Prepared Foods - February 2009 - (Page 23)

new product trends Food Protection is Top of Mind New labeling controls continue to be in the spotlight, as related to seafood products, and food illnesses and protection experience important regulation activity. personnel and completion of a “high-risk” initiative, including over 5,000 inspections of high-risk domestic facilities. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued instructions to ﬁeld personnel in the Ofﬁce of Public Health on how to handle investigations of foodborne illnesses believed to originate from FSIS-inspected establishments (meat, eggs and poultry). The directive is 8080.3, “Foodborne Illness Investigations.” Instruction is also offered to related offices that may assist or be involved in an FSIS foodborne illness investigation. Foodborne Disease Investigations Branch (FDIB) personnel evaluate any data provided from any source, evaluate the “surveillance data,” assess the “strength of the surveillance data” and initiate or recommend initiation (based on identiﬁed criteria) of further actions. Actions resulting from the surveillance and investigation range from a recall (directed by a Recall Committee applying the criteria of Directive 8080.1); a public health alert (if a public health concern is linked to a product category, but an individual brand or source cannot be identiﬁed); increased inspection depth and frequency; suspension of inspection; or criminal enforcement under Directive 8010.5. Each surveillance or investigation under 8080.3 after closure would be followed by a review of the investigation, with emphasis on areas for improvement or modiﬁcation. Mark Hostetler is an attorney at Husch Blackwell Sanders LLP. Experienced in advising consumer product companies and focusing primarily in the food industry, he has guided producers, advertisers and marketers through regulatory proceedings, product recalls, new product introductions, and new advertising and promotional campaigns. He can be reached at Mark.Hostetler@huschblackwell.com. Mark Hostetler, Husch Blackwell Sanders LLP T he Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that January 2, 2012, will be the Uniform Compliance Date for any new labeling regulations finalized between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2010. The current Uniform Compliance Date—for labeling regulations dated between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2008—is January 1, 2010. FDA has issued Guidance for FDA staff in the form of a Compliance Policy Guide, CPG 7108.16, relating to “Processed and/or Blended Seafood Products.” The Guidance deals speciﬁcally with the labeling of surimi and “to permit the use of ‘and/ or’ labeling for various ﬁsh species used…,” for example, “ﬁsh protein (contains one or more of the following: Pollock, cod, and/or Paciﬁc whiting).” The Guidance also discusses products labeled as “imitation” and “ﬁsh protein blended with ” FDA published an update on its 2007 Food Protection Plan, “Food Protection Plan One-Year Progress Summary.” The Summary spells out FDA’s accomplishments and attentiveness to issues in the Plan’s three key areas of prevention, intervention and response. The Summary evidences FDA’s continuing interest in third-party certiﬁcation, both foreign and domestic, and describes speciﬁc actions related to border interventions and on-site, foreign-based FDA ofﬁces. Speciﬁc regulatory proposals for third-party certiﬁcation programs remain on FDA’s to-do list. As part of the enhanced food safety program, FDA announced the hiring of an additional 130 investigatory www.PreparedFoods.com ● February 2009 23 http://www.PreparedFoods.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Prepared Foods - February 2009

Prepared Foods - February 2009 Contents Hitting the Shelves Category Analysis: Contemplating Condiments Consumer Research: Flavor Launches Signal Trends Regulations: Food Protection MarketWatch Grab and Go: From Street Food to Retail Flavor Secrets: Shrimp Around the World On the National Menu Gelatos and Gourmet Ice Creams R&D Applications Seminar: Fats—Nutritional Nuances to Physical Functionality R&D Applications: CLA Claims on Ingredient Statements R&D Applications: Leavening Allows Sodium Health Claims Abstracts

Prepared Foods - February 2009

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