Snack World - November 2011 - (Page 10)

Government Update Working for You SFA focuses on issues such as complying with FSMA and ensuring snack foods remain an option for SNAP participants. BY BOB GATTY hile much of Congress’ attention is focused on budget battles and how to shrink the federal deficit, many other key issues that affect snack food companies are in play. Snack Food Association (SFA) President and CEO Jim McCarthy outlined the association’s efforts regarding many of these initiatives at the 2011 Management Development Program in Dearborn, MI, Oct. 10-11. SFA has met with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials in an effort to minimize the impact of the new Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) regulations on companies in the industry, Mr. McCarthy said. While FSMA includes new recordkeeping requirements, he is hopeful FDA will grant an exemption for smaller facilities such as warehouses used by snack food manufacturers for storing finished packaged products. SFA will soon launch a training program that will include a manual for members on how to comply with the law, according to Mr. McCarthy. Webinars or seminars are also included in the offering, he said. Dr. Paul A. Hall, PhD, AIV Microbiology & Food Safety Consultant, LLC, provided an update on FSMA implementation, stressing that it will affect both domestic and foreign snack food operators. The law will result in more frequent inspections, and he encouraged companies to move www.sfa.org W At the Management Development Program in Dearborn, MI, SFA President and CEO Jim McCarthy discusses such topics as the new food safety law and independent contractors. quickly to develop the food safety plans now required. Nine months are left before the deadline. An important provision in the new law, according to Dr. Hall, is the mandatory recall authority given to FDA, which is currently writing regulations to implement all of the law’s provisions. He noted that the agency is trying to be as transparent as possible during this process. On Oct. 1, FDA began implementation of fee provisions for re-inspections. “If they have to come back into your company, you will get a bill from the agency,” Dr. Hall said. The fee is $224 per hour, if there is no foreign travel. In addition, companies that fail to comply with a recall order will cover all FDA-related activities performed as part of the recall. FSMA mandates that processors maintain details on the immediate supplier and immediate product destination. Nevertheless, Dr. Hall encouraged manufacturers to work toward complete traceability. “The closer you can get to fullpedigree traceability, the better off you will be,” he said. NUTRITIONAL ISSUES. SFA has been working against initiatives that could result in snack foods being eliminated from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the federal food stamp program, according to Mr. McCarthy. “There is a major effort going on from both sides of the aisle, opposing our products being allowed in the food stamp program,” he said. “If they were eliminated, that could be devastating to the industry.” Many groups advocating programs to help feed the hungry support SFA position on this ’s issue, according to Mr. McCarthy, who noted that threats are arising at the federal level in the form of proposed studies on food choices and potential bans on certain categories of foods. At the state level, the threats are in the form of requests for USDA waivers to restrict certain SNAP purchases. “To impose such changes on the program would reintroduce the complexities, stigmas and confusion that food and nutrition interests have worked so hard to eliminate over the last 30 years,” he said. In other nutritional issues, SFA will continue its opposition to unreasonable restrictions on sodium in foods, according to Mr. McCarthy. When it comes to being targeted by critics, he said sodium is “the new trans fats.” However, he also pointed out that many companies in the industry are well on the way to reducing sodium by as much as 25%. SFA sees efforts to develop “voluntary” limits on children’s food advertising as the first step toward mandatory controls, 10 Snack World November 2011 http://www.sfa.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Snack World - November 2011

Snack World - November 2011
Contents
Letter from SFA - Looking Back and Seeing Ahead
Supplier’s Corner - Making it Work
Calendar of Events
Government Update - Working for You
Management Development - Leaders of Tomorrow
Inustry Images - Future Focus
Celebrating 75
New Snacks
Products & Services
Ad Index

Snack World - November 2011