Last updated June 11, 2020 Show  An FCS is any material that comes into contact with or is used for manufacturing, packing, packaging, transporting or holding food. Both the plastics and the pigments used in making colored plastic fittings and cooking utensils are examples of food-contact substances. FDA stands for the US Food and Drug Administration, a federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. Why does it matter if a part is FDA compliant?FDA compliant materials meet FDA standards. In addition to standards regulating what materials are safe to use, FDA standards also set rules for how these materials can be safely used when they are in contact with food products. FDA compliant means more than just safe for food contactIn general, saying a material is FDA compliant indicates that it is a food grade material. It is made of the correct type and quality of material that makes it safe for food contact. To be completely FDA compliant, the component end user must also be certain that
What does NSF 51 Food Equipment Materials certification mean?NSF 51 Food Equipment Materials certifications establishes minimum health and sanitation requirements for materials used in the making of commercial food equipment. Food, beverage and drinking water contact materials must not contaminate food nor make food equipment difficult to clean and sanitize. NSF tests and certifies a variety of plastic materials and resins for food contact end use. Plastics resins suitable for evaluation by the NSF for food contact certification include
What are food contact surfaces?A food contact surface is any surface that may come into direct contact with food. Food contact surfaces are made of food-safe materials designed to withstand the environment where they will be used. This includes exposure to cleaning compounds, sanitizing agents and cleaning procedures. What does GRAS stand for?Substances generally recognized as safe (GRAS), are materials that can be safely used for articles and surfaces that come into contact with food under normal, good manufacturing processes (GMP). Some additional reading Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Title 21 from the FDA Food Contact Materials at EFSA, the European Food Safety Authority >>
About the authorSteven C. Williams, BS, is the technical writer and an inbound marketing specialist at Industrial Specialties Manufacturing (ISM), an ISO 9001-2015 supplier of miniature pneumatic, vacuum and fluid circuitry components to OEM's and distributors all over the world. He writes on technical topics related to miniature pneumatic and fluidic components as well as topics of general interest at ISM.
When we order a salad out at a restaurant, we assume it’s safe to eat. At the very least, we don’t expect it to put our health or even our life at risk. But that’s precisely what happened to William Whit one day when he went out to lunch with friends and opted for what seemed like the healthy route at a pizza place. Whit ordered a salad and, soon after, began experiencing severe stomach discomfort. Eventually, after his condition worsened, he ended up in the hospital. The doctors spent days trying to figure out how an otherwise-healthy man became sick so quickly, before finally realizing that the lettuce he consumed was contaminated with E. coli. Unfortunately, Whit’s story is not uncommon. From E. coli-laden Romaine lettuce to Salmonella-laced flour, papayas, and melon, dangerous pathogens are constantly invading America’s food. A new analysis from the U.S. PIRG Education Fund illustrates this ongoing food safety problem, while at the same time outlining the solution. The report found that meat and poultry recall remained high last year, but that recalls for produce and processed food has decreased in the previous three years since new protections were put in place. Recalls are an important measure of the health of our food safety system. When a recall occurs, it means that the system failed to prevent contaminated food from reaching consumers. After several high profile recalls in the late 2000s, Congress passed the FDA Food Safety and Modernization Act in 2011, giving the Food and Drug Administration more authority to mandate recalls and require new protections for our food supply. A few years after the government implemented these new protections, recalls started to decrease. As U.S. PIRG Education Fund’s “How Safe is Our Food?” report notes, the number of recalls overseen by the FDA has dropped 34 percent since 2016. That same year, businesses were required by the FDA to establish food safety plans to identify and address hazards to the food supply, including everything from dangerous pathogens to chunks of metal or plastic. These plans require constant monitoring to verify that controls are working, and mandate corrective action if failures appear. The theory is simple: comprehensive, facility-specific plans prevent hazardous food from reaching grocery stores, restaurants and ultimately, your plate. And when something does slip through, the food producer has to determine if updates are necessary. This FDA should be lauded for this success — but it makes it even more baffling that other standards have been delayed as recalls and outbreaks continue. One E. coli-related recall just ended a few weeks ago after the fifth outbreak of E. coli linked to leafy greens since 2017 made 167 people sick in 27 states. There’s growing evidence that something is rotten in the nation’s fields. During an extensive investigation into a March 2018 outbreak, the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found the same strain of E. coli in a canal adjacent to a large cattle farm, also known as a concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO). A likely chain of events goes like this: Bacteria from the CAFO, possibly from leaking waste, made it into the nearby canal. The contaminated water was used to irrigate leafy greens on the farm, and then shipped to stores across the country and purchased by consumers. Although water has been identified as a potential cause of a foodborne illness outbreak many times now, a rule to set science-based standards limiting bacteria in the water used to irrigate, harvest and wash produce has been delayed from 2019 until 2022. In the meantime, Americans continue to get sick. This is unacceptable. The decline in recalls since some food safety rules went into effect in 2016 shows that when common-sense regulations are enacted using modern technology, consumers are safer. We have the ability to prevent more dangerous contamination and illness by using the same science-based approach to food safety. The FDA should move forward with strong health-based standards for water used on our produce. Then, Americans like William Whit will be able to enjoy that next salad with less worry. Dylan Robb is a Consumer Watchdog associate for U.S. PIRG Education Fund, a national nonprofit organization.
To protect public health, FDA monitors domestic firms and the foods that they produce. FDA also has multiple initiatives for monitoring imported products and foreign firms exporting to the United States. FDA protects consumers from unsafe foods through:
This section provides access to FDA's warning and untitled letters, information about inspection and compliance programs, and the Reportable Food Registry. CFSAN Adverse Event Reporting System (CAERS)A database that contains information on adverse event and product complaint reports submitted to FDA for foods, dietary supplements, and cosmetics. Economically Motivated Adulteration - Food FraudFDA works on several fronts to protect consumers from the potential health risks and economic harm from food fraud. Food Compliance ProgramsFDA's compliance programs provide instructions to FDA personnel for conducting activities to evaluate industry compliance with the laws administered by FDA. InspectionsLearn about how FDA helps keep food safe through inspections, including the Foreign Food Inspection Program and inspections of aircraft water systems. Reportable Food RegistryThe Reportable Food Registry is an electronic portal for industry to report when there is reasonable probability that an article of food will cause serious adverse health consequences. The Reportable Food Registry helps FDA better protect public health by tracking patterns and targeting inspections. SamplingThe FDA Food Safety Modernization Act is based on preventing problems before they happen, rather than solely responding to outbreaks of foodborne illness. But in order to develop prevention-based systems, you need data and other information to help identify hazards that need to be addressed and minimized. Sampling is an important method for gathering data and information. Untitled LettersUntitled letters address violations from manufacturing controls or labeling that do not meet the threshold of regulatory significance for a Warning Letter. Untitled letters can also be issued to websites. Warning LettersWhen FDA finds that a manufacturer has significantly violated FDA regulations, FDA notifies the manufacturer. This notification is often in the form of a Warning Letter. Compliance ResourcesEnforcement ResourcesAnalytical ResourcesAdditional Resources |
What can the FDA do to make food safe?
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