Showing posts with label FDA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label FDA. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

WSDA official to speak at annual Pacific NW food safety workshop

Susie Bautista
Food Safety & Consumer Services

Federal, state, university and food industry members are gathering to discuss safe food processing and safe on-farm produce operations next month in Portland at the annual Pacific Northwest Food Safety and Sanitation Workshop Nov. 8-9.

Several employees from WSDA’s Food Safety and Consumer Services Division will be joining the conference as part of the agency’s on-going efforts at promoting food safety. Among the WSDA officials attending will be Claudia Coles, the division’s policy and external affairs manager. Claudia is a well-established training specialist and will share her insights on the federal Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). Claudia will also discuss ways to support effective food safety and sanitation processes to minimize the risk of foodborne illnesses.
Milk bottle line

Miriam Burbach of the Food and Drug Administration’s Seattle District Office, will discuss implementation of the new FSMA rules.

The conference typically draws people in the food processing and food safety industries, such as food and animal feed processors, service providers to the food industries, food retailers, sanitation suppliers, consultants and regulators.  

The FDA, Northwest university extensions, WSDA, Oregon Department of Agriculture and the Northwest Food Processors Association work together to put on this annual event.

Agenda items for the conference include:
  • The basics of microbiology with a focus on Listeria monocytogenes
  • Choosing effective sanitizers and hand hygiene practices
  • Pest Control
  • Implementation of FSMA
  • Whole Genome Sequencing
  • Good Manufacturing Practices
  • Irrigation Water testing

WSDA will host an informational booth where attendees will be able to find information on multiple food safety topics. If you can’t make it to the conference, but are still seeking food safety information, or updates on courses and workshops, visit the Washington State Food Protection Task Force website.




Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Safeguarding food and animal feed one of WSDA's key duties

Randy Treadwell and Ali Kashani
Animal Feed /Rapid Response Team

Protecting Washington’s food and animal feed supplies is one of the most important responsibilities of our agency. With human and animal food systems becoming more globalized, public health jurisdictions value partnerships, collaboration and sharing resources to protect consumers.

We represented our state’s animal feed regulatory program and our Washington Rapid Response Team at last month’s annual meeting of the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO) in Pittsburgh. Often called Washington RRT for short, our team is composed of animal feed and food safety professionals.

With our peers, we discussed ways to minimize the number of illness outbreaks related to food and feed products. Speakers from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and U.S. Department of Agriculture played a big role at the conference, updating us about federal efforts to strengthen consumer protections.

Food Safety Modernization Act

Hot topics included the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), multi-agency rapid responses to food and feed emergencies, and disease-preventive controls for human and animal food.  Representatives from the food industry provided their perspectives on new food and feed regulations and the steps they are taking to comply with federal implementation dates under FSMA.

The conference dealt with a host of topics including Whole Genome Sequencing, trends related to marijuana-infused products, avian influenza and produce safety. Of particular note was discussion related to a nationally standardized training curriculum for food and feed regulators, a venture lead by the International Food Protection Training Institute in collaboration with federal and state partners.

AFDO workshops included writing documents under pressure, communicating with the news media during foodborne illness incidents and a leadership development workshop. Many of the presentations are available on the AFDO website.

The world of food and animal feed regulation continues to evolve as products become more complex and are distributed to a wider consumer network. Implementation of new regulations such as FSMA will be a considerable undertaking. Regulatory and food industry partners are taking an active part in shaping a modern integrated food and feed safety system.

We believe that outreach to the food industry and other regulatory bodies, getting to know our partners, and sharing information on best practices will help prevent outbreaks and improve response our time in emergencies.

Monday, April 25, 2016

Training and resources help food processors prevent Listeria contamination

Susie Bautista
Food Safety and Consumer Services Division


Image: CDC PHL#13102, Photographer: James Gathany
Some germs are deadly and can be spread by food, which is why WSDA routinely tests food produced in Washington to check for potential contamination from these germs. 

The germ that prompts the most food recalls for Washington State food processors is Listeria monocytogenes, commonly referred to as Listeria. This germ is one of the leading causes of death from foodborne illness. Older adults, pregnant women, newborns and people with conditions that affect the immune system -- such as those with cancer or AIDS -- are at highest risk for developing illness from Listeria. 

Listeria is widely distributed in the environment and has been found in soil, vegetation, silage, sewage, water, and feces of healthy animals and humans. It’s hardy -- it can grow at refrigeration temperatures and tolerates salt. 

Food processors are particularly concerned with its ability to become established in processing facilities or equipment. Developing control systems can help processors prevent conditions that would allow Listeria to survive in their facilities and possibly contaminate their products.

Here are two important steps food processing companies can take to control Listeria in their facilities:


Controlling Listeria is crucial in reducing incidents of foodborne illness and maintaining public confidence in the food supply. 

The Federal Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) aims to ensure that food processors take the necessary control steps. Some companies will need to comply with FSMA beginning in September 2016. Food processing companies can prepare for FSMA by attending an upcoming preventive control course in Washington State. These courses are for small to mid-size companies and are in high demand. So register soon at http://foodprocessing.wsu.edu/fsmapc/ for remaining open slots

Dates and Washington locations for FSMA preventive controls for human foods courses:


Food safety resources as well as updates on courses and workshops in Washington can be found on the Washington State Food Protection Task Force website

By the way, when WSDA determines food is contaminated with germs that can cause human illness, we notify the processor. We coordinate these notifications with our partner food safety agencies. When they learn a product they produced may be contaminated, food processors generally choose to voluntarily recall the product. 

Information on the disease caused by Listeria can be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.