Laws and Regulations Committee Update – April 27 – 28, 2020
FDA
Use of Respirators, Facemasks, and Cloth Face Coverings in the Food and Agriculture Sector During Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic
What to Do If You Have COVID-19 Confirmed Positive or Exposed Workers in your Food Production, Storage, or Distribution Operations Regulated by FDA
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: Daily Roundup April 24, 2020
GRAS Notices
| GRN No. | Substance | Date of Closure | FDA Letter |
| 851 | Pea protein | Apr 15, 2020 | FDA has no questions (in PDF) (550 KB) |
FSIS
Apr 24, 2020 | PDF
- FSIS No Longer Accepting Poultry Line Speed Waivers
- FSIS Announces New Deputy Administrator
- FSIS Posts Updated Quarterly Sampling Results
APHIS
USDA APHIS Establishing Coordination Center to Assist Producers Affected by Meat Processing Plant Closures
AMS
Press Releases
- USDA Lifts PACA Reparation Sanctions on California Business
- USDA Reaches a Consent Decision and Civil Penalty with Larson Livestock, Inc. and Carson Larson for P&S Act Violations
- USDA Reaches a Consent Decision with John B. Hagler for Packers and Stockyards Act Violations
Notices to Trade
- USDA Announces $18.4 Million Available for 2019 Dairy Business Innovation (DBI) Initiatives
- USDA Announces $9.5 Million in Grants Awarded to Strengthen the Specialty Crop Industry
FNS
USDA Approves Program to Feed Kids in California and Connecticut
Vermont Added to Innovative SNAP Online Pilot Program
@FrankYiannasFDA
- Great to see tech-enabled traceability increasingly becoming the industry standard of care. [shared for illustration, not an endorsement] #blockchain #smarterfoodsafety
- The #FDA has developed a fact sheet explaining the differences between respirators, medical/surgical facemasks, & cloth face coverings. It also provides tips on how to properly use face coverings in the food sector during the COVID-19 pandemic. https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safety-during-emergencies/use-respirators-facemasks-and-cloth-face-coverings-food-and-agriculture-sector-during-coronavirus
@FDAfood
- What do you do if you have workers confirmed positive or exposed to #COVID19? To help support workers & protect their health in US FDA-regulated food production, storage & distribution operations, here’s a summary which follows @CDCgov recommendations. https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safety-during-emergencies/what-do-if-you-have-covid-19-confirmed-positive-or-exposed-workers-your-food-production-storage-or
@FDA_ORA
- FDA’s Special Agents/@TheJusticeDept: Chipotle Mexican Grill agrees to pay $25 million fine to resolve charges stemming from more than 1,100 cases of foodborne illness https://go.usa.gov/xvRSg
April 28, 2020
Federal Register
Notices
Meetings:
Modernizing the Food and Drug Administration’s Data Strategy
Filed on: 04/28/2020 at 8:45 am Scheduled Pub. Date: 04/29/2020
FR Document: 2020-09045 PDF 9 Pages (39.7 KB) Permalink
FDA
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: Daily Roundup April 27, 2020
FSIS
Press Releases
- CDC/DOL Issues Guidance to Industry
AskFSIS
- COVID-19 Resources
- FSIS’ email subscription service
- Email updates for COVID-19 related information
AMS
Press Releases
USDA Restricts PACA Violators in California, Florida, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island from Operating in the Produce Industry
USDA Settles a Packers and Stockyards Case Against Travis Broocke
Notices to Trade
USDA Provides Additional Details on the Farmers to Families Food Box Program
Food & Water Watch
Federal Government is Eviscerating Poultry Inspection Line Speed Caps at the Most Dangerous Time Possible
@FrankYiannasFDA
- RT @GDAFoodSafety: @FrankYiannasFDA shares a really informative Q&A that touches upon #COVID19, #foodsafety, food inspections, the Food Safety Modernization Act #FSMA & @FDA New Era of Smarter Food Safety. He ties all these things together (+ more): https://bit.ly/34Wv2Qz .
@SteveFDA
- FDA updated & reissued its emergency use authorization to the original face mask EUA from April 18, 2020 to clarify that face masks, including cloth face coverings, are only authorized for use by the general public & health care personnel as source control https://www.fda.gov/media/137121/download …
- We developed a fact sheet in collaboration with @CDCgov to help answer questions from the food & agriculture sector about what respirators, disposable facemasks—like surgical masks—or cloth face coverings are most appropriate in various settings. https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safety-during-emergencies/use-respirators-facemasks-and-cloth-face-coverings-food-and-agriculture-sector-during-coronavirus
- We also created a fact sheet that summarizes key steps food supply chain employers & workers can take to help stay open, prevent & slow the spread of #COVID19 & support continuity of essential operations if workers are diagnosed with or exposed to #COVID19 https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safety-during-emergencies/what-do-if-you-have-covid-19-confirmed-positive-or-exposed-workers-your-food-production-storage-or
- The agency issued a statement to discuss the importance of making hand sanitizer unpalatable to people through the use of denatured alcohol to prevent unintentional ingestion of hand sanitizer, particularly by children. https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-continues-ensure-availability-alcohol-based-hand-sanitizer-during
@FDAfood
- All of the above! There are 3 safe ways to defrost food: in the refrigerator, in cold water, & in the microwave. Food thawed in cold water or in the microwave should be cooked immediately. https://www.fda.gov/food/buy-store-serve-safe-food/safe-food-handling?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=ZB20
- RT @foodsafetygov: If you get food or groceries delivered, use a food thermometer to make sure food arrives at a safe temperature to avoid food poisoning. If perishable food arrives above 40°F, notify the company and don’t eat it. Learn more: https://go.usa.gov/xpqAA