Joseph Clayton, interim president of the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) praised the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on November 13 for its issuance of Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Final Rules on the Produce Safety rule, the Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) and the Accredited Third-Party Certification rule.
FSMA, which was signed into law in January of 2011, represents the first major overhaul of the nation’s food safety system in more than 70 years. AFFI has been actively engaged on behalf of the trade association’s 500 members to help shape the rules required of FDA to guide implementation of FSMA.
“AFFI commends FDA for its current approach to FSMA implementation,” said Clayton. “We appreciate and value the collaborative working relationships cultivated by FDA during the development of these rules, and we believe a comprehensive, systemic approach to food safety will continue to provide Americans with the safest possible food supply.”
Food safety is regarded as the highest priority of frozen food and beverage makers and distributors, pointed out Clayton. In fact, he added, AFFI has invested significant resources to develop best-in-class tools and strategies to assist food and beverage makers prepare for and comply with the new food safety paradigm created by FSMA.
“We also stand ready to work with the administration and Congress to ensure sufficient federal resources are allocated to FDA’s critical food safety activities without imposing new costs on food makers and consumers through user fees,” stated the interim president.
