FDA/CFSAN's News for Educators: April - June 2016

Food Safety

“FSMA” Rules Will Make Food Safer. The recent rules finalized under FDA’s landmark Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) will require producers of human and animal food to identify possible hazards and take steps (called “preventive controls”) to prevent or minimize them. In addition, standards for the growing, harvesting, and packing of fruits and vegetables have been established. Food importers will now assume greater responsibility to verify that foods imported into the United States meet domestic safety standards. A new voluntary program will also enable accredited third parties to conduct food safety audits and issue “certifications” of foreign food facilities and their products. Learn more about the FSMA rules and how they protect against foodborne illness outbreaks.

Nutrition

Invite Tweens to Visit FDA’s Snack Shack! FDA launched the newest destination at the award-winning Whyville online community last month, enabling Whyville’s 7 million “citizens” to learn about and practice using the Nutrition Facts Label to compare and choose foods and beverages. By playing two games – Label Lingo and Snack Sort – citizens can earn “clams” (Whyville’s online currency) for use throughout the virtual world. Trips to Whyville are especially fun when citizens visit FDA’s Snack Shack to play Snack Sort together! Invite your 8- to 15-year-old constituents (as well as parents and teachers) to check it out today at http://snackshack.whyville.com

Cosmetics 

USDA, not FDA, Oversees “Organic” Labeling. FDA regulates cosmetics under the authority of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) and the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act (FPLA). Consumers often have questions about cosmetics that are labeled “organic.” But actually, this term is not defined by these two laws and the regulations FDA enforces under them. Rather, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program (NOP) has regulations that define “organic” and provide standards for certifying organic ingredients, as well as for product labeling. To learn more about this and other questions related to organic cosmetics, visit FDA’sQuestions and Answers About “Organic” Cosmetics.