Supermarket Perimeter - February 2024 - 23

T
he retail grocery business has long operated largely through
inertia. Innovations in other retail channels often have a
hard time catching on with supermarket operators. Think
ecommerce and how it took a worldwide pandemic for the sector
to really engage the technology. Many food retailers just don't like
to change.
Unless the industry is forced to. And that's exactly what's happening
with food safety right now.
The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), signed into law by
President Barack Obama in 2011, represents a significant milestone in
the United States' approach to food safety.
With the primary goal of preventing foodborne illnesses and
ensuring the safety of the nation's food supply, FSMA introduced a
comprehensive set of regulations and standards. Among its various
provisions, Section 204 stands out as a crucial component, especially
concerning fresh food retailing and supermarkets.
Globalization: A modern food safety challenge
The landscape of the food system has undergone a profound
transformation during the last few decades. Globalization of food
production, distribution and consumption created an intricate web of
interconnected entities.
Food is now sourced from almost all parts of the world, making the
supply chain longer and more complex. While this globalization has
facilitated access to diverse and exotic food products (think jackfruit
all year long), it has also increased the potential for contamination and
the risk of foodborne pathogens. FSMA addresses these challenges by
introducing measures to ensure the safety of food at every stage of the
supply chain.
Prior to FSMA, the focus for food safety was placed on responding
to contamination incidents after they occurred, rather than preventing
them from happening in the first place. The regulatory framework
needed to evolve to meet the challenges posed by the changing nature
of the food system.
FSMA introduced a paradigm shift by incorporating science-based
preventive measures, risk assessment and risk management strategies
into the regulatory framework. This modernization was essential to
ensure the agility and effectiveness of the food ecosystem in the face of
emerging risks, including:
* The cost of foodborne illnesses
* Product recalls
* Medical expenses
* Legal liabilities
* Damage to the reputation of food producers
FSMA: A modern solution
FSMA recognized the economic imperative of preventing foodborne
illnesses and introduced measures to reduce the economic burden
associated with outbreaks. By promoting a preventive approach and
encouraging industry compliance, FSMA sought to minimize the
economic impact of food safety incidents.
A deep dive into FSMA 204
" The existing FDA requirements were
promulgated under the Bioterrorism
Act and are referred to as the 'one
at the one back record keeping
requirements,' " said Katie Vierk,
Director, Division of Public Health
Informatics & Analytics, Office
of Analytics and Outreach, and
Traceability Workgroup Lead, Center
for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
at the FDA. " But those regulations
don't cover all the sectors of the
food supply chain such as farms
or restaurants, there's no uniform data collection requirements and
there's also no way to adequately link incoming products with outgoing
products within a firm or between points in a supply chain. Those
shortcomings have limited FDA outbreak investigations by making it
difficult to get the right tracing information. "
Katie
Vierk
How does FSMA 204 help?
By requiring comprehensive record-keeping, Section 204 aims to
facilitate rapid and precise traceability in the event of a foodborne
illness outbreak or contamination incident.
" The final rule allows for faster identification so that we can rapidly
remove potentially contaminated food from the market and can get
Enhancing tracking and tracing of food and recordkeeping
What
The final section of
FSMA to receive rules
from the FDA.
Goal
Expedite the
identification and
removal of potentially
contaminated food
from the market;
reduce the risk of
widespread outbreaks.
supermarketperimeter.com
FEBRUARY 2024 - 23
How
Enhancing traceability in
the food supply chain.
When
Finalized in 2020; to
be enforced in 2026.
What is traceability?
The ability to trace
the movement of food
products through
various stages of
production, processing,
and distribution.
Section
204
http://www.supermarketperimeter.com
Supermarket Perimeter - February 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Supermarket Perimeter - February 2024
