Supermarket Perimeter - February 2024 - 28

Recordkeeping is the focus for traceability
Section 204 of FSMA is a crucial component that addresses the need for
robust record-keeping in the food industry to enhance traceability and
respond effectively to food safety issues.
By mandating comprehensive and interoperable record-keeping
practices, the provision seeks to prevent and mitigate the impact of
foodborne illnesses and contamination incidents. Through its careful
balance of flexibility and regulatory authority, Section 204 contributes to
the overall goal of safeguarding the nation's food supply and protecting
public health.
" Enhanced traceability will enable retailers to more quickly and
accurately identify and respond to recalls or safety incidents, potentially
limiting the scope of such incidents and reducing public health risks, "
said Ben Miller Ph.D., executive vice president of regulatory and
scientific affairs at The Acheson Group, a global food safety and public
health consulting firm. " A good recent example is the Salmonella
Sundsvall outbreak associated with Mexican cantaloupes. Because
these cantaloupes are sometimes cut and used in a variety of cut fruit
products, the time it took regulators and industry to identify all of the
implicated products in the outbreak meant that additional cases of
human illnesses were occurring. "
" In the future, and by using the traceability lot code information that
would be associated with this type of food, investigators and industry
should be able to more quickly trace implicated product forward in the
supply chain and more quickly issue recalls and remove contaminated
products from sale, " Miller said.
FSMA, with its pivotal Section 204, is ushering in a new era of
food safety regulation in the United States. Fresh food retailers and
28 - FEBRUARY 2024
What led to FSMA?
* Frequent and severe foodborne illness outbreaks
* Inadequacies of existing food safety regulations (some
nearly a century old)
* Substantial human and economic costs of outbreaks
* High-profile incidents before FSMA:
* Salmonella outbreak linked to peanut products in 2008
* E. coli contamination in spinach in 2006
supermarkets play a crucial role in implementing and adapting to the
traceability requirements set forth in Section 204. While challenges
exist, the benefits in terms of improved consumer confidence, market
competitiveness and, most importantly, public health make the efforts
to comply worthwhile.
As the industry continues to evolve, a commitment to proactive
food safety measures remains paramount to ensuring the well-being
of consumers and the sustained success of the fresh food retailing
sector. Compliance with FSMA Section 204 will be a critical element of
this effort.
Ron Margulis is the managing director of RAM Communications, a
full-service public relations and marketing consulting company. He has
more than 25 years of experience covering the food, retail, information
technology and transportation industries.
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Supermarket Perimeter - February 2024

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