Get ready to deal with a revised and more stringent food safety bill giving more powers to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), more encompassing food guidelines to combat obesity, a child nutrition reauthorization bill mandating healthier school meals, higher commodity process, stronger private-label competition and new consumer behaviors. ADS has been following this issue for members. Additional information about food safety can be found on the Communications Archive on the members-only site.

Some key takeaways from the article are:

• The Food Safety Modernization Act will give the FDA the authority to recall suspected tainted food for the first time in history, improving food safety.
• The FDA will be required to track the movement of food products from farm to point of sale or service.
• To reduce the risk of contaminants in foods, the Secretary of Health and Human Services will identify and determine the most significant foodborne contaminants and develop guidance to assist food producers.
• Imported foods will have to be certified by a third party with experience in food safety under the FDA’s supervision.
• Food manufacturers will have to develop and implement written plans that evaluate hazards that could affect food safety.
• According to research, one in five American children is considered obese, and a number of food manufacturers are working to introduce lower-calorie versions to help combat this issue.
• Consumers want to spend less on food shopping and still eat healthy.
• Supermarkets are stocking more variety of organics and healthy foods.

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