FDA Proposes ‘Food Defense Rule’
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Ron Antonelli/Bloomberg via Getty Images(NEW YORK) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration proposed a rule on Friday that would require the nation’s largest food businesses, and many of those around the world, to take steps to prevent their facilities from being the target of intentional contamination attempts.
The FDA made clear in a media release that they were not aware of any event in which the food supply was intentional contaminated, but proposed “mitigating strategies” to ensure food safety.
The proposal marks the first time that the FDA has proposed precautions against the intentional adulteration of the food supply.
The proposal would require a food facility to have a written food defense plan addressing the vulnerabilities of its production process, implement strategies to minimize vulnerabilities and establish monitoring procedures. Companies would also be responsible for verifying the effectiveness of these systems and ensuring training for those working to protect food production.
The FDA’s proposal would not apply to farms or food for animals. There would be additional exceptions based on size of business and type of operations.
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