New early detection system helps FDA identify 100+ food safety problems in first seven months
March 11, 2015
More than 100 food safety reports were submitted by industry to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's new electronic portal in its first months of operation, the agency said.
Mandated by Congress, the Reportable Food Registry (the Registry) is a new system that requires manufacturers, processors, packers and distributors to immediately report to the government safety problems with food and animal feed, including pet food, that are likely to result in serious health consequences.
"The FDA's new reporting system has already proven itself an invaluable tool to help prevent contaminated food from reaching the public," said FDA Deputy Commissioner for Foods Michael R. Taylor.
A report summarizing the Registry's first seven months of operation (September 2009 -March 2010) finds that it logged 125 primary reports - initial reports about a safety concern with a food or animal feed (including food ingredients) - and 1,638 subsequent reports from suppliers or recipients of a food or feed for which a primary report had been submitted, from both domestic and foreign sources. These reports help FDA and the food industry locate hazardous foods in the supply chain and prevent them from reaching consumers.
Two notable reports first identified through the Registry prompted the following:
-- A February 2010 recall of hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP), without
any report of illness. More than 1,000 industry reports specifically
for products containing HVP resulted in the removal of 177 products