The proposed rule in USA Federal Register was published on 16th January 2013. The proposed rule seeks to revise the current manufacturing, processing and packing regulations. This rule seeks to introduce more preventive measures in accordance with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). These new laws were proposed to strengthen the regulations required for registration of food facilities with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These measures if taken will help improve food safety plans and the identification of hazards facing these processes and mitigation of the identified hazards. The rule will further ensure only the best and legal food facilities are allowed to operate and serve the American public and close those that do not meet the new standards as required by this ne proposed rule.
The application of these proposals is only needed in situations where there is a likelihood of a hazard occurring thus the need to apply these rules but it should not be applied to all foods at all facilities as some of these facilities might not require the use of these proposals. All organizations that will be involved with manufacturing, processing packaging or holding of foods will be required by the law to comply with these regulations by the FDA unless they are exempted under special circumstances. This rule also states the conditions under which an exemption can be withdrawn and the procedure to do so by the FDA. This rule was made to create requirements for the following processes: a written food safety plan, hazard analysis, preventive controls for hazards that are reasonably likely to occur, monitoring, corrective actions, verification and associated records. All these preventive controls were made to be applied in cases where there is a likelihood of hazards occurring in the food facilities.
This proposed rule call for the preparation of a food safety plan good and valid preventive controls with effective preventive control measures able to efficiently carry out the food safety plan. The rule also shows the minimum requirements for the individual who undergoes this training on food safety plan either from experience or with a standardized curriculum before he or she can be allowed to apply the food safety system. The benefits of this rule are numerous with the number one benefit being the reduced chances of illnesses relating to food-borne diseases.
Although the current laws have played a huge role in ensuring safety and health of the citizens from food-borne diseases it is important to adopt the new proposed laws to better this safety and health since research still shows that 1 in every 6 Americans get sick of food-borne diseases and out of 128, 000 hospitalized Americans 3,000 die from these diseases according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These statistics shows the need to further tighten the rules and regulations regarding food facilities and thus the need to adopt these proposals in to law.
This proposed rule should be adopted to regulate the food sector in the United States so as to improve the health of the citizens of this country. This proposed rule is very important to all Americans since it helps in improving regulation regarding food facilities in the whole country. Many have suffered as result of poor rules governing these food facilities thus leading to several food-borne illnesses that have rocked the whole nation thus increasing both individual and government spending on health facilities but with the implementation of these laws means most of these illnesses are going to be reduced and thus reducing both government and individual spending of health facilities to treat the illnesses. This rule also helps in allowing only qualified food facilities to serve the American public as those who do not meet the required standards will be given the opportunity to make the changes.
Reference List
Administrative Law for Public Managers (“ALPM”), David H. Rosenbloom
Federal Register (2014) A Proposed Rule by the Food and Drug Administration on 01/16/2013. Available at https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2013/01/16/2013-00125/current-good-manufacturing-practice-and-hazard-analysis-and-risk-based-preventive-controls-for-human (Accessed 8th December 2014)
The Legal Foundations of Public Administration (“LF”), Donald D. Barry & Howard R. Whitcomb
