Food Safety Dashboard Provides Accessible Data on Suppliers & Outcomes
Last fall the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) launched its Food Safety Dashboard as an online resource designed to increase transparency about how it is meeting the initiatives of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). The Food Safety Dashboard is part of FDA-TRACK, the agency-wide performance management system operated by FDA. The dashboard also provides resources that allow food importers to search and monitor a supplier’s activities regarding compliance with FDA regulations, including any recalls and import alerts issued. The dashboard can also be used to identify potential risk by country and food item.
FSMA’s goal is to prevent foodborne illness and with its enactment FDA implemented seven major rules to ensure the safety of the human and animal food supply. FMSA also defined measures to evaluate how the rules are being implemented and success of outcomes. According to the FDA website, “The Food Safety Dashboard will monitor progress and performance towards achieving key outcomes over time.” With the dashboard’s debut, FDA announced “the availability of the initial metrics that begin to track outcomes for three FSMA rules in the areas of inspection and recalls,” particularly the preventive controls rules and Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) rule.
Firm and Supplier Evaluation Resources Useful to Importers
Importers can access the dashboard for firm and supplier evaluation resources. Search capabilities on the site are extensive and can help importers learn whether suppliers have received FDA warning letters, import alerts, have issued recalls or have received a Notice of FDA Action for import refusal. Additionally, the dashboard can be used to search for inspection classification data, which is updated monthly, although this is not a comprehensive listing of all conducted inspections. Visitors can enter specific criteria to narrow the search, such as the firm name, project area, date the inspection ended and classification, i.e. No Action Indicated (NAI), Voluntary Action Indicated (VAI), or Official Action Indicated (OAI).
Classified recalls may be searched through the Enforcement Report posted online. Using the advanced search function, a supplier can enter the name of the recalling firm (only the name of the firm that initiates the recall will appear, or in the case of an FDA-requested recall, the company that has the primary responsibility for the manufacture and marketing of the recalled product). These records contain information on the products, recall classification (Class I, II, III) and the reason for the recall.
Metrics on Outcomes
For those interested in seeing reported metrics for outcomes the FDA has identified and are publicly available, the dashboard contains charts and graphs for certain outcomes associated with Imported Food Safety Measures, specifically:
- Reduced Risk of Illness or Injury Attributed to Imported Foods (FDA collaborates with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on developing metrics for this outcome)
- Increase Compliance of the Foreign Supplier with FDA Safety Standards
- More Effective Oversight of Foreign Suppliers by Importers (FSVP)
For example, metrics for the outcome, Increased Compliance of the Foreign Supplier with FDA Safety Standards, include the number, percent and classifications of Foreign Preventive Controls inspections, as well as recall events attributed to both imported human and finished animal food. From these summaries, it’s evident that the number of inspections has soared from FY 2017 to FY 2019.
Due to the staggered compliance dates for FSVP based on business size, the frequency of inspections and FDA’s approach to educate “before and while we regulate”, the agency indicates that that it may take several years “to establish baselines and identify meaningful trends in FSMA implementation.”
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