FDA Releases 4th Annual Reportable Food Registry Report

FDA released its 4th annual Reportable Food Registry Report. The Reportable Food Registry is "an electronic portal to which reports about instances of reportable food must be submitted to FDA within 24 hours by responsible parties and to which reports may be submitted by public health officials. A reportable food is an article of food/feed for which there is a reasonable probability that the use of, or exposure to, such article of food will cause serious adverse health consequences or death to humans or animals." 

So basically, it is a website for companies when companies find something bad in the food they purchase.  It has been a useful tool in that it often prevents issues from getting into the marketplace.

There were 202 original reports filed in the reporting period.  Animal food and feed accounted for the largest percentage of primary reports.

FDA Announces the 4th Annual Reportable Food Registry Report 

May 5, 2014

  

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today made available the 4th Annual Reportable Food Registry (RFR) Report. The report summarizes the Registry’s fourth year of operation (September 8, 2012 – September 7, 2013) and finds that it logged in 1269 reports, including 202 primary reports—initial reports about a safety concern with a food or animal feed (including food ingredients); 849 subsequent reports from suppliers or recipients of a food or feed for which a primary report had been submitted; and 218 amended reports to correct or add information to previously submitted reports. Reports were received from both domestic and foreign sources. 

 

The report once more underscores RFR importance as a valuable tool in tracking patterns of food adulteration and helping to remove dangerous products from the marketplace. The following events resulted in the submission of the greatest number of reports during Year 4:

• Salmonella Bredeney in widely distributed peanut butter (related to a human illness outbreak investigation), resulting in 207 subsequent entries, i.e., reports resulting from a primary report
• Listeria monocytogenes in imported smoked salmon, resulting in 80 subsequent entries
• E. coli O121 in various frozen foods resulting in 69 subsequent entries (related to a human illness outbreak investigation).  

On March 26, 2014, FDA published an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to seek input to help the Agency in implementing section 211 of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), which added new provisions to the RFR requirements of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Under section 211, FDA may require a responsible party to submit to the Agency “consumer oriented” information regarding certain reportable foods, including information necessary to enable a consumer to accurately identify whether he or she possesses a reportable food.

    

For additional information about the Reportable Food Registry:

  

Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking: Implementation of the Food and Drug Administration Food Safety Modernization Act Amendments to the Reportable Food Registry Provisions of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act

Constituent Update explaining the Advance Notice of Propose Rulemaking

Reportable Food Registry At A Glance

Previous Annual Reports

RFR On-line Educational Resources

 

The Packer

FDA Registry summary shows decline in produce concerns
05/08/2014 Tom Karst
http://www.thepacker.com/fruit-vegetable-news/FDA-Registry-summary-shows-decline-in-produce-concerns-258463051.html


Showing a reduction in produce safety concerns, the Food and Drug Administration has released the 4th Annual Reportable Food Registry Report.

The 27-page report summarizes the registry’s fourth year of operation, from Sept. 8, 2012 to Sept. 7, 2013. A total of 1,269 reports were recorded, including 202 primary reports, according to a news release from FDA. Animal food and feed accounted for the biggest portion of primary reports, followed in number by bakery, seafood, nut products and fresh-cut produce.

The FDA established the Reportable Food Registry in response to legislation passed by Congress in 2007, which requires the agency to establish an electronic portal for companies who handle food that may cause illnesses or deaths, such as fresh produce shippers.

Fresh-cut processors and other food handlers are required to report to the FDA if a product tests positive for pathogens after it’s been shipped. Positive tests on unshipped products don’t have to be reported if the tainted produce is destroyed.

According to the FDA document, 10 primary reports were filed for fresh produce in 2012-13, down sharply from 33 in the previous year. Primary reports linked to fresh-cut produce numbered 13, down from 23 the previous year.

Of the 10 primary reports on fresh produce, three were related to listeria monocytogenes and seven related to salmonella. For fresh-cut produce, the FDA said in the summary that two primary reports were related to E. coli, seven were related to listeria monocytogenes and four were related to salmonella. - See more at: http://www.thepacker.com/fruit-vegetable-news/FDA-Registry-summary-shows-decline-in-produce-concerns-258463051.html#sthash.HuHWOoPr.dpuf