ROCKVILLE, Md. — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration launched a program earlier this week that will bring about more uniform and higher-quality food safety standards for manufacturing facilities. Voluntary adoption of Manufactured Food Regulatory Program Standards by state regulatory programs will establish a uniform basis for reducing foodborne illness hazards in facilities that manufacture, process, pack or hold food under the FDA’s jurisdiction. Currently, such programs vary from state to state, leading to inconsistencies. The manufactured food standards define best practices for staff training, inspection; quality assurance, foodborne illness and incident investigation, and enforcement, among others. They will be piloted in New York, Oregon and Missouri before Sept. 30. “This risk-based program represents a significant step in further integrating our food safety system,” said Margaret O’K. Glavin, the FDA’s associate commissioner for regulatory affairs, in a statement. “We realize it will be several years before it’s fully implemented, but we’re confident this program will bring great benefits to the public health.”
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