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FSMA

FSMA Laboratory Accreditation

FDA Proposes FSMA Lab Accreditation Program

Title II, Section 202 of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), signed into law in January 2011, instructed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to establish a program for the testing of food by accredited laboratories. FSMA stipulated that accredited labs must possess “a demonstrated capability to conduct one or more sampling and analytical testing

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Q Laboratories Expert

Q Laboratories Sales Director to Speak at IFT Florida Event

Q Laboratories Director of Sales for the Food Industry, Will Melnyczenko is the Special Guest and Featured Speaker at the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Florida Section Holiday Dinner on December 3rd in Orlando. The topic of the presentation will be, “Challenge Testing vs Shelf Life Testing – Navigating the Differences.” Will has nearly 20

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qlabs-sprout-pic-four

Microbial Hazards of Seed for Sprouting

Due to concern over, “the continuing outbreaks of foodborne illness associated with the consumption of raw and lightly-cooked sprouts,” the FDA recently released a Draft Guidance entitled, “Reducing Microbial Food Safety Hazards in the Production of Seed for Sprouting Guidance for Industry.” After reviewing 50 outbreaks of foodborne illness associated with sprouts between 1996-2018, resulting

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FDA Provides Guidance on “Small Business” Designation

Stakeholders familiar with the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) may have noted the Agency’s efforts to minimize the financial and time-consumption burdens placed on smaller regulated establishments who may not possess the vast resources of larger firms. Companies designated as “Small Businesses” are granted more time to reach compliance with

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Food Allergen Control Program

In 2004, responding to an increase in foodborne illnesses caused by allergens, the United States Congress passed the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA). Implemented in 2006, FALCPA established clear guidelines for labeling foods regarding the presence of allergens, providing consumers with more straightforward and accessible information to protect their families and themselves.

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When Do I Need a Method Verification?

In this age of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) it is increasingly important that the methods you (or your third-party lab) are using are validated by a recognized organization. Methods contained in the FDA Bacteriological Analytical Manual (FDA-BAM), the USDA-FSIS Microbiology Laboratory Guidebook, as well as methods approved by independent, non-governmental bodies such as

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Environmental Monitoring Design Utilizing the Zone Concept

With the implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), as well as the recently released FDA Guidance on controlling Listeria monocytogenes in RTE foods, it is more important than ever to have a carefully designed, robust Environmental Monitoring (EM) program in your food manufacturing plant. Effective design of your EM program is essential to

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Safe Transport of Food Products as per FSMA

Another aspect of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) that attempts to provide food protection throughout the entire supply chain is the safe food transport rule. According to an FDA press release, “the rule will require those involved in transporting human and animal food by motor or rail vehicle to follow recognized best practices for

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