Nation’s food, drug officials’ association gives FDA blueprint thumbs up

Opinion

By AFDO

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has released its blueprint for agency’s “New Era of Smarter Food Safety.” It represents a new approach to food safety, leveraging technology and other tools to create a safer and more digital, traceable food system.

The blueprint seeks out simpler, more effective, and modern approaches and processes. The ultimate goal is to bend the curve of foodborne illness in this country by reducing the number of illnesses.

Back in December of 2019, Association of Food and Drug Officials Executive Director Steven Mandernach provided written comment on the blueprint for a “New Era of Smarter Food Safety” on behalf of ADFO and its members.

“We are pleased that our input clearly helped inform the development of the Blueprint’,” Mandernach says.

“The New Era of Smarter Food Safety Blueprint leverages the existing relationships with domestic mutual reliance with state, local, tribal, and territorial food safety agencies while also enhancing this relationship through information sharing, modernizing inspections, and adoption of root cause analysis.

“Further, FDA recognizes in this program the importance of modernizing food safety in restaurants and other retail food establishments that are is the source for many of the illnesses.

“AFDO looks forward to collaborating with FDA to achieve the vision of the New Era of Smarter Food Safety.”

• The New Era of Smarter Food Safety Website
• The New Era of Smarter Food Safety Blueprint (https://www.fda.gov/food/new-era-smarter-food-safety/new-era-smarter-food-safety-blueprint)
• Remarks by FDA Commissioner Stephen M. Hahn, M.D., with an introduction by Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response Frank Yiannas (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiIRVm9bC48)

About the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO) from the association website: Since 1986, AFDO unites high-level regulatory officials, industry representatives, trade associations, academia and consumer organizations. AFDO members strive to foster uniformity in the adoption and enforcement of science-based food, drug, medical device and cosmetic products safety laws and regulation for improved public health. 

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