Feed

By Dave Fairfield, Senior Vice President of Feed Services The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on April 15 made available on its website a 62-page literature review conducted by its Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) on the scientific evidence regarding whether non-animal origin ingredients of commercial swine feed could introduce or transmit viral pathogens of swine into or within the United States. The purpose of the literature review was to evaluate and summarize current scientific knowledge regarding the transmission of viruses by non-animal origin feed ... Read More

By Dave Fairfield, Senior Vice President of Feed Services The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced during an April 17 public meeting that routine inspections to verify compliance with its Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)-related final rule for Mitigation Strategies to Protect Food Against Intentional Adulteration will begin in March 2020. The final rule on intentional adulteration is designed to address hazards that may be introduced intentionally into human foods, including by acts of terrorism, with the intent to cause wide-spread harm to public health. The rule ... Read More

By David Fairfield, Senior Vice President for Feed Services The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a draft revised guidance on March 27 to assist industry in complying with the requirements of the Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) final rule published in June 2015. The revised draft guidance for industry, GFI #120 Veterinary Feed Directive Regulation Questions and Answers (Revised), expands upon the previous version released in September 2015 by adding 53 new questions and answers and revising 14 other questions and answers that cover a wide range of topics related to the ... Read More

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Office of the Commissioner will reorganize and make several changes to various offices within the agency beginning on March 31. View the agency’s organization chart here. Outgoing FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said in an email to staff on Thursday that the reorganization plan “elevates the role of the Centers in support of FDA’s science-driven culture, consolidates work in the Office of Operations to more effectively support the Agency’s mission and strengthens our staffing and recruiting functions.” Gottlieb’s plan directs all ... Read More

By Dave Fairfield, Senior Vice President of Feed Services U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Scott Gottlieb and FDA Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response Frank Yiannis issued a joint statement on March 19 detailing proposed steps to advance the agency’s food safety program and expand food safety monitoring. The steps outlined by Gottlieb and Yiannis would address multiple aspects of FDA’s food safety platform and be supported by new funding proposed as part of the President’s 2020 budget. The FDA leaders said the requested new funds “…represent the FDA’s ... Read More

By Dave Fairfield, Senior Vice President of Feed Services The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) this week issued a series of alerts to raise awareness about African Swine Fever (ASF) and promote practices to prevent the disease from entering the United States. In one announcement, the agency included a video message from Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue about the importance of keeping ASF out of the United States. USDA also highlighted its Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s (APHIS) new traveler website to raise awareness about the potential for ... Read More

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Scott Gottlieb announced on March 5 that he is resigning the position, effective in one month. Gottlieb, who was praised in many health advocate circles, upheld Obama administration priorities like menu labeling and labeling added sugars on food packages. Within the Trump administration, he was recognized for efforts to more tightly regulate electronic cigarettes and make generic drugs more accessible. Gottlieb is a physician who previously was FDA’s deputy commissioner for medical and scientific affairs. He became commissioner in May ... Read More

By Dave Fairfield, Senior Vice President of Feed Services The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on March 5 released the second installment of a draft guidance document designed to support compliance with the intentional adulteration (IA) rule established under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). The FSMA final rule on intentional adulteration is designed to address hazards that may be intentionally introduced to human foods, including through acts of terrorism, with the intent to cause widespread harm to public health. The rule requires covered facilities to ... Read More