The Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) agency is accepting submissions through June 3, 2016 on a proposal to create an “all other foods” maximum residue limit for some agricultural chemicals.
FSANZ Chief Executive Officer Steve McCutcheon said maximum residue limits are currently set for chemicals and specific commodities. “This has created issues for enforcement agencies and producers because low levels of chemicals permitted on one food may be accidentally found on other foods not listed in the Code,” Mr McCutcheon said. “While these levels (which can result from things like spray drift) don’t represent a public health and safety concern, the presence of chemicals means the food cannot legally be sold,” he explained. “FSANZ is consulting on an approach involving limits being set for some chemicals for all other foods except animal commodities. Some chemicals would be excluded because of high toxicity.” The all other foods limit would be established on a case-by-case basis and dietary exposure assessments will be undertaken for the whole population to ensure public health and safety. All FSANZ decisions on standards are notified to ministers responsible for food regulation. The ministers can decide to adopt, amend, or reject standards or they can ask for a review. (To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here.)
The News Desk team at Food Safety News covers breaking developments, regulatory updates, recalls, and key topics shaping food safety today. These articles are produced collaboratively by our editorial staff.
The American peanut industry has made major efforts to improve controls on exports to Europe, but aflatoxin contamination remains a problem, according to the European Commission.
An audit by DG
A partnership between the World Health Organization (WHO) and Singapore has been expanded to include risk assessment.
Singapore Food Agency’s (SFA) National Centre for Food Science (NCFS) has been
El Eden Import Distributor Corp., a Long Island City, NY, firm, is recalling 264 pounds of potato chip products containing chicharrón (pork cracklings) because they were produced in the Republic
A partnership between the World Health Organization (WHO) and Singapore has been expanded to include risk assessment.
Singapore Food Agency’s (SFA) National Centre for Food Science (NCFS) has been
The Food and Drug Administration uses import alerts to enforce U.S. food safety regulations for food from foreign countries. The agency updates and modifies the alerts as needed.
Recent
Made Fresh Salads Inc. of Bay Shore, NY, is recalling all Ready to Eat Deli Style Salads and cream cheese, because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria