Jun 22, 2011

FDA issues rule on detention of food products

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an interim final rule that will allow the agency to detain on its own administrative authority food and feed products it believes are adulterated or misbranded. Previously, FDA’s ability to administratively detain food products for humans or animals applied only when the agency had credible evidence that the food or feed presented a threat of serious adverse health consequences or death to humans or animals.

This interim final rule is authorized by the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), which was signed into law by President Obama in January. The new rule will take effect July 3.

With this expanded administrative detention authority, FDA will be able to detain food and feed products that it has reason to believe are adulterated or misbranded for up to 30 days, if needed, to ensure they are kept out of the marketplace while the agency determines whether an enforcement action may be required, such as seizure of products or federal injunction against a firm.

Comments about this rule may be submitted to the docket cited in the rule itself.

Find out more information as well as the ruling on the FDA website.