FDA Contradicts Itself on Food Safety Best Practices
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today called for stepped up efforts to improve food safety practices in retail food establishments, even though the FDA's own manual permits rat hairs and insect fragments to be included in certain food products.

October 26, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today called for stepped up efforts to improve food safety practices in retail food establishments, even though the FDA's own manual permits rat hairs and insect fragments to be included in certain food products.

Title 21 of the FDA's code of regulation excuses these obnoxious contaminants on the grounds that it is "economically impractical to grow, harvest, or process raw products that are totally free of non-hazardous, naturally occurring, unavoidable defects."

Here's a link to the FDA's manual with approved contaminates for a variety of foods: http://www.fda.gov/food/guidancecomplianceregulatoryinformation/guidancedocuments/sanitation/ucm056174.htm#intro.

In its call for increased food safety precautions, FDA
Deputy Commissioner for Foods Michael Taylor pointed to the need for more on-site vigilance by operators of restaurants, grocery stores and other food service establishments to prevent illness from contaminated food.

"In looking at the data, it is quite clear that having a certified food protection manager on the job makes a difference," Taylor said.

A rash of outbreaks in food contamination has drawn increased attention to the safety of the food supply. The FDA has been under fire for not providing greater oversight of the food industry.

For more food safety news, visit Food Safety News Today. Located at http://foodsafety.einnews.com, Food Safety News Today is a food safety media monitoring service from EIN News.

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