The state of the plate: Food protection and safety subject of URI conference
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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Food Safety
Modernization Act requires the Food and Drug Administration to designate
high-risk foods for which additional recordkeeping requirements are needed to
protect public health. The component Food Traceability Rule aims to monitor and
regulate foods which can pose a public health threat if contaminated and
distributed, spreading items no one wants to see on the menu: E. coli,
Norovirus, Salmonella or more.
URI’s food safety specialist Nicole Richard says the Food
Traceability Rule protects food safety and protects public health; URI
Cooperative Extension can help business owners adhere to the rules in place to
protect consumers.
“Having this list and the traceability rules in place
increases response in the event of an outbreak,” Richard says, “reducing
illness by decreasing response time. Traceability recordkeeping requirements in
regulations apply to anyone who manufactures, processes, packs, or holds foods
on the Food Traceability List. The final rule requires a higher degree of
coordination between members of the food industry than has been required in the
past. Entities must be in compliance: we’re here to help them do that, for
public health.”
The Food Traceability List calls for recordkeeping for several foods, whether sold individually or as an ingredient, which rank high for risk of foodborne illness in case of contamination:
|
Cheese |
Herbs (fresh) |
Sprouts |
Finfish |
|
Shell
eggs |
Leafy
greens |
Tomatoes
|
Crustaceans
|
|
Nut butters |
Melons |
Fruits |
Mollusks and shellfish |
|
Cucumbers
|
Peppers
|
Vegetables
|
Deli
salads |
The full list, with details on specific food categories and
distinctions, can be found on FDA.gov.
Rhode Island’s food safety specialist
The conference is led by Richard, a food safety researcher
with URI Cooperative Extension. Richard has more than 20 years of experience
developing food safety resources and programming for businesses and consumers
through the University’s Food Safety Research and Education Program. She is a
frequently-requested expert on issues of sushi safety, home food safety, and
other dining matters.
As chair of the Rhode Island Food Safety Task Force, Richard
will be joined at the conference by speakers from the Rhode Island Department
of Health and FMI-the Food Industry Association, discussing food safety
progress, Rhode Island programs and projects centered on food protection,
national food code updates, how to comply with the food traceability rule, and
recordkeeping requirements.
Advance
registration for the conference is required. The cost to attend is $10
(non-refundable; free for students). All are welcome.
To learn more about the URI Food Safety Education program,
or get on the email list for future events, contact Nicole Richard at URI at
nicolerichard@uri.edu or visit www.uri.edu/CoopExt.
