September/October 2023 - 18

FOOD SAFETY
Food safety check
FDA evaluates third-party standards for FSMA compliance
BY CHRIS KOGER
MANAGING EDITOR
T
he Food and Drug Administration has vetted four
third-party food safety audit standards and their
alignment with the Food Safety Modernization Act
requirements (FSMA).
The FDA's pilot program to evaluate third-party
standards focused on FSMA's Preventive Controls
for Human Foods Rule and the Produce Safety Rule.
Produce buyers and other stakeholders in the food
supply chains often use third-party audits to assess
food safety of products they buy and sell or serve to
consumers or distribute further down the supply chain.
Through the pilot program, the FDA selected food safety
standards to assess for alignment with the Preventive
Controls for Human Foods Rule (PCHR) and the Produce
Safety Rule (PSR). According to the FDA, the third-party
auditors' standards aren't required to be identical to
those in the FSMA's regulations, as long as it agrees
with the technical components of the PCHR and PSR.
Third-Party standards
The third-party standards reviewed by the FDA are:
* BRC Global Standard Food Safety and the Global
Standard Food Safety, Issue 9, Interpretation
Guideline - aligns with the PCHF.
* The FSSC's (Food Safety System Certification)
22000 Scheme 5.1 for Food Manufacturing and the
FSSC 22000 5.1 FSMA PCHF Report Addendum -
aligns with the PCHF.
* The Safe Quality Foods (SQF) Food Safety Code:
Food Manufacturing, Edition 9 and the SQF
Addendum for the Preventive Controls for Human
Food - aligns with the PCHF.
* GLOBALG.A.P. Integrated Farm Assurance - All
Farm Base-Crops Base - Fruit and Vegetables
Checklist Version 5.4-GFS and the GLOBALG.A.P.
Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule
Add-On Module Version 1.2 - aligns with the PSR.
18 | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023
The reviews focused on the technical aspects of the
standards and not the overall quality of their standards
or qualifications of their auditors. Although the FDA said
third-party audit standards provide value to the food
industry, the agency doesn't possess the resources to
continue evaluating them beyond the pilot project.
New FDA food safety leader
Soon after the FDA released its audit standards
review, the agency named a deputy commissioner for
human foods, a new position established in the wake of
a review of the FDA's Human Foods Program. The new
deputy commissioner for that program, Jim Jones, was a
member of the Reagan-Udall Foundation's Independent
Expert Panel for Foods, which released the report.
The report led to a reorganization of the FDA's Human
Foods Program.
" I'm confident that under Jim's leadership, we will
build a stronger organization that will be integrated
with other components of the FDA and focused on
keeping the foods we regulate safe and nutritious, while
ensuring the agency remains on the cutting edge of
the latest advancements in food science and nutrition, "
Robert Califf, FDA commissioner, said in a statement on
Jones' hiring.
Western Growers released a statement saying that
Jones has a proven record of government leadership.
" We look forward to engaging with Jim as we
collaborate on the critical need for the agency to deliver
on its promises to aid consumers by setting a prevention
agenda, " De Ann Davis, Western Growers' senior vice
president of science, said in the statement..
The International Fresh Produce Association's Natalie
Dyenson, chief food safety and regulatory officer, said
the association is " thrilled " about Jones' appointment.
" We have long advocated for the importance of having
a unified Human Foods Program with a single point of
accountability for food safety and program leader who
can and will elevate the importance of foods within
FDA, " Dyenson said in the statement.
September/October 2023

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