FDA and FSIS to Evaluate Jurisdiction over Food Products

November 9, 2005 — 

The Food and Drug Administration(FDA) and the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) have announced a public meeting to discuss jurisdiction over certain types of food products that contain meat and poultry as ingredients.

Both FDA and FSIS have regulatory authority over the food supply. The FSIS has authority over all meat and poultry products and processed egg products. The FDA has authority over all foods not under FSIS jurisdiction (including dairy products, bread, grains, seafood, vegetables, produce, etc.). A recent review by the agencies has found that certain products or foods do not clearly fall into one of these categories.

A working group comprised of representatives from each agency met and decided that jurisdiction should be decided based on the contribution of the meat or poultry ingredients to the identity of the food. Foods which may likely change jurisdiction include for example bagel dogs; closed-face sandwiches; cheese and cheese products; natural casings; some bread, rolls and buns; dried poultry soup mixes; etc.

Public comment to the proposed approach is currently being accepted and the public meeting will be held on December 15, 2005 in Rosemont, IL. Information on submitting comments or attending the meeting can be found in the Federal Register announcement at the web address below.

Source: US Federal Register: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/rdad/FRPubs/05-013N.pdf