According to the FDA, the agency’s first public meeting on imported food safety rules in taking place in Washington D.C. Approximately 15% of the total U.S. food supply is imported from other countries and many of the recent recalls have raised concern among the public as to whether or not these imported foods are safe. The recent cyclosporiasis outbreak came from imported lettuce from Mexico and the recent hepatitis A outbreak traced back to imported pomegranate seeds from Turkey. The public meeting will focus on two programs the FDA has proposed through its new rules:
- The Foreign Supplier Verification Program would hold food importers liable for keeping track of the safety of the food they bring into the country. Those who fail to protect consumers could be banned from the import business.
- The Accredited Third-Party Audits and Certification Program would create a system for providing credentials to auditors in other countries who would be tasked with inspecting farms and food facilities.
The rules are being established as a result of the Food Safety Modernization Act, which President Obama signed into law in January 2011. About 426 people have already registered to attend the meeting, with 32 signed up to give public comment. Contact us 24/7 for a free case appraisal. Read more on this article.
Mr. Finkelstein is the Managing Partner of Finkelstein & Partners, LLP. He has become a noted consumer activist through his representation of injured individuals against corporate wrongdoers and irresponsible parties.
An accomplished litigator, Mr. Finkelstein has represented Plaintiffs in wrongful death and catastrophic personal injury cases. He has successfully handled dozens of multi-million dollar cases.