Industry Issues

Commodity Inspections for FSA under the AMA
September/October 2009 Chaff

On September 15, GIPSA posted a solicitation on the Federal Business Opportunity (FEDBIZOPPS) website seeking companies and individuals to assist in providing processed commodity (i.e., corn soy blend) sampling and weighing services.  These activities, conducted under the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946, as amended, are for USDA's Farm Service Agency food aid program and will be performed at milling facilities in Crete and Lincoln, Nebraska; Champaign-Danville, Illinois; and Cambria, Wisconsin.  The duration of the contract will be from date of award through September 2010 with 4 option years (2011-2014) for a maximum contract length of 5 years.   Interested parties were to respond to the solicitation by 1:00 pm eastern on September 25, 2009.

QMP Update
September/October 2009 Chaff

GIPSA has approved the quality manuals for 30 official agencies and is in the final stages of reviewing a number of others for compliance with the Quality Management Program requirements.   Compliance Division Director Thomas O'Connor told the AAGIWA Board on September 14 that the Agency is still waiting for draft quality manuals from four state agencies and one designated private agency.  While all GIPSA field offices have submitted draft manuals for review, the Agency is adding some additional requirements to its field office's program, which is delaying final approval. 

 Aflatoxin Reporting Unchanged by FDA Reporting Portal
September/October 2009 Chaff

As of September 8, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has activated the Reportable Food Registry Electronic Portal, which food industry officials must now use to alert the FDA quickly if they find that their products might sicken or be fatal to people or animals.   Facilities that manufacture, process or hold food for consumption in the United States now must tell the FDA within 24 hours if they find a reasonable probability that the article of food will cause severe health problems or death to a person or an animal.  The reporting requirement, a result of legislation, took effect with the launch of the new electronic portal reporting system.
 
However, this new legislation and new electronic portal has no bearing on the FGIS/FDA Memorandum of Understanding which is the agreement that sets forth the working arrangements between the Federal Grain Inspection Service and the Food and Drug Administration regarding their respective responsibilities in the inspection and standardization of grain, rice, pulses, and food products.

Links for additional information on the FDA's Reportable Food Registry:

FDA Develops Method of Detecting Residues in DDGs
September/October 2009 Chaff 

The National Grain and Feed Association reported in its September 16 newsletter that the Food and Drug Administration has developed a new method for detecting residues of 13 different antibiotics in distillers grains and may consider a second nationwide sampling program.

According to the NGFA report, the FDA on Sept. 15 published a scientific paper in which it announced it has developed a method for screening, determining and confirming the presence of 13 different antibiotics in distillers grains. FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine (FDA/CVM) has indicated it may consider undertaking a second national sampling plan later this year to detect the presence and prevalence of residues of various antibiotics in distillers grain products that result from their use in fuel-ethanol production. Antibiotics are used as a processing aid by some fuel-ethanol producers during the fermentation process to kill and control bacteria that can negatively affect the amount of alcohol yielded from corn, thereby enhancing fuel-ethanol production.

FDA/CVM in January 2009 announced the results of an initial nationwide sampling of distillers products manufactured from fuel-ethanol production, in which it detected antibiotic residues in more than 50 percent of the samples analyzed, some at elevated levels. FDA/CVM has emphasized that no antibiotic residues currently are allowed in distillers grains intended for use as a feed ingredient.

FDA/CVM, however, has informed Phibro Animal Health Corp., the manufacturer of a virginiamycin-based processing aid known as Lactrol®, that the agency plans to exercise enforcement discretion concerning that product so long as the company is pursuing a food-additive petition in an intentional manner seeking FDA approval of the product. FDA/CVM in November 1993 had issued a "letter-of-no-objection" in which the agency allowed residues of up to 0.5 parts per million of virginiamycin in distillers grain products. But the agency in early 2008 said it was reconsidering its regulatory stance because of concerns over the degree to which the use of antimicrobials in food-producing animals may contribute to the build-up of resistance to antibiotics in humans that undermine their effectiveness in treating human illness. 

AAGIWA Comments on Training Program Topics
July 2009 Chaff

In a letter dated June 22, AAGIWA President Larry Kitchen submitted the views of several Association members on training programs to FGIS Technical Services Director John Sharpe.  AAGIWA's Board of Directors had previously discussed the training programs in a May 19 conference call with Mr. Sharpe.  Some of the suggestions raised by AAGIWA members included the following:

  • FGIS should consider including private industry representatives in training programs at an appropriate fee level.
  • FGIS grading seminars for official personnel should be offered on a 50-50 cost share.
  • FGIS should not charge for licensing personnel.
  • Agencies located at some distance (Pacific Northwest) would like some consideration from FGIS in offering training programs in closer proximity. 
  • A quality assurance training course may be a good addition to the training curriculum.