US Food and Drug Administration: The US FDA today took one of the most significant steps in decades to prevent foodborne illness by finalizing the first two of seven major rules under the bipartisan FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).

Today’s action is the first step in putting greater emphasis on the prevention of foodborne illness, holding imported food to the same food safety standard as domestically produced food, and developing a nationally integrated food safety system in partnership with state and local authorities.

The two rules finalized today, the preventive controls rules, focus on implementing modern food manufacturing processes for both human and animal foods. Today’s announcement will ensure that food companies are taking action and working with the FDA to prevent hazards to customers on the front end, rather than waiting to act until an outbreak has occurred.

Click here to read the full media release from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).