Food Industry Regulatory Update October 1, 2021

In This Week’s Edition:

USDA Announces $3 Billion Investment in Agriculture, Animal Health, and Nutrition; Unveils New Climate Partnership Initiative, Requests Public Input
FDA Sunscreen Rules Update
FDA CORE Outbreak Investigation Status Update
FSIS Releases Foreign Audit Report on Italy
FSIS Notice on New Sanitation Requirements for Egg Plants
USDA Announces Key Staff Appointments
FSIS Updates Lists of Foreign Establishments Eligible to Export to U.S.
FDA Import Alerts
FDA Warning Letters

USDA Announces $3 Billion Investment in Agriculture, Animal Health, and Nutrition; Unveils New Climate Partnership Initiative, Requests Public Input

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced a comprehensive set of investments to address challenges facing America’s agricultural producers. These include assistance to address challenges and costs associated with drought, animal health, market disruptions for agricultural commodities, and school food supply chain issues. Secretary Vilsack also outlined and requested public comments on a new climate partnership initiative designed to create new revenue streams for producers via market opportunities for commodities produced using climate-smart practices. Support will be made available via the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC). Specifically, funds will be used to provide:

$500 million to support drought recovery and encourage the adoption of water-smart management practices
Up to $500 million to prevent the spread of African Swine Fever
$500 million to provide relief from agricultural market disruption
Up to $1.5 billion to provide assistance to help schools respond to supply chain disruptions

FDA Sunscreen Rules Update

FDA is posting the deemed final order for over-the-counter (OTC) sunscreens and is issuing a proposed order for sunscreens.

FDA CORE Outbreak Investigation Status Update

This week’s updates are:

The case count increased for the outbreak of Salmonella Thompson and sample collection and analysis has been initiated.
The case count increased for the outbreak of Cyclospora (#1026).
The case count increased for the outbreak of Cyclospora (#1020).

CORE Investigation Table

FSIS Releases Foreign Audit Report on Italy

Details here.

FSIS Notice on New Sanitation Requirements for Egg Plants

FSIS has published a notice provides a list of regulatory changes that will take effect on October 29, 2021, when plants that produce egg products must comply with the Sanitation Performance Standards (SPS) requirements in 9 CFR part 416 and implement Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (Sanitation SOPs). This notice instructs FSIS inspection program personnel (IPP) to remind plants of these upcoming changes at the next weekly meeting. FSIS will issue additional instructions to IPP on how to verify that egg products plants meet SPS requirements and Sanitation SOPs.