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Country Regulations for Food & Beverage

United States

In the United States, food and beverage regulations are subject to both state and federal oversight. National food and beverage safety in the US falls under several federal regulatory bodies, and jurisdiction is dictated by commodity. The relationships between these bodies and their applications can sometimes be nuanced and difficult to navigate. However, guidance is most clear when viewed in the framework of food or beverage type (e.g. alcohol and meat) or action required for the food item (labeling and testing).  Depending on the commodity and context, regulations may primarily fall under a single regulatory body or it may fall under several. 

Regulatory Agency 

Oversight

Key Regulations *Not comprehensive*

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN)

  • Regulates all foods and ingredients introduced into or offered for sale in interstate commerce except for those foods regulated by USDA (see USDA below).
  • Ensures foods are safe, sanitary, nutritious, wholesome, and honestly and adequately labeled.
  • Provides guidance on safe manufacturing practices
  • Responsible for approval and surveillance of feed additives and of all food additives (including coloring agents, preservatives, food packaging, sanitizers, etc.) that can become part of food.
  • Generally Recognized as Safe ingredients (GRAS)
  • Examples of food & beverage types generally regulated by FDA: Seafood (except Catfish), infant formulas, produce, spices, nuts, cereals, flour, legumes, fruit & vegetable juices, vegetarian entrees, dietary supplements, bottled water, food additives, and alcoholic beverages with less than 7% alcohol content. 

Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act)

The Food Safety and Modernization Act (FSMA) is implemented by the FDA. FMSA is a series of regulations separated into several key components to cover every step of the global supply chain for both human and animal food.

  • Product & Facility Plans
  • cGMP
  • Risk Assessment
  • Preventative Controls (HACCP)
  • Monitoring and Verification, *
  • Corrective/preventative actions and reanalysis
  • Documentation.  

For details and most up-to-date regulatory information, please consult the FDA-CFSAN website.

 

US Department of Agriculture (USDA) - Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)

  • Responsible for oversight and inspection of meat, poultry, honey, egg products (excluding shelled eggs), and most animal-derived products. 
  • GMO/Organic
  • Most other food types including seafood fall under the oversight of FDA. 
  • Same as above
  • Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA)
  • Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA)
  •  Egg Products Inspection Act (EPIA)
  • Agricultural Marketing Act (AMA)

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

  • Registers pesticides and pesticide excipients for use in the United States
  • Establishes tolerances for food and feeds.
  • Dictate labeling requirements for some food contact materials such as sanitizers.
  • Enforcement of tolerances is the responsibility of other agencies (FDA or USDA FSIS).  

Food Quality and Protection Act

 

There are several important resources for US Food and Beverage regulations, such as:

  • US Dept of Treasury- Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB): This bureau is responsible for overseeing the production, distribution, and labelling of alcoholic beverages with over 7% alcoholic content. Testing requirements for these commodities, however, may still fall under the USDA. 

  • Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO):  This association develops uniform and equitable laws, regulations, standards, definitions, and enforcement policies for the manufacturing, labelling, and sale of animal feeds and ingredients. AAFCO provides “model laws” and regulations that nearly all states and regulatory authorities have adopted as the basis for their feed-control program. They do not have regulatory authority but have a formally recognized MOU with the FDA to provide guidance and propose regulation. 

  • Center for Disease Control (CDC):  The CDC primarily provides surveillance and outbreak response in conjunction with State public health bodies in support of FDA and USDA priorities. CDC may also provide some testing guidance and collaboration with responsible authorities during foodborne outbreaks. 

  • Individual State Departments of Health or Agriculture: Food Safety responsibility is also shared among state and territorial governments.

Food and beverage safety in Canada falls primarily under the Canadian Health Portfolio, which reports to the Minister of Health in Canada. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada reports to the Minister of Agriculture. Food testing, labelling, and import/export requirements primarily fall under these national regulatory bodies.

Regulatory Agency 

Oversight

Key Regulations Not comprehensive

Health Canada - Food Directorate

Develops food safety standards and policies to minimize the risk for foodborne illness

 

 

  • Safe Food for Canadians Act (SFCA)
  • Contains a majority of food testing requirements 
  • Food and Drugs Act 
  • Feeds Act
  • Plant Protection Act
  • Health of Animals Act
  • Fertilizers Act 
  • SAFE FOOD FOR CANADIANS SCFR- Requires food safety system in place that is consistent with the requirements of 89(1)(c)(i) to (vii) of the SFCR. 

Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)

  • Carries out inspections in the food industry to enforce food safety responsibilities.
  • Provides industry safety guidance, licenses, and advises on import and export of F&B material. 

 

  • Same as above
  • Canadian Food Inspection Agency Act 
  • CFIA recognizes that some foreign country oversight has hazard analysis and food safety requirements in place that provide the same level of public health protection as Canada. This includes having requirements and oversight in place for the implementation of food safety control measures. In some cases, this will minimize import requirements

Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC)

  • Responsible for biosecurity, biosafety and emergency preparedness.
  • Conducts outbreak surveillance and epidemiology and provides advice to protect public health.
  • Collaborates with Health Canada and CFIA during food outbreaks and recalls. 

 

 

There are several important resources for Canadian Food and Beverage regulations, such as:

  • Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) provides information and support to help industry understand regulatory requirements in order to get innovative foods into the marketplace. The department works with partnering organizations and the above agencies to guide, regulate and develop the agriculture sector on behalf of Canadians.}

  • Provincial and Territorial Governments - Also share responsibility for food safety locally.
Industry Regulations

Industry Regulations

ISO 22000 is a certifiable standard that addresses food safety management system. It defines the guidelines and best practices an organization must follow to control food safety hazards and ensure safe consumption of food. FSSC 22000 includes and expands upon the ISO 22000 requirements.

Industrial Regulation by Food Group

Industry Regulation by Food Group

Learn more about food and beverage regulations by food group, including dairy, meat, plant-based meat, and beverages for different regions throughout the world.

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