Mike Taylor to engage with industry leaders at Fresh Summit

On the 19th of Sept., the U.S. Food and Drug Administration released four supplemental proposals under the U.S. Food Safety Modernization Act on produce safety, preventive controls for human food, foreign supplier verification programs and preventive controls for animal feed. Industry will have 75 days to comment on this final set of proposed rules.

“PMA’s members on our Science and Technology committee, as well as staff experts, are pleased that FDA has provided a second opportunity for industry to comment on these supplemental proposals,” said Dr. Bob Whitaker, PMA’s chief science and technology officer. “We’re eager to review and assess them to assure that when these regulations are finalized and implemented they will best serve public health and our industry’s food safety needs.”

Industry members will have a chance to learn about and discuss the supplemental proposals during an education session at this year’s Fresh Summit on Friday, Oct. 17, in Anaheim, California. More information about FDA’s engagement will be forthcoming.

“It’s important to discuss this fundamental topic with those who are actually in charge of implementing food-safe practices,” says Courtney Parker, senior vice president of salad quality and global food safety and member of the PMA Science and Technology Committee. “It’s one thing to come to Fresh Summit and market our advantages against competitors, but when it comes to food safety, we’re all allies. Each of us only stand to benefit from a safer supply chain – that’s why here at Chiquita Fresh Express we’ve adopted a phrase we believe signals this philosophy: coopertition.”

"We're in a time of great regulatory change," says California Leafy Greens technical director Mike Villaneva. "We need to better understand the research, the proposals and what it all really means for the produce industry. I look forward to good discussion that will really shed some light on challenges and realities facing companies in this complex supply chain."

“These proposed FSMA rules will have profound business implications on every aspect of the global produce supply chain,” said Dr. Jim Gorny, PMA’s vice president of food safety and technology. “On behalf of our members, we’ve actively participated in the congressional debate regarding FSMA and have provided numerous comments to FDA at every opportunity in the development of the proposed rules and policies – the final rules need to meet the needs of industry and consumer safety.”

Based on member feedback, FSMA has been prioritized as one of the top focuses for the association. Termed ‘Issues Leadership,’ PMA’s approach to issues relies on the association’s strengths, and the strengths of its member leaders, to focus on areas where it can be most impactful.

For more information:
Meg Miller
PMA
Tel: +1 (302) 607-2131
Email: mmiller@pma.com
www.pma.com