Food quality and safety
is of growing interest to consumers and thus to regulators. The
United States Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug
Administration are leading the way with on-farm and processing
guidelines. Here are some links to bring you up to speed on these
issues.
Read our new On-Farm Food Safety
Frequently Asked Questions page. Click here!
Daily news on food safety!
Economics of Food Safety
Food Recall and Safety Notices
- FDA
recall and safety notices
- Food recalls at SafetyAlerts.com
- up-to-date info on food and product recalls.
- FoodNet - "The Foodborne
Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) is the principal
foodborne disease component of CDC's Emerging Infections Program
(EIP)."
-
ProMED -
Program for monitoring emerging diseases by the Federation
of American Scientists.
- PulseNet - "is a national
network of public health laboratories that performs DNA "fingerprinting"
on bacteria that may be foodborne. The network permits rapid
comparison of these "fingerprint" patterns through an electronic
database at the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC). The DNA "fingerprinting" method is
called pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). "
- USDA
recall notices
Regulations every food producer and processor
needs to be familiar with.
Federal
FDA regulations
Title 21, Code of Federal Regulations: 21 CFR
100-169 and 21 CFR 170-199. Sections of Title 21, such
as 21 CFR 110.10, can be viewed and printed from the
WWW at the following address: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/.
You may purchase 21 CFR 100-169 or 21 CFR 170-199 from
the U.S. Government Printing Office or by telephone
purchase at (202) 512-1800. FDA regulations may also
be purchased at local branches of the U.S. Government Printing
Office Bookstores.
OSHA standards
OSHA General Industry standards, Title 29 CFR
1910, and OSHA Agricultural Industry standards, Title
29 CFR 1928, may be purchased through a U.S. Government
Printing Office or by telephone purchase at (202) 512-1800.
29 CFR 1910.141 and 29 CFR 1928.110, that are referenced in
the guide may be viewed and printed from the WWW at the following
address: http://www.osha-slc.gov/OshStd_toc/OSHA_Std_toc.html
EPA regulations
EPA regulations may be obtained by contacting the
U.S. EPA/NCEPI, P.O. Box 42419, Cincinnati, OH
45242-2419. Telephone: 1-800-490-9198; FAX (513) 489-8695.
You must give the EPA catalog number for the publication.
- Electronic versions of additional EPA
documents, such as criteria and supporting documents,
are available at http://www.epa.gov.
- National Agriculture
Compliance Assistance Center. This is a joint project
with USDA and it is collecting information on the environmental
requirements that affect the agriculture industry. Has listing
of best production practices and legislation.
State of Hawaii
Hawaii Department of Agriculture
HIOSH standards
Hawaii Occupational Safety and Health Division
HIOSH standards can be found at http://www.state.hi.us/dlir/hiosh/.
Hawaii Department of Health
Hawaii
Administrative Rules - TITLE 11 - some rules relate
to agricultural businesses.
Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations
This department can be reached at http://dlir.state.hi.us/.
State of California
General advice about safer farming
Hawaii
Resources on Food Safety
US Government's Gateway to Food Safety
Information
US
Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
US
Department of Agriculture
US
Department of Commerce
US
Department of Defense
-
U.S.
Air Force Food Safety site
-
U.S.
Army Veterinary Command (VETCOM) - Listing of approved food suppliers by State
and Product. The United States Army Veterinary Command
(VETCOM) provides military veterinary services in support of
United States Army Medical Command (MEDCOM) and Department
of Defense (DOD) missions in their areas of
responsibility. The responsibilities of VETCOM include food
safety and quality assurance, care of government owned animals,
and animal disease prevention and control.
US
Environmental Protection Agency
US
Food and Drug Administration
US
Institutes of Medicine
Links
and publications of interest
Food
Irradiation and Biotechnology
- Alliance for
Better Foods - a trade group promoting bio-tech
foods.
- Center
for Consumer Research (UC Davis) "The Center focuses
on consumer attitudes toward food safety and quality.
Increased information on consumer attitudes and perceptions
can increase the exchange between those who provide goods
and services and those who utilize them. Questions and answers
about food irradiation and biotechnology."
- Council for Biotechnology
Information - "Biotechnology Information has been founded
by leading biotechnology companies to create a public dialogue
and share information about biotechnology that is based on
objective scientific research, independent expert
opinion and peer-reviewed published reports."
- Most
often asked questions about food irradiation and
other valuable links on the subject (Univ. of Michigan)
International
Organizations Working on Food Safety
- Australia
New Zealand Food Authority - joint project to
these two countries.
- Canada's
Food Net - food safety for Canada.
