About 48 million people in the U.S. (1 in 6) get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die each year from foodborne diseases, according to recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is a significant public health burden that is largely preventable.

Serious problems occur when food products are accidentally contaminated, and that’s why preventive controls so important. Undeclared allergens—not pathogens—drive the overwhelming majority of recalls. Massive amounts of product have been recalled because of undeclared allergens, and many of those allergens were present because of cross-contact or cross-contamination in the manufacturing process.

The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is transforming the nation’s food safety system by shifting the focus from responding to foodborne illness to preventing it. Congress enacted FSMA in response to dramatic changes in the global food system and in our understanding of foodborne illness and its consequences, including the realization that preventable foodborne illness is both a significant public health problem and a threat to the economic well-being of the food system.

FDA has finalized seven major rules to implement FSMA, recognizing that ensuring the safety of the food supply is a shared responsibility among many different points in the global supply chain for both human and animal food. The FSMA rules are designed to make clear specific actions that must be taken at each of these points to prevent contamination.

To prevent foodborne illness and recalls, management of cross-contamination and cross-contact risk are critical at every level of the supply chain beginning at the producer through use by the food service establishments and the consumers. 

Proper preventive control for food producers and processors is critical to ensuring consumer safety.  It is essential for food industry professionals to stay up to date on regulatory compliance expectations and requirements in order to implement and maintain compliant quality systems.

This webinar will thoroughly discuss common cross-contamination and cross-contact risks throughout the supply chain; as well as, include a thorough discussion on effective controls to mitigate those risks.