The White House put out its “Current Regulatory Plan and the Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions” for Fall 2013 on Nov. 26, and it lists a number of food safety issues that the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will be dealing with over the next several months. Here are some of the key rules to keep an eye on: The Modernization of Poultry Slaughter Inspection final rule is expected in April. The new inspection system for young poultry slaughter establishments speeds up processing lines and replaces many USDA inspectors in plants with company employees. The final rule for labeling mechanically tenderized beef products is expected in June. In addition to requiring the descriptive designation, the rule would require that labels of raw and partially cooked needle- or blade-tenderized beef products destined for household consumers, hotels, restaurants, or similar institutions include validated cooking instructions stating that these products need to be cooked to a specified minimum internal temperature and whether they need to be held at that minimum internal temperature for a specified time before consumption. A proposed rule expected from FDA in April will codify requirements that the sponsor of each antimicrobial new animal drug product submit an annual report on the amount of each antimicrobial active ingredient in the drug product that is sold or distributed for use in food-producing animals, as well as possible drug distribution data collection. Another rule on updated standards for labeling of pet food is expected in June and will include nutritional and ingredient information, as well as style and formatting standards. Final rules are also expected out of FDA on adding nutrition labeling to restaurant menus (expected in February) and on a list of pathogens with the potential to pose a serious threat to public health (expected in June). The proposed list includes Acinetobacter species, Staphylococcus aureus, Campylobacter species, Clostridium difficile and Vibrio cholera. Food Safety News is working on an in-depth look at what’s coming up for the Food Safety Modernization Act in 2014. For now, here are the listings for the rules in the agenda:

Rule

RIN / Link

Next Action

Date
Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls 0910-AG36 N/A N/A
Produce Safety Regulation 0910-AG35 Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Rule Comment Period Extended End March 14, 2014
Foreign Supplier Verification Program 0910-AG64 Comment Period Extended End Jan. 27, 2014
Accreditation of Third Parties To Conduct Food Safety Audits and For Other Related Purposes 0910-AG66 Comment Period Extended End Jan. 27, 2014
Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Food for Animals 0910-AG10 Comment Period End Feb. 26, 2014
Focused Mitigation Strategies To Protect Food Against Intentional Adulteration 0910-AG63 Rule Proposed Dec. 2013
Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food 0910-AG98 Rule Proposed Jan. 2014

  The following is a list of other food safety issues addressed in the agenda:

Agency

 State of Rulemaking Title RIN / Link

Date of Action
USDA / APHIS Proposed Rule Stage Establishing a Performance Standard for Authorizing the Importation and Interstate Movement of Fruits and Vegetables 0579-AD71 March 2014
USDA / APHIS Final Rule Stage Introduction of Organisms and Products Altered or Produced Through Genetic Engineering 0579-AC31 June 2014
USDA / AMS Proposed Rule Stage National Organic Program, Organic Pet Food Standards 0581-AD20 Sept. 2014
USDA / FSIS Proposed Rule Stage Performance Standards for the Production of Processed Meat and Poultry Products 0583-AC46 June 2014
USDA / FSIS Proposed Rule Stage Product Labeling: Use of the Voluntary Claim “Natural” on the Labeling of Meat and Poultry Products 0583-AD30 June 2014
USDA / FSIS Proposed Rule Stage Records to be Kept by Official Establishments and Retail Stores That Grind Raw Beef Products 0583-AD46 March 2014
USDA / FSIS Proposed Rule Stage Public Information; Communications With Federal Agencies, State and Foreign Government Officials, and International Organizations 0583-AD50 Jan. 2014
USDA / FSIS Proposed Rule Stage Addition of Namibia to the List of Countries Eligible to Export Meat Products to the United States 0583-AD51 June 2014
USDA / FSIS Final Rule Stage Electronic Imported Product Inspection Application and Certification of Imported Product and Foreign Establishments; Amendments to Facilitate the Public Health Information System (PHIS) 0583-AD39 Dec. 2013
USDA / FSIS Final Rule Stage Electronic Export Application and Certification as a Reimbursable Service and Flexibility in the Requirements for Official Export Inspection Marks, Devices, and Certificates 0583-AD41 May 2014
USDA / FSIS Final Rule Stage Common or Usual Name for Raw Meat and Poultry Products Containing Added Solutions 0583-AD43 March 2014
USDA / FSIS Final Rule Stage Eligibility of the Republic of Korea (Korea) to Export Poultry Products to the United States 0583-AD49 Dec. 2013
USDA / FSIS Long-Term Actions Mandatory Inspection of Catfish and Catfish Products 0583-AD36 Final Rule To Be Determined
HHS / FDA Proposed Rule Stage Food Labeling; Revision of the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels 0910-AF22 Dec. 2013
HHS / FDA Proposed Rule Stage Food Labeling: Serving Sizes of Foods That Can Reasonably Be Consumed At One-Eating Occasion; Dual-Column Labeling; Updating, Modifying, and Establishing Certain RACCs 0910-AF23 Dec. 2013
HHS / FDA Proposed Rule Stage Food Labeling; Gluten-Free Labeling of Fermented, Hydrolyzed, or Distilled Foods 0910-AH00 April 2014
HHS / FDA Final Rule Stage Food Labeling: Calorie Labeling of Articles of Food Sold in Vending Machines 0910-AG56 Feb. 2014