Forever Cheese said it will stop importing cheese produced by Italy-based Fattorie Chiarappa Srl after the discovery of possible contamination from Listeria Monocytogenes. Forever Cheese advised all its customers to destroy the cheese, which includes Ricotta Salata Frescolina, Marte brand Roasted Ricotta and Hard Ricotta Salata.
On Sept. 19 the Food and Drug Administration posted new and revised versions of the following Import Alerts on the detention without physical examination of:
During the week of Sept. 10-16, the Food and Drug Administration modified the following existing Import Alerts (not otherwise listed on the FDA's new and revised import alerts page) on the detention without physical examination and/or surveillance of:
The Food and Drug Administration threatened to place a Thai fish processor and an Italian cheese manufacturer on import alert for violations of FDA regulations, in two separate warning letters to the firms. The FDA found that Thai fish processor Kuang Pei San Food Products committed violations of the the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulations (here), and that Italian cheese manufacturer Caseificio Sociale Manciano committed violations of the Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) for food regulations (here). FDA gave each firm 15 working days to respond to the allegations.
Chinese pharmaceutical manufacturer Fercy Personal Care Products will remain on import alert for violations of Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) regulations, lapsed registration, and failure to cooperate with an inspection, said the Food and Drug Administration in a warning letter dated Sept. 7. As such, Fercy’s drugs will remain subject to refusal of admission into the U.S.
On Sept. 18 the Food and Drug Administration posted new and revised versions of the following Import Alerts on the detention without physical examination of:
The Food and Drug Administration will not at this time recommend changes by consumers about their consumption of rice and rice products due to arsenic concerns, it said after reviewing preliminary data on the subject. The preliminary results of the study found average levels of inorganic arsenic for the various rice and rice products of 3.5 to 6.7 micrograms of inorganic arsenic per serving. The study includes various brands of rice (non-Basmati), Basmati rice, brown rice, rice cereals (puffed, non-puffed, hot cereal, and infant cereals), rice cakes, and rice milk.
On Sept. 17 the Food and Drug Administration posted new and revised versions of the following Import Alerts on the detention without physical examination of:
On Sept. 14 the Food and Drug Administration posted new and revised versions of the following Import Alerts on the detention without physical examination of:
The FDA is in the beginning stages of looking at a centralized review model for import entry, said a FDA spokeswoman. "FDA is currently exploring the idea of using a 'centralized' review model for import entry review," she said. "This exploration is in the very early stages and will be looking at whether the model is feasible, whether any efficiencies could be expected from such a model, if there would be any benefits to FDA and/or the regulated industry from such a model." An FDA official recently discussed the issue at the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America conference. (See ITT's Online Archives 12091423 for summary of the FDA official's remarks.)