It’s Been Punted Yet Again. Companies Get 30 Extra Months to Comply with FSMA 204 | Episode 109

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are talking about some very frustrating but (unfortunately) not surprising news: the FSMA 204 implementation process has been pushed off yet again and the food industry now has 30 additional months to become fully compliant.

Tune in to discover what FSMA 204 is all about, why it matters so much that this gets accomplished, and the causes and consequences of this delay.

In this episode:

💩 [01:17] The big news: FSMA 204 compliance gets pushed off yet again

💩 [04:19] Why this traceability rule matters

💩 [04:59] How this rule will improve the way the FDA handles outbreaks  

💩 [08:12] Why the industry is so resistant to adopting FSMA 204

💩 [08:39] 14 years in and neither the industry nor the FDA has implemented it yet

💩 [10:35] The dire and little-known consequences of this continued delay

💩 [13:57] Corporate culture and the role of industry associations in this fight

💩 [15:26] Complicated and expensive, but worth it to everyone

💩 [16:33] Will this new rule ever be implemented?

💩 [18:35] How the bureaucracy around food safety is getting in the way

💩 [21:31] Consumer awareness around the quality and safety of our food  

💩 [25:19] Food should not only be safe, it should also be healthy

💩 [27:10] How hard it is to eat healthily in the U.S.

💩 [29:41] Some predictions about where U.S. food safety is headed

Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.

Resources from this episode

Catch up with our interview with Andy Kennedy on Episode 97 | Insider Knowledge on the FDA's Traceability Rule FSMA 204 and Its Implementation with Andrew Kennedy from iFoodDS.

Catch up with our interview with Roger Hancock on Episode 42 | What Does A Fast And Efficient Food Recall Look Like? With Roger Hancock, CEO of Recall InfoLink.

Check out the FDA’s Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) List, Francine mentions.

Noteworthy quotes from this episode

“ I don't think people really truly understand how important one hour is in an outbreak, in a recall situation, every minute that product is on the shelf is a minute that somebody is purchasing it or consuming it in a restaurant, and is just another potential person that will get sick and potentially die.” – Matt Regusci

“ We could do this, but they don't want to. They choose. They choose not to. It's a choice, and they choose not to. The FDA has chosen not to deal with this for the last 14 years. The bottom line is they choose not to, over public health and food safety. Because it is a choice and they're choosing not to deal with it.” – Francine L Shaw

We hope you enjoy this episode!

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