Obama administration begins major overhaul of food safety rules

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released two major regulations aimed at preventing contamination of the food supply. The long-delayed rules implement the Food Safety Modernization Act, a 2010 law that “[shifts] the focus from responding to contamination to preventing it.”

The two rules proposed by the FDA would require food producers to develop and enact comprehensive plans to prevent contamination of their products. Those plans would be submitted to the FDA for approval and enforcement.

“These proposed regulations are a sign of progress that should be welcomed by consumers and the food industry alike,” said Caroline Smith DeWaal, food safety director at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, in a statement.

“The new law should transform the FDA from an agency that tracks down outbreaks after the fact, to an agency focused on preventing food contamination in the first place.” 

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