Food Protection Trends - July 2010 - 429

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN FOOD SAFETY
ods. AOAC RI’s GovVal Program has been developed to address this need. The GovVal program provides method extensions to existing Performance Tested MethodsSM (PTM) and Official Methods of AnalysisSM (OMA) validated methods for comparison to other reference methods, in this case the Health Canada reference method for detection of Listeria monocytogenes in ready-toeat meats and Listeria species on stainless steel surfaces. The GovVal program is based on the Performance Tested MethodsSM (PTM) program operated by the AOAC Research Institute. Candidate test kit methods will be evaluated using blind coded samples and the results reviewed by the AOAC General Referee for Microbiology, Health Canada (HC) and Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). Successful candidate methods that have demonstrated equivalency to MFHPB-30 through the GovVal process will be invited by HC and CFIA to submit the AOAC report, along with raw and summary data to the Editor of the Compendium of Analytical Methods. This data will be reviewed by the Microbiology Methods Committee (MMC) for consideration as an acceptable method for regulatory testing in Canada. The project is anticipated to take less than seven months to complete. A conference call with Listeria test kit method developers will be scheduled in the next three to four weeks, after which GovVal method extension applications will be accepted. Interested participants should contact AOAC Research Institute. The GovVal program takes advantage of the existing pool of PTMs. All of these methods have been extensively evaluated, but may not have been evaluated in comparison to the Health Canada reference method for detection of Listeria (MFHPB-30). The GovVal program is designed to evaluate these previously AOAC-approved methods for the specific needs of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to enforce Health Canada standards for regulatory testing, in this case Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat meats and Listeria species on stainless steel surfaces as compared to the Health Canada reference method. Earning accreditation for ISO 22000 provides NSF International with more credibility in the worldwide food market and complements NSF’s existing portfolio of food safety management services, including certifications to Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI)-benchmarked standards such as Safe Quality Food (SQF) and British Retail Consortium (BRC). In order to earn accreditation, NSF International had to follow a rigorous application and auditing process that included a formal review of processes and procedures, auditor qualifications and a witness audit. The witness audit verified that NSF International auditors are highly competent and can perform the audits to the standard’s requirements. To maintain accreditation, NSF International will undergo an annual office and witness audit.

NSF International Receives Accreditation for Food Safety Management Systems Registration SF International has announced it has obtained ISO 22000 accreditation from the ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB). ISO 22000 Food Safety Management Systems Registration accreditation enables NSF, through its subsidiary NSF International Strategic Registrations (NSF-ISR), to register food safety management systems for companies worldwide. Maintaining food safety throughout the entire global supply chain has become a main priority for food companies, including crop producers, food manufacturers and processors, and producers of equipment and packaging materials. Food companies are demanding that quality assurance standards and systems be in place to enhance their overall safety and quality efforts, and implementing ISO 22000 is an effective way to demonstrate this commitment. ISO 22000 was created by the International Organization of Standardization to ensure proper and universally-accepted food safety procedures are being followed throughout the supply chain. ISO 22000 shares the same foundation with the universally-accepted Quality Management Standard ISO 9001 but has a greater focus on food safety management and incorporates Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) principles.

Changes at the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition tephen F. Sundlof, D.V.M., Ph.D., has announced he is stepping down from his position leading the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) to accept a two-year assignment with the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Sundlof has been providing leadership at FDA for 16 years, including 14 years as the director of the Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM). We will miss him, but we are pleased for him as he returns to his academic roots. We are particularly pleased that Steve will be developing a program that will directly benefit FDA by providing a continuous source of highly competent professionals to meet our food safety and public health goals. This new role reflects Dr. Sundlof’s sustained dedication to FDA’s mission, and

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Food Protection Trends - July 2010

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