FDA Develops New Tools to Further Improve the Security of Food and Cosmetics
12/26/07 11:26 AM
As part
of the Food and Drug Administration's
(FDA) comprehensive
Food Protection
Plan initiative,
on December 21, 2007, the FDA released
self-assessment
tools for
the food and cosmetic industry to minimize the
risk of intentional contamination of food and
cosmetics. The FDA states that the tools are
companion pieces designed to make the previously
issued industry guidance documents more
user-friendly and practical.
In 2003, the FDA issued a set of Food and Cosmetic Security Preventative Measures Guidance documents. These documents were aimed at operators of food and cosmetic establishments, as well as businesses that produce, process, store, repack, relabel, distribute, sell or transport foods, food ingredients, and cosmetics to help them minimize the risk of malicious, criminal, or terrorist actions involving products under their control.
The guidance documents are:
The self-assessment tool asks the participant to mark the presence of a variety of food protection measures with a Y (Yes), N (No), N/A (Not Applicable), or Don't Know for each item. Examples of measures addressed by the self-assessment tools include the possibility of product tampering; identification of security procedures and responsibilities; and evaluation of response strategies in the event of product tampering or other intentional contamination.
In 2003, the FDA issued a set of Food and Cosmetic Security Preventative Measures Guidance documents. These documents were aimed at operators of food and cosmetic establishments, as well as businesses that produce, process, store, repack, relabel, distribute, sell or transport foods, food ingredients, and cosmetics to help them minimize the risk of malicious, criminal, or terrorist actions involving products under their control.
The guidance documents are:
- Food Producers, Processors, and Transporters: Food Security Preventive Measures Guidance
- Importers and Filers: Food Security Preventive Measures Guidance
- Retail Food Stores and Food Service Establishments: Food Security Preventive Measures Guidance
- Cosmetics Processors and Transporters: Cosmetics Security Preventive Measures Guidance
- Dairy Farms, Bulk Milk Transporters, Bulk Milk Transfer Stations and Fluid Milk Processors Food Security Preventive Measures Guidance
The self-assessment tool asks the participant to mark the presence of a variety of food protection measures with a Y (Yes), N (No), N/A (Not Applicable), or Don't Know for each item. Examples of measures addressed by the self-assessment tools include the possibility of product tampering; identification of security procedures and responsibilities; and evaluation of response strategies in the event of product tampering or other intentional contamination.