IDFA Regulatory RoundUp

The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) held its Regulatory RoundUp session in Washington, DC on June 15 and 16. American Cheese Society (ACS) board director and Regulatory & Academic Committee member, Bob Wills, attended on behalf of ACS. Below are key takeaways for ACS members:

Mike Taylor, Deputy Commissioner for Foods and Veterinary Medicine at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), summarized the agency's strategy for implementing the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). He stated that the emphasis will change from inspection and enforcement to creating systems, equipment, and facility standards that contribute to safe production and transportation. Moving away from a "one size fits all" regulatory approach, inspectors will be trained to evaluate the safety culture within a plant and to adjust their enforcement accordingly. Facilities with demonstrated effective programs will be treated differently than facilities that have not implemented and verified the effectiveness of their programs.

John Sheehan, Director, Division of Plant and Dairy Safety in the Office of Food Safety, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, addressed some of the issues of key import to ACS members.

• Sheehan reiterated FDA's intention to expand the types of antibiotics for which milk buyers would test, and he emphasized that this would not increase the total amount of testing.
• He explained that increased focus on Listeria monocytogenes (L.M.) is due to FDA's recent year analysis which estimates 2.4 million cases of listeriosis resulting in 108 hospitalizations and 18 deaths.
• Sheehan reviewed findings to date from FDA's raw milk cheese sampling pilot program. Some 200 more domestic samples are needed to complete the project by its July 1, 2015 deadline (see details below). To date, 10% of cheeses sampled have had violations, most for generic (non-toxigenic) E. coli. Listeria was found in 5 domestic samples resulting in 4 recalls.
• Sheehan stated that the agency is drafting an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) indicating the agency's current thinking on the 60-day aging requirement for unpasteurized cheese, and he mentioned the possibility of a Performance Standard in place of the 60-day aging rule. FDA subsequently provided clarification that this has been considered, but that the leadership was embracing an approach that will involve continuing outreach to stakeholders and expanding the conversation about the aging process for soft-ripened cheeses before making any decisions about next steps. ACS members should be prepared to make comment if and when the ANPR is released.