FDA files rule on sanitary transport of food
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today filed a rule on sanitary transportation "to ensure that transportation practices do not create food safety risks," the agency said in the proposed rule.
The rule is part of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, and is the act's seventh and final rule. Today's filing complies with a court-ordered Jan 31 deadline, according to a Food Safety News (FSN) story today.
The rule, "Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food," says that it "builds on current safe food transport practices and is focused on ensuring that persons engaged in the transportation of food that is at the greatest risk for contamination during transportation follow appropriate sanitary transportation practices."
It establishes requirements for vehicle and transportation equipment, transportation operations, information exchange, training, and written procedures and records. It specifically addresses improper refrigeration, inadequate vehicle cleaning, and inadequate protection of food during transport.
The rule "would allow the transportation industry to continue to use best practices concerning cleaning, inspection, maintenance, loading and unloading of, and operation of vehicles and transportation equipment," the FDA said in the rule.
It does not apply to transportation of fully packaged shelf-stable foods, live food animals, or raw agricultural commodities when transported by farms. Those who transport food en route to another country are likewise exempt.
In a blog post today, FDA deputy commissioner Michael R. Taylor, JD, wrote, "Truthfully, it's uncommon for a foodborne illness to be caused by contamination during transportation. But we have received reports of unsanitary practices, and we want to minimize this potential source of illness."
The comment period on the rule will be open through May 31, and the FDA plans to three public meetings on the rule in February and March.
The FDA also announced today that it is extending the comment period for proposed rules on preventive controls for pet food and animal feed and its draft risk assessment from Feb 26 to Mar 31.
Jan 31 FDA rule
Jan 31 FSN story
Jan 31 Michael Taylor blog post
CDC confirms norovirus sickened 600+ on cruise ship
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today that its labs have confirmed that the gastrointestinal illness that struck more than 600 passengers and crew aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship was norovirus, as suspected.
The agency said in a press release sent to reporters that no specific source of the virus has been confirmed and quite possibly won't be. The ship, carrying more than 4,000 passengers and crew members, was on a Caribbean cruise. It was disinfected after it returned to its home port in New Jersey, according to media reports.
"This outbreak represents one of the largest norovirus outbreaks in the past 20 years," the CDC said.
In related news, a ship from Princess Cruises returned early to Houston from the Caribbean yesterday after more than 160 of 3,104 passengers developed GI illness, USA Today reported today. CDC officials will also investigate the cause of that outbreak, the story said.
The CDC recorded just nine outbreaks of GI illness on ships in 2013, down from 16 in 2012 and more than 30 as recently as 2006, USA Today reported.
Jan 31 USA Today story
