FDA Releases Second RFR Report

The Second Annual Reportable Food Registry Report (RFR) shows that the RFR continues to help FDA in a number of important ways. It has:

• Increased the speed with which FDA and its state and local partners investigate reports and take appropriate follow-up action.
• Improved FDA’s understanding of how products are distributed through commodity supply chains, increasing FDA’s ability to trace reportable foods upstream and downstream.
• Helped FDA and industry identify key commodity risk points and develop guidance for establishing preventive controls.
• Improved coordination among its headquarters, field staff, and state and local regulators.
• Provided data for FDA to issue import alerts and import bulletins.
• Supplied information to target inspections, plan work, and identify and prioritize risks.

The RFR requires manufacturers, processors, packers, and holders (warehousers, distributors, etc.) of FDA-regulated foods/feeds to quickly report to FDA via the online Safety Reporting Portal any foods, feeds, or ingredients that could result in serious adverse health consequences to humans or animals.

The report summarizes the Registry’s second year of operation and finds that it logged 225 primary reports—initial reports about a safety concern with a food or animal feed (including food ingredients); 483 subsequent reports from suppliers or recipients of a food or feed for which a primary report had been submitted; and 174 amended reports to correct or add information to previously submitted reports. Reports were received from both domestic and foreign sources.

The 225 primary reports for Year 2 involved products in 22 commodity categories. Salmonella accounted for 38.2 percent of hazards; Undeclared Allergens, 33.3 percent; and Listeria 17.8 percent. The 229 primary reports in Year 1 involved 25 commodity categories with Salmonella accounting for 37.6 percent; Undeclared Allergens, 30.1 percent; and Listeria,14.4 percent, so, overall, the data are very similar.