The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is the most sweeping reform of U.S. food safety laws since the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act of 1938. The FSMA was signed into law by President Barack Obama on Jan. 4, 2011. The act’s central goal is focused on improving the safety of the U.S. food supply. It was created in response to several incidents of food-borne illnesses during the 2000s. Tainted food has cost the industry billions of dollars in recalls, lost sales and legal expenses.
The FSMA charges the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to develop regulations that ensure the U.S. food supply is safe by proactively aiming at contamination prevention rather than responding to contamination outbreaks. This simple idea has sent shockwaves throughout the industry, forcing beverage processors to consider many processing issues. From farm to fork, every link in the chain has increased regulatory scrutiny, and the repercussions of a failure are more costly than ever.