- EUREPGAP-
Euro-Retailer Produce Working Group (for fruit and
vegetables) in 1997. The objective of the EUREP group,
which is made up of leading European food-retailers,
is to raise standards for the production of fresh fruit and
vegetables.
- European Food
Information Council (EUFIC) - "...is an independent, non-profit
organization. It has been established to provide consumers,
nutrition and health professionals, educators, opinion leaders
and the news media, with science-based food information. "
- FAO -
Codex Alimentarius - The Codex Alimentarius, or the food
code, has become the seminal global reference point for consumers,
food producers and processors, national food control agencies
and the international food trade.
- Food Navigator -
European-Driven Portal on Food Ingredients.
- Food Safety in Australia
- National site with links.
- Food
Science in Australia - research and private industry
website. Great little newsletter.
- European
Commission on Food Safety - main focal point for food
safety in Europe.
- International
Food Information Council - as the name suggests.
- International Fresh-cut
Produce Association (the leading industry association
for fresh-cut produce). Great publications including information
on HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) and Voluntary
Food Safety Guidelines for Fresh Produce.
- UK's Food Standards
Agency - To "protect public health from risks which may
arise in connection with the consumption of food, and otherwise
to protect the interests of consumers in relation to food."
- WHO
- Food Safety from the international perspective.
Food
Safety in Food Processing Establishments and Trade Associations
- AboutProduce.com
- excellent site brought to you by the Produce
Marketing Association. Food safety, biotechnology, recipes,
produce descriptions - the works!
- American Egg Board
- food safety and eggs from the national industry group.
- American Food Safety
Institute - The American Food Safety Institute (AFSI) is
the nation's leader in food manager training and certification.
-
American Meat
Institute (AMI) - AMI is the nation's oldest and
largest meat and poultry trade association. AMI is dedicated
to increasing the efficiency, profitability and safety of meat
and poultry trade worldwide. Has food safety info for meat!
- Association
of Fruit and Vegetable Inspection and Standardization
Agencies (AFVIS)
- Fresh
Produce and Floral Council - has some very interesting
data under "Issues in Food Safety."
- Food Code
of the US - "The Food and Drug Administration publishes
the Food Code, a reference that guides retail outlets such
as restaurants and grocery stores and institutions such as
nursing homes on how to prevent foodborne illness."
- Food Marketing Institute
(FMI) - "The Food Marketing Institute (FMI) is a nonprofit
association conducting programs in research, education, industry
relations and public affairs on behalf of its 1,500 members
including their subsidiaries-food retailers and
wholesalers and their customers in the United States
and around the world."
- Foodservice
& Packaging Institute (FPI) "is the material-neutral
trade association for manufacturers, suppliers, and
distributors of single-use foodservice products, as
well as others associated with the industry. It has numerous
resources available on the environment, sanitation, public
health, safety, solid waste, recycling, composting or other
issues involving the manufacture, use and disposal of foodservice
disposables."
- Hospitality
Institute of Technology and Management (HITM) - "More than ever,
hospitality operators are realizing that satisfying customers
with zero defects in terms of customer needs, wants, and expectations
is the key to market success. The Hospitality Institute of
Technology and Management (HITM) is a food
science-based company for the retail food industry dedicated
to" [quality information programs].
- Institute of Culinary
Arts - food safety for chefs.
- Institute
of Food Technologist (IFT) - Founded in 1939, the
Institute of Food Technologists is a nonprofit scientific
society with 28,000 members working in food science, food
technology, and related professions in industry, academia and
government.
-
Milk
Safety References - at the US Food and Drug
Administration.
- National
Food Processors Association - Trade group of food
processors - they are following food safety very
closely.
- National Food Service
Management Institute - Their mission is to provide information
and services that promote the continuous improvement of Child
Nutrition Programs, including food safety.
- National
Restaurant Association - Good advice on how to
prepare for a food safety audit.
- Produce
Marketing Association (PMA) - trade organization site.
- National
Sanitation Foundation (NSF) - "A not for profit organization
known around the world for the development of
voluntary consensus standards, product testing procedures,
and certification services in the areas of public health, safety,
and the environment."
-
Seafood
Network Information Center (SeafoodNIC) - Managed
by UC Davis.
- United
Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Association - industry organization
heavily involved in food safety.
- Vessel Sanitation
Program - The CDC works to make shipboard food safe.
- Western
Grower's Association - large industry group who is working
on food safety.
Postharvest
Handling Advice
Home
and Kids Food Safety
Third-party
food safety auditing companies (this is not an endorsement
of any kind)
Law
firms who specialize on food safety (this is not an endorsement
of any kind)
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