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EdNetSeptember 2014EdNet, the National Food Safety Educator’s Network, is a monthly, multi-agency electronic news journal from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). EdNet provides up-to-date information about food safety and nutrition programs and activities for educators, consumer advocates, government officials, and industry representatives. If you have questions or comments about this issue of EdNet, contact the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN-FDA) 
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In this issue: Resources for Educators
People in the News Meetings, Conferences, and Workshops Industry
Resources for EducatorsStatement from Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on the Formation of the New Global Alliance for Climate Smart AgricultureOn September 24, 2014, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack issued a statement on the formation of the New Global Alliance for Climate Smart Agriculture. The Obama Administration announced the launch of the Global Alliance for Climate Smart Agriculture, a new effort to promote greater international engagement on ways agriculture can help mitigate the impact of climate change. Read this news release: http://www.usda.gov/2014/09/0207.xml FDA Food Safety Challenge to Spur New Technologies for Fighting Foodborne IllnessOn September 23, 2014, FDA launched its first Food Safety Challenge and is asking for potential breakthrough ideas on how to find disease-causing organisms in food. Concepts must be able specifically to address the detection of Salmonella in minimally processed fresh produce, but the ability of a solution to address testing for other microbial pathogens and in other foods is encouraged. A panel of food safety and pathogen detection experts from FDA, CDC and USDA will judge the submissions, determine finalists, and select a winner or winners. For detailed information regarding the challenge, go to: http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm415831.htm USDA Blog: Be Prepared! Do YOU Know USDA’s Role in Helping Families Following Disasters and Emergencies?Ensuring our Nation’s children and families in need have access to healthy meals is a priority at USDA and that promise is of particular emphasis during times of disaster or emergency. Read this blog: USDA Blog: Do YOU Have a Plan to Keep Food Safe during Severe Weather?This year has been an important reminder that disaster can strike anytime and anyplace. Nearly every region of the country experienced some form of extreme weather event, including wildfires in California, extreme cold and snow through the Midwest and East, and destructive tornadoes in the South and Central Plains. Read this entire blog: http://blogs.usda.gov/2014/09/23/do-you-have-a-plan-to-keep-food-safe-during-severe-weather/ FDA Blog: Teachers Learn About the Science Behind Food Safety and NutritionSharmi Das, Director of the Division of Education, Outreach and Information in FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition blogs about a week long training program for middle and high school teachers. The educators learned a comprehensive farm-to-table perspective on food safety and nutrition; familiarized them with the varied backgrounds of professionals in this field; and helped to educate thousands of students about Science and Our Food Supply. To read this blog in its entirety, go to: USDA Blog: Team Up for Success! USDA and Partners Help Secure a Healthier School DayOn September 18, 2014, USDA posted a blog by Dr. Janey Thornton, Deputy Under Secretary, USDA Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services, titled Team Up for Success! USDA and Partners Help Secure a Healthier School Day. Read this blog in its entirety at: FDA Update on the Status of Artisanal CheeseMedia reports have incorrectly indicated that the FDA is banning Roquefort and other cheeses. For additional information on this update, go to: http://www.fda.gov/Food/NewsEvents/ucm413309.htm FDA Makes Available Training Videos on Food Defense Plan Builder Tool to Help Prevent Intentional Food AdulterationFDA has posted training videos to help food companies use the FDA’s Food Defense Plan Builder, a tool that seeks to bolster the industry’s defense measures against an act of intentional food adulteration. For additional information, go to: http://www.fda.gov/Food/NewsEvents/ConstituentUpdates/ucm412589.htm USDA Blog: Organic Trade in the Americas: Inter-American Commission for Organic AgricultureOver the past decade, the production and market share of organic agriculture has increased globally, with significant growth in South and Central America. In 2008, the Inter-American Commission for Organic Agriculture (ICOA) was founded to support organic agriculture in the Americas and facilitate the trade of organic products. Read this blog: September is National Food Safety MonthCertain groups of people have a higher risk of contracting a foodborne illness than others. Find out who’s at risk and foods to avoid. For more information, go to: http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodborneIllnessContaminants/PeopleAtRisk/ucm352830.htm FDA: National Preparedness MonthAre you prepared for an emergency? Find out what you need to know before one occurs. To read more about being prepared, go to: http://www.fda.gov/Food/RecallsOutbreaksEmergencies/Emergencies/ucm076881.htm FDA: National Fruit & Veggies-More Matters MonthLearn how to select and serve raw produce safely. For detailed information, go to: http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodborneIllnessContaminants/BuyStoreServeSafeFood/ucm114299.htm USDA: FSDZ on the Road AgainThe USDA’s Food Safety Discovery Zone (FSDZ) is back on the road! The FSDZ is a 40-foot interactive vehicle that educates consumers about the four food safety messages--Clean, Cook, Separate and Chill--from the Food Safe Families campaign. Some of the features in the vehicle include a Hand Washing Station, where visitors can learn the proper techniques to washing hands, and the Microscope Station that magnifies harmful bacteria. Watch for announcements of upcoming events. For dates, times and more information, go to http://www.fsis.usda.gov/fsdz-schedule Amber Waves Magazine: August-September 2014Amber Waves presents the broad scope of USDA's Economic Research Service (ERS) research and analysis on the economics of food, farming, natural resources, and rural America. Read the latest articles of the Amber Waves Magazine from the ERS online: http://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves.aspx