States face decision as FSMA comes into implementation

The law’s goal is to reduce the prevalence of foodborne illnesses by focusing more on prevention, rather than responding to outbreaks once they occur. (According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, close to 48 million Americans get sick every year from pathogens transmitted through food; nearly 128,000 people are hospitalized and more than 3,000 die.) To meet this objective, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s authority to regulate fruit and vegetable production has been greatly expanded. (The FSMA does not apply to meat, poultry and egg production; those industries are covered by other rules.) The 2010 law and subsequent FDA rules also impact food processors and transporters, as well as the animal-feed industry. From the farmer to the distributor, new accountability measures are in place. And for states, decisions will have to be made on whether to harmonize their own regulations on food safety with the FSMA, as well as how involved they want to be in areas such as producer education, inspection and compliance.