Food Industry Regulatory Update September 10, 2021

In This Week’s Edition:

USDA Invests $700 million in Grants to Provide Relief to Farm and Food Workers Impacted by COVID-19

USDA Reminds Consumers to Handle Frozen Foods Safely This School Year
USDA Expands Assistance to Cover Feed Transportation Costs for Drought-Impacted Ranchers
USDA Announces Moratorium on Mandatory Inspections Required by the Walnut Marketing Order
FDA to hold E-commerce Food Safety Virtual Summit
FSIS Issues Rule Requiring Inspection of Imported Egg Substitutes and Freeze-Dried Egg; Foreign Governments Must Notify FSIS by October 31, 2021
FDA Receives Petitions on Blue Color Additive, Vitamin D2
FSIS Updates Directive on Procedures for Evidence Collection, Safeguarding and Disposal
FDA CORE Outbreak Investigation Table Update
FSIS Updates Lists of Foreign Establishments Eligible to Export to U.S.
FDA Import Alerts
FDA Warning Letters

USDA Invests $700 million in Grants to Provide Relief to Farm and Food Workers Impacted by COVID-19

USDA announced that $700 million in competitive grant funding will be available through the new Farm and Food Workers Relief (FFWR) grant program to help farmworkers and meatpacking workers with pandemic-related health and safety costs. For more information about upcoming webinars, grant eligibility, and program requirements, click here.

USDA Reminds Consumers to Handle Frozen Foods Safely This School Year

As students, parents and caretakers adjust to a physical return to classrooms this fall, the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reminds families to follow food safety practices to prevent foodborne illness when it comes to preparing frozen foods. The USDA recommends following these tips”:

Check the Package
Wash Hands and Surfaces
Use a Food Thermometer
Keep Out of the Danger Zone

Read the full article here.

USDA Expands Assistance to Cover Feed Transportation Costs for Drought-Impacted Ranchers

In response to the severe drought conditions in the West and Great Plains, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced its plans to help cover the cost of transporting feed for livestock that rely on grazing. USDA is updating the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP) to immediately cover feed transportation costs for drought impacted ranchers.

USDA Announces Moratorium on Mandatory Inspections Required by the Walnut Marketing Order

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced a six-month moratorium on the enforcement of mandatory inspection requirements under the federal marketing order for California walnuts that will begin Sept. 1, 2021. This moratorium also includes inspection requirements on walnuts imported into the United States under section 8e of the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937.

FDA to hold E-commerce Food Safety Virtual Summit

The summit begins on October 19. To learn more and to register click here.

FSIS Issues Rule Requiring Inspection of Imported Egg Substitutes and Freeze-Dried Egg; Foreign Countries Must Notify FSIS by October 30, 2021

The rule requires foreign manufacturing plants to be located in countries where FSIS has made an equivalency determination among other things. The rule goes into effect in October 2023, but countries seeking to export egg substitutes and freeze-dried egg to the U.S. after October 2023 must notify the agency by October 30, 2021.

FDA Receives Petitions on Blue Color, Mushroom-Derived Vitamin D2 Additives

More information here:

FSIS Revises Directive on Procedures for Evidence Collection, Safeguarding and Disposal

FSIS has published a revised directive on procedures for evidence collection, safeguarding and disposal. Read more here.

FDA CORE Outbreak Investigation Table Update

The CORE Investigation Table is a list of outbreak investigations being managed by FDA’s CORE Response Teams. The investigations are in a variety of stages, meaning that some outbreaks have limited information, and others may be near completion. The table will be updated weekly.

This week’s updates are: