Food Safety Update

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Food Safety Update

• Brenda Halbrook, M.S., R.D.
• Director, Food Safety Staff
• Office of Emergency Management and Food Safety
• USDA Food and Nutrition Service
• ACDA Conference
• May 5, 2009

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Presentation Objectives

• H1N1 Information
• Current Projects in Food Safety
• Hold Recalls FSIS and FDA
• Communication Efforts Challenges

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Mission of the Food Safety Staff

• Increase awareness, visibility, and impact of
  food safety on USDA nutrition assistance programs
  
• and
• Represent FNS programs in the wider Federal
  and State food safety community.

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Current Projects

• Cooling Research
• Norovirus Education with NEA
• FoodSafe Schools Action Guide, revision
• Food Allergies
• Tabletop Exercises
• Produce Food Safety Education

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H1N1 Flu
www.usda.gov.h1n1flu
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Not Transmitted by Food
Pork Pork Products are safe to eat.
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Virus is spread by airSneezing,Coughing, Talking
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Avoid Crowds, Cover Sneezes
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Sneeze into your Sleeve



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www.coughsafe.com/media.html
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• Cover Coughs Sneezes
• Keep Hands Clean
• Hand gel
• Hand wipes
• Wash hands frequently
• Stay 3 feet away from sick person

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Holds and Recalls
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Regulatory Agencies

• Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA
• Regulates meat, poultry, and egg products
• Food and Drug Administration, HHS
• Regulates all other foods
• Dual Jurisdiction

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Purchasing Agencies

• Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS)
• Egg products
• Fruit, vegetables, nuts, and specialty items
• Pork
• Beef
• Other red meat
• Poultry
• Fish
• Corn syrup

• Farm Service Agency (FSA)
• Grain
• Rice
• Pulses (legumes)
• Peanuts/peanut butter
• Sugar and flour
• Dairy products
• Vegetable oil
• Cereal
• Crackers

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Types of Recalls

• Regulatory
• Voluntary
• Three classes of recalls
• Administrative
• Not meeting specifications

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Classes of Recalls
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Peanut Corporation of America

• Class I recallserious health consequences or
  death

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Hallmark/Westland

• Class II recallremote probability of health
  hazard

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Recalls are Voluntary

• Violation found
• Microbiological, chemical
• Statutory violations, mislabeling
• Regulatory agency presents data to vendor
• Vendor voluntarily complies with recall request
• Vendor conducts recall
• Notifies consignees distribution chain
• Issues press release

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FSIS/FDA Recall
FSIS/FDA and vendor discuss voluntary recall

• FSIS/FDA and Manufacturer

Manufacturer
Begins recall
Consignees
Vendor begins to notify further processors and
other customers
FSIS/FDA Press Release
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FNS Recall Events

• FSIS/FDA
• Public Notice

FNS
AMS/FSA
NOT USDA Commodity
USDA Commodity
No ECOS (RAS) Notice
Post to ECOS Home Page
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FNS Recall Events

• USDA Commodity

Bulk Product to Further Processor
(AMS/FSA provides to FNS)
Destinations
(FNS notifies SDAs)
FNS loses visibility
States Inform
Recipient Agencies
Further Processors
AMS/FSA Notifies further processors
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Teamwork/Communication
Regulatory Agency
Purchasing Agency
Regional Offices
FNS
Industry
State Distributing Agency
Recipient Agency
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Regional Office

• Initial recall broadcast
• Destruction information
• Assist states in entering ECOS information
• Review and submit voucher claims

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Report Back

• USDA

State Distributing Agency
Recipient Agencies
Further Processors
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SDA Recall Recipient Lists

• Minnesota
• http//education.state.mn.us/MDE/Learning_Support
  /FNS/Food_Distribution_Program/Food_Safety/index.h
  tml
• California
• http//www.cde.ca.gov/ls/nu/fd/iapeanut.asp

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Standard Guidance

• FNS Regulations
• 7CFR Part 250
• Section 250.13 through 250.30 contain
• requirements related to food safety
• Hold and Recall Document, 2001
• http//www.fns.usda.gov/FDD/foodsafety/hold-recall
  pros.pdf

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State and Local Responsibilities

• 7CFR Part 250
• Defines State Agency and/or local agency
  requirements
• Locals must comply with USDA and/or State
  direction

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Traceability is Crucial

• Know
• what is in inventory
• where it is stored
• to whom product was sent
• who picked-up product
• Source 7CFR 250.14

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Warehousing, Distributing, and Storing Commodity
Foods

• States are required to physically separate
  commodities from other inventory
• Schools are allowed to use single inventory, if
  the SDA permits
• Source 7CFR 250.14

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Storage Facilities

• State owned or contracted storage facilities
• must
• Identify donated food
• Conduct annual reviews of facilities and document
  compliance
• Document to whom commodities were distributed
• Identify who picked-up
• Source 7CFR 250.14

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Records are Key

• Everyone (SDA, Further Processor, RA) must
• Record what they received
• Know what they distributed and to whom
• Must keep records on
• Distribution
• Disposal
• Storage
• Inventory
• Commingling (further processors)
• Source 7CFR 250.16

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2001 Commodity Hold and Recall Process

• Federal responsibilities
• Hold 10 day clock starts for investigation
• Recall
• FNS notifies SDAs within 24 hours of recall
• FNS provides recall notification, press release,
  other information about tracing product and
  documenting reimbursement
• Source USDA/FNS Guidance

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Federal Communications

• FNS coordinates messages with FSIS or FDA and
  procurement agencies, AMS or FSA
• Activate the Rapid Alert System in ECOS
• Alert FNS Regional Offices by e-mail broadcast,
  who notify SDAs for FNS programs

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Federal Communications

• Post notice on Commodity Alert System for the
  public (sign-up only USDA commodities)
• Post notice on ECOS Whats New (non-USDA
  commodities)
• Request that FNS program directors notify
  Recipient Agencies (through ROs)
• Post notice on FNS Home Page for significant
  recalls

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Federal Communications

• Provide talking points to CGA at HQ for media and
  Congressional questions
• Provide SNA and ACDA with key messages, press
  releases, and links to share with membership
• Post to Dept of Educations Crisis Communication
  System (public health significance)
• Social media twitter, Facebook, per Agency
  discretion

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2001 Commodity Hold and Recall Process

• SDA responsibilities
• Assign a State Food Safety Coordinator
• Compile info docs for RAs per HQ info
• Contact RAs with hold or recall notification
  within 24 hours or as soon as possible
• Contact distributors/warehouses and determine
• Amount of product still in storage at State level
• Amount and location delivered to RAs
• Compile and provide to FNS
• Quantity of product still in storage
• Quantity consumed
• Documentation for reimbursable costs
• ource USDA/FNS Guidance

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2001 Commodity Hold and Recall Process

• RA responsibilities
• Assign a Food Safety Coordinator
• RAs contact sites with hold or recall
  notification immediately
• ask that product be isolated and inventory taken
• RAs provide to State
• Amount and location of product still in storage
• Amount of product consumed
• Documentation for reimbursable costs
• Source USDA/FNS Guidance

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Re-write of 2001 HR in Progress

• Regulations will not change
• New chapter entirely on further processed product
• Reimbursement policies
• Focus on communication challenges
• When school has agreement with distributor or
  processor not visible to SDA
• Smooth-out communications with a single point of
  contact

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ECOS/ Rapid Alert System
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ECOS RAS Hold/Recall Process

• ECOS case created when hold/recall declared
• Recall contacts acknowledge receipt of
  notification and check ECOS for details
• FNS monitors ECOS to ensure all affected Agencies
  are aware of hold/recall
• ECOS allows SDA Recall Contact to provide product
  quantity and disposition information

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Hold Recall Coordination

• State Agencies
• Monitor ECOS for DO information instructions
• Coordinate RA and Industry partner efforts
• Product destruction, re-donation or return
• Collect and compile case information to enter
  into ECOS case file
• Product quantities
• Illness or injury information
• Manage financial aspects of hold / recall

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Hold Recall Coordination

• Recipient Agencies
• Locate and sequester product in possession
• Provide information to State on quantities of
  product sequestered, delivered or unaccounted for
• Dispose of product as directed

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Hold Recall Coordination

• Processors Distributors
• Locate and sequester product in possession
• Provide information to State
• Identify Recipient Agencies who received product
• Quantities of product sequestered, delivered or
  unaccounted for
• Dispose of product as directed

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Resources

• FNS Food Safety web page
• http//www.fns.usda.gov/fns/food_safety.htm
• Sign up for public notification USDA/FNS
  Commodity
• Alert System
• National Food Service Management
• Institute www.nfsmi.org
• free food safety training just ask!

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Thanks!Questions?