FSIS Publicizes Newly Approved Food Safety Technologies
Many of the new technologies developed by meat and poultry processors must first be reviewed by the Food Safety and Inspection Service (“FSIS”) prior to implementation.
Processors are required to submit a written description to the FSIS of any new technology that could affect: (1) product safety; (2) inspection procedures; (3) inspection program personnel safety: or (4) would require changing existing regulations. FSIS, following its review of the processors’ submission, either notifies the processor that it has “no objection” to application of the new technology, or that it has concerns and will require additional information prior to any use of the new science. (See Guidance Procedures for Notification and Protocol Submission of New Technology).
FSIS has acknowledged that many “new technologies have resulted in significant improvements in the safety of meat and poultry in recent years.” The Agency also believes there will be even greater use and benefit from such technologies if they can also be shared with the public and industry. Therefore, FSIS makes available to the public a list of new technologies to which the Agency had no objections.
The FSIS New Technology Information Table contains a brief description of the technologies and names the companies which pioneered them. The list was just updated and contains all new technologies approved within the last 12 months.
If you have not yet added the New Technology Information Table to your “Favorites”, please do so. Meat and poultry processors are investing millions of dollars each year on the issue of food safety alone.
We, of course, can all gain by sharing and remaining abreast of food safety innovation.
Shawn presents a critical area to food safety and defense along with some great information to assist in better management.
A key to using this useful information will be for the interested companies to determine how to best implement this information and these processes withing their internal organizations.
The overall challenge will ito establish an overall compliance plan is including food safety management systems as well as industry standards (GFSI) and controls (HACCP) to effecitively aquire and track the necessary data in an accurate and timely fashion.
The "easier said then done objective" is meeting all of these challenges and implementing the necessary traceability capability.