In This Week’s Edition:
- FDA Reduce Added Sugars Virtual Public Meeting and Listening Sessions
- FDA Provides Update on the Cronobacter Prevention Strategy
- FSIS Directive on Cross-Agency Programs with the Agricultural Marketing Service
- USDA Announces Approval of D-SNAP for Florida Disaster Areas
- USDA Expands Efforts to Prevent and Reduce Food Loss and Waste
- USDA Renews Pioneering Partnership with The Coca-Cola Company to Restore Forests, Grasslands and Watersheds
- New USDA Study on Consumer Kitchen Behavior Underscores the Importance of Food Safety Education Month
- Provisions To Improve the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program’s Quality Control System
- USDA Seeks Nominations for Membership on the Advisory Committee on Beginning Farmers and Ranchers
- USDA Launches Program to Support Agricultural Employers and Farmworkers
- FDA CORE Outbreak Investigation Status Update
- FSIS Updates Lists of Foreign Establishments Eligible to Export to U.S.
- FDA Import Alerts
- FDA Warning Letters
FDA to Hold Virtual Public Meeting and Listening Sessions on Strategies to Reduce Added Sugars Consumption in the United States
FDA invites the public to register for the virtual public meeting and listening sessions on strategies to reduce added sugars consumption in the United States, which will be held on November 6-8, 2023. The purpose of the public meeting and listening sessions is to explore what federal agencies, communities, and private industry are doing to encourage the reduced consumption of added sugars.
FDA Provides Update on the Cronobacter Prevention Strategy
FDA is providing an update on its work to advance its strategy to help prevent Cronobacter sakazakii illnesses associated with consumption of powdered infant formula. Read the full update here.
FSIS Directive on Cross-Agency Programs with the Agricultural Marketing Service
The directive provides instructions to Office of Field Operations frontline supervisors, district managers, and inspection program personnel (IPP) for procedures to be followed when AMS procures meat, poultry, and egg product commodities for Federal nutrition assistance programs, e.g., National School Lunch Program or Child and Adult Care Food Program. This directive also has been revised in its entirety to incorporate instructions for IPP in establishments with AMS graders or auditors, including information about cross-utilization of inspection and grading personnel and the current Memorandum of Understanding between AMS and FSIS.
USDA Announces Approval of D-SNAP for Florida Disaster Areas
USDA announced that low-income Florida residents in 11 counties (Citrus, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lafayette, Levy, Madison, Suwanee, and Taylor) recovering from Hurricane Idalia beginning August 30, 2023, could be eligible for a help from the USDA’s Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP).
USDA Expands Efforts to Prevent and Reduce Food Loss and Waste
USDA announced an additional $25 million investment to expand efforts to prevent and reduce food loss and waste. The investment is part of a joint agency initiative between USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture and USDA’s Office of the Chief Economist.
USDA Renews Pioneering Partnership with The Coca-Cola Company to Restore Forests, Grasslands and Watersheds
USDA and The Coca-Cola Company signed a memorandum of understanding renewing a 10-year partnership to restore and improve watersheds on national forests and grasslands nationwide.
New USDA Study on Consumer Kitchen Behavior Underscores the Importance of Food Safety Education Month
USDA is releasing during Food Safety Education Month the results from the final year of a five-year study that observed how consumers prepared meals. The study was produced by USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service as part of their efforts to highlight the importance of safe food handling practices.
Provisions To Improve the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program’s Quality Control System
USDA is issuing this notice of proposed rulemaking to improve the Food and Nutrition Service’s supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program quality control system as required in the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018. The proposed changes are intended to strengthen and improve the integrity and accuracy of the SNAP QC system and to better align SNAP with requirements in the Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019.
USDA Seeks Nominations for Membership on the Advisory Committee on Beginning Farmers and Ranchers
USDA announced a call for nominations to the Advisory Committee on Beginning Farmers and Ranchers. First established in 1992, the Advisory Committee on Beginning Farmers and Ranchers advises the Secretary of Agriculture to enhance USDA’s goals for new farming and ranching operations. Members of the public are invited to submit nominations for themselves or other qualified experts by October 10, 2023.
USDA Launches Program to Support Agricultural Employers and Farmworkers
The Biden-Harris Administration announced that agricultural employers can begin to apply for a pilot program designed to improve the resiliency of the food and agricultural supply chain by addressing workforce challenges farmers and ranchers face. USDA, in coordination with other federal agencies, is announcing up to $65 million in grants available for the Farm Labor Stabilization and Protection Pilot Program.
FDA CORE Outbreak Investigation Status Update
This week’s updates are:
- For the outbreak of Salmonella Newport (ref #1179) in a not yet identified product, the case count has increased from 8 to 10 cases.
- For the outbreak of hepatitis A virus (ref #1143) linked to frozen strawberries, the outbreak is over, and FDA’s investigation has ended.
FSIS Updates Lists of Foreign Establishments Eligible to Export to U.S.
FDA Import Alerts
The latest FDA import alerts include foods that are/contain unsafe food additives, imported foods that appear to be misbranded, and more.
FDA Warning Letters
Caribbean Cloud Dot Com d/b/a Gorilla Vapes of Howell |
Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act/Adulterated/Misbranded |
Caribbean Cloud Dot Com d/b/a Gorilla Vapes |
Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act/Adulterated/Misbranded |
Top Shelf Vaping LLC |
Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act/Adulterated/Misbranded |
VCI Enterprise, Inc d/b/a DRIPTECH |
Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act/Adulterated/Misbranded |
Maison Blanche LLC |
Refusal to Provide Access to and Copying of Records |
Walgreen Company |
Failure to Register and List |
Kor-Chem, Inc. |
CGMP/Finished Pharmaceuticals/Adulterated |
Moorish Science Temple, The Divine and National Movement of North America, Inc; #13 The Moorish American National Republic dba Moor Herbs, Inc. |
Unapproved New Drugs/Misbranded |
PureChemPros LLC |
CGMP/Finished Pharmaceuticals/Adulterated |
Captivape LLC |
Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act/Adulterated/Misbranded |