Food Safety​

Food safety is the highest priority for frozen food producers and we dedicate significant resources to address a wide range of critical food safety issues. We advocate for the industry in three key areas: Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) implementation and funding, Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) prevention and control, and Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) use and regulation.
Current Key Issues
  • Ensure frozen food facilities have the license to exercise flexibility in their food safety preventive controls programs. Recognition of AFFI’s Lm best practices as appropriate for compliance with FDA and USDA requirements.
  • Advocate for appropriate and balanced use of WGS techniques for regulatory purposes in frozen foods and facilities and ensure consistency of WGS application/analysis across different agencies as a regulatory tool.
  • Achieve a regulatory platform that maintains NRTE status for frozen foods; Delay enforcement of zero tolerance action limit for RTE that do not support growth. Acceptance of the cook for safety symbol.
AFFI has outlined a comprehensive strategy to combat the prevalence of Lm in frozen food and beverage facilities and is working with state and federal agencies to outline science-based regulatory policies for the food industry. AFFI’s efforts are focused on advancing Listeria research and providing best practices information towards prevention and control to frozen food and beverage makers. AFFI is conducting educational support, training and workshops to better equip the industry in dealing with Lm. AFFI also leads the Alliance for Listeriosis Prevention (ALP), a coalition of trade associations and companies organized to integrate industry wide prevention and control of Listeriosis. Members of ALP also collaborate to revise current U.S. government policy concerning the presence of Lm in foods.
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