FDA Launches Food Safety Enforcement Web Portal

WASHINGTONThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) launched a new food safety enforcement web portal that discloses more information about inspections and court actions. The new web portal is the second phase of FDAs Transparency Initiative designed to make the agencys enforcement and compliance-related activities more accessible, downloadable and searchable online.

The new portal includes a summary of the most common inspectional observations of objectionable conditions or practices made during inspections, and a searchable inspections database that includes the names and addresses of inspected facilities, inspection dates, type of FDA-regulated products involved, and final inspectional classification.

Access to the information available through the portal will give the public more information about company practices that may jeopardize public health, as well as about companies that have had satisfactory FDA inspections

By the end of 2011, FDA also will begin to disclose additional information about FDA evaluations of filers, expand disclosure of untitled letters, and in appropriate situations, support industry efforts during a food recall to inform consumers of products that are not subject to the recall.