ASQ Promotes Management System Standards to Ensure Food Safety

In the wake of recent food scares involving everything from lettuce, tomatoes, and spinach to peanuts and pistachios, ASQ made food safety a priority. ASQ offered input on legislation that could fundamentally change the nation’s approach to food safety and regulation.

ASQ and ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB) hope to place a stronger emphasis on the use of international standards-based, accredited third-party conformity assessment in this food safety legislation. Primary focus is on a bill on the fast track in the House: the Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009 (H.R. 2749).

ANAB believes there are opportunities to strengthen the legislation to result in more effective and efficient systems for protecting the nation’s food supply. An ANSI/ANAB white paper entitled “Ensuring Food Safety” (PDF, 232 KB) lays out these opportunities and challenges.

ASQ set up meetings with staff from the offices of Sen. Bob Casey and Rep. Tammy Baldwin. ASQ also looks to educate other members in the House and Senate on the international standards they could incorporate into the bills.

Visit ASQ’s food quality discussion board to weigh in with a comment on this topic.