Scoping out the food industry in 2022
Monday, February 14, 2022
What’s going to happen in 2022? Here are five things in the food industry to watch and prepare for this year.
COVID-19 Pandemic Relief
Keep an eye out for new forms of pandemic relief to be rolled out in 2022. Here are two that can be found on the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service website: The Farm and Food Worker Relief Grant Program will ultimately allow farmworkers, meatpacking workers and grocery store workers the opportunity to receive a $600 relief payment. Currently, state, tribal and nonprofit entities are applying to be allowed to distribute funds to qualified recipients. Farm and food workers will apply to grant recipients to receive funds.
The first Meat and Poultry Inspection Readiness Grant program helped currently operational meat and poultry slaughter and processing facilities in obtaining a Federal Grant of Inspection. Over $32 million in award funding was granted in 2021. There should be another round rolling out in the coming months, so watch the reference link below to find more details.
USDA-FSIS Updates Appendices A & B
In December 2021, FSIS released updated guidelines for what we refer to as Appendix A and Appendix B. Many small establishments use these documents to support their HACCP plans, and the annual review for this year will need to include a verification of the details in the new documents. Here are two examples of the many changes made in the new guidance:
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Guidance Document |
Example of one of the changes effective December 14, 2022 |
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FSIS Cooking Guideline for Meat and Poultry Products (Revised Appendix A) December 2021 |
The revision defines products not covered by the guideline to be Fish of the Order Siluriformes, pork rind pellets, rendered lard and tallow, dried products processed under dry conditions, partially heat-treated NRTE products and RTE multi-hurdle products. |
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FSIS Stabilization Guideline for Meat and Poultry Products (Revised Appendix B) December 2021 |
The revision states that natural sources of nitrite and ascorbate should not be mixed with purified or synthetic sources. |
According to the Federal Register website notice, “On December 14, 2022, FSIS will verify that establishments that had been using the 1999 and 2017 versions of Appendix A and B are instead using the 2021 updated versions of the guidance or have identified alternative scientific support for their cooking and stabilization processes, making changes to their HACCP systems as needed.”
The Big Eight Allergens become The Big Nine
Undeclared allergens are a major cause of food recalls for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The big eight major food allergens were defined in 2004 by the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA). They are milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soybean. In April 2021, sesame was added to the list because of the Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education, and Research (FASTER) Act. Food manufacturers processing sesame will have until Jan. 1, 2023, to update labels and necessary documents in their food safety programs.
Oklahoma Homemade Food Freedom Act
The State of Oklahoma passed revisions to the regulations for home-based food businesses and the changes became effective Nov. 1, 2021. The Oklahoma Homemade Food Freedom Act introduces notable changes from the Home Bakery Act of 2013 and 2017, and the Act incorporates the Oklahoma Honey Sales Act of 2013.
Some of the changes include:
- Increasing the sales cap to $75,000
- Training requirement for some food production
- Distinctions for Non Time-Temperature Controlled for Safety (NTCS) Food Products and for Time/Temperature Controlled for Safety (TCS) Food Products
BRCGS Edition 9 and SQF Edition 9 Amendments
The Brand Reputation Compliance Global Standards (BRCGS) will revise its Food Safety Standard this year, and a draft of the purposed guide is available.
Some of the changes include:
- Adding a requirement for one unannounced audit every three years
- Adding minimum requirements to the food safety and quality culture plan
- Adding animal feed products to the pet food section requirements
- Adding details to the management of outsourced processing
- Adding details to the section covering production equipment
- Adding a section to address animal primary conversion
According to the BRCGS website, “Issue 9 will be published in August 2022.” There will be a time for companies to comply with the new standard, and “certification against Issue 9 will commence in audits from Feb. 1, 2023.”
The Safe Quality Food Institute (SQFI) published four amendments to the Edition 9 Codes with implementation that began Oct. 4, 2021. They address medical screenings, approved suppliers, multi-site programs and applying agricultural chemicals.
I am looking forward to hearing from you in 2022. If you have questions, or would like to discuss any food safety or quality topic, please email me at stephanie.baker10@okstate.edu
References:
Farm and Food Worker Relief Grant Program | Agricultural Marketing Service (usda.gov)
Meat and Poultry Inspection Readiness Grant | Agricultural Marketing Service (usda.gov)
Food Allergens - International Regulatory Chart | FARRP | Nebraska (unl.edu)