultural Area
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) establishes the 1,421.8-acre “Comptche” American viticultural area (AVA) in Mendocino County, California. The Comptche AVA is excluded from the surrounding North Coast AVA due to significant differences in distinguishing features. TTB designates viticultural areas to allow vintners to better describe the origin of their wines and to allow consumers to better identify wines they may purchase.
FSIS Updates Guideline for Retained Water
This notice provides instructions for inspection program personnel to notify meat and poultry establishments that an updated guideline for retained water is now available. This guideline provides formulas and examples for calculating retained water in products and recommendations to ensure the retained water protocol provides accurate data for labeling determinations.
USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service Foreign Audit Report: China
FSIS maintains a list of comprehensive audits of foreign country inspection systems to ensure compliance with certain regulatory requirements. China has been added to this list.
APHIS Proposes to Allow Importation of Avocado From Guatemala Into the United States
USDA is advising the public that they have prepared a pest risk analysis that evaluates the risks associated with the importation of fresh Hass avocado fruit from Guatemala into the United States. Based on the analysis, USDA has determined that the application of one or more designated phytosanitary measures will be sufficient to mitigate the risks of introducing or disseminating plant pests or noxious weeds via the importation of fresh Hass avocado fruit from Guatemala into the United States.
Update on FDA Investigation of Elevated Lead & Chromium Levels: Cinnamon Applesauce Pouches
To date, the FDA’s Coordinated Outbreak Response & Evaluation Network has reviewed 90 confirmed complaints/reports of adverse events potentially linked to recalled product. Confirmed complainants, or people for whom a complaint or adverse event was submitted and met FDA’s complainant definition, are between zero and 53 years of age and the median age is one year old.
For more information, please visit CDC’s page to review their case reporting methodology and findings.
FDA Approves New Antimicrobial Drug for Cattle and Swine
FDA approved Pradalex (pradofloxacin injection) solution for certain respiratory diseases in cattle and swine. Pradofloxacin is a medically important antimicrobial in the fluoroquinolone class and may only be prescribed by a licensed veterinarian as a single injection.
FDA CORE Outbreak Investigation Status Update
This week’s updates are:
- A new outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium illnesses linked to a not yet identified product (ref #1218) has been added to the table. FDA has initiated traceback.
FSIS Updates Lists of Foreign Establishments Eligible to Export to U.S.
FDA Import Alerts
The latest FDA import alerts include food products due to the presence of salmonella, imported food products that appear to be misbranded, and more.
FDA Warning Letters
Kilitch Healthcare India Limited |
CGMP/Finished Pharmaceutical/Adulterated |
Antaria Pty. Ltd. |
CGMP/Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API)/Adulterated |
FirstCham Co., Ltd. |
CGMP/Finished Pharmaceuticals/Adulterated/Misbranded |
New India Bazar, Inc. |
Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) |
Jiangsu Meifan Biotechnology Co. Ltd. |
CGMP/Finished Pharmaceuticals/Adulterated |
Ecig Charleston LLC |
Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act/Adulterated/Misbranded |