New FDA rules aim to prevent intentional food adulteration

(Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Thursday it had finalized new rules aimed at making food manufacturers more accountable for the prevention of intentional adulteration. The new rule, under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), requires both domestic and foreign food facilities to maintain a written food defense plan that assesses their potential vulnerabilities to deliberate contamination. Companies for the first time will be required to implement strategies to take corrective actions, including ensuring that factory staff get appropriate training and maintain certain records. Food manufacturers will be required to comply with the new regulation within three to five years, depending on the size of their business. (Reporting by Sayantani Ghosh in Bengaluru; Editing by Ted Kerr)