People in the NewsUSDA: Alfred V. Almanza Named Deputy Under Secretary for Food SafetyAlfred V. Almanza has been named Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety. This is a newly created position in the Office of Food Safety, where Brian Ronholm will also remain on board as Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety. Mr. Almanza has served as Administrator of USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service since 2007. He began his FSIS career as a Food Inspector from 1978-1984, and he has held a number of positions with the agency, including as a District Manager from 2004-2007. See FSIS’ Constituent Update: FSIS: Faces of Food SafetyFSIS’ Faces of Food Safety, shares the stories of its dedicated workforce —inspectors, veterinarians, investigators, administrative assistants and scientists. Read about the men and women who play a role in making our food safe, at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/informational/aboutfsis/faces-of-food-safety/facesoffoodsafety Meetings, Conferences, and WorkshopsFDA to Hold Food Advisory Committee Meeting on December 16-17, 2014The committee will discuss science issues surrounding susceptible life stages or populations and the circumstances under which FDA might decide to conduct a separate risk assessment for these populations. Also, FDA is requesting advice from the Food Advisory Committee on how to integrate concern for susceptible populations into its risk assessment procedures and methodologies including under what conditions a separate risk assessment should be conducted. For more information about the meeting, go to: http://www.fda.gov/AdvisoryCommittees/Calendar/ucm411538.htm FSIS Public MeetingsThe following are upcoming meetings related to Codex Alimentarius: Meetings Held In Washington, DC: • September 23, 2014: Codex Committee on Food Labeling • September 25, 2014: Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection Systems • October 23, 2014: Codex Committee on Food Hygiene Meetings Held in Maryland: • October 28, 2014: Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Use Meetings that have concluded are listed on the Past Meetings page. For meetings between agency officials and outside groups, see the Officials’ Calendar of Meetings. View upcoming meetings and associated meeting materials listed by date on FSIS’ Public Meeting and Events website at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/newsroom/meetings IndustryNew FSIS Brochure Now Available: FSIS Food Safety and Food Defense: Information for In-Commerce FirmsFSIS has developed a new brochure FSIS Food Safety and Food Defense: Information for In-Commerce Firms to help inform firms that have food service operations, such as retailers, restaurants, arenas and stadiums about the agency’s mission and the role of the FSIS compliance officer who may conduct food safety/defense surveillance activities at these firms. The brochure can be viewed at and printed from the following website: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/86cc4d8e-c963-4be2-936a-745e2da9063a/food-defense-incommerce-firms.pdf?MOD=AJPERES FDA Seeks to Make FSMA Proposals More Flexible, TargetedFDA is proposing changes to four rules proposed in 2013 to implement the FDA Food Safety and Modernization Act (FSMA): Produce Safety, Preventive Controls for Human Food, Preventive Controls for Animal Food, and Foreign Supplier Verification Programs. FDA is proposing new ways to make the original proposals more flexible, practical and targeted. For detailed information, go to: http://www.fda.gov/Food/NewsEvents/ConstituentUpdates/ucm415132.htm Update: FSIS Testing for E. coliFSIS posts bi-weekly updates for the agency’s raw ground beef E. coli sampling program. Included are testing results of raw ground beef component samples for E. coli O157:H7 and STECs from FSIS routine and follow-up sampling programs. Also featured is data for non-O157 STECs by each non-O157 STEC serogroup. To review testing results, visit the E. coli data tables at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/data-collection-and-reports/microbiology/ec/ FDA Announces Cooperative Agreement to Implement National Produce Safety RuleOn September 16, 2014, FDA announced a new cooperative agreement with the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) related to the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) to provide critical information to help plan and carry out implementation of a national produce safety rule, in partnership with state regulatory agencies. For additional information, go to: http://www.fda.gov/Food/NewsEvents/ConstituentUpdates/ucm414777.htm FSIS: Review of Non-O157 STEC Test Methods for the Issuance of NOLs EndsIn 2012, FSIS instituted a review process for issuing No Objection Letters (NOLs) for non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) test methods that FSIS determined were fit-for-purpose to ensure that the methods met FSIS’ STEC testing criteria. At the time, reagents and reference strains that were critically necessary to validate STEC test methods were in short supply. Over the years, however, this situation has improved and currently, nine AOAC approved STEC detection methods are available commercially. Additionally, STEC test reagents and reference strains are now readily available. The STEC test methods that FSIS reviewed and has issued NOLs are available at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/regulatory-compliance/new-technologies/summary-table-of-nols-non-o157-stec-test-methods FSIS will continue to make available a list of test kits that have been validated for the detection of relevant foodborne pathogens on its website at: Raw Liquid Eggs Baseline Survey Posted to FSIS’ WebsiteOn September 4, 2014, FSIS posted The Nationwide Microbiological Baseline Data Collection Program: Raw Liquid Eggs Baseline Survey (RLEBS) to its website. The data generated from this survey will be used to establish microbiological profiles of raw liquid egg products and will provide a scientific basis for exposure assessment used in microbial risk assessments. The survey describes the RLEBS and its findings, and is available at FSIS Policy UpdatesFSIS issues Notices and Directives to protect public health. The following policy updates were recently issued:
All Notices and Directives are available at: Syndicated Content Details:
Source URL: http://www.foodsafety.gov/news/educators/ednetseptember2014.html Source Agency: Health and Human Services (HHS) Captured Date: 2014-12-11 03:50:44.0
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