Author: Cassandra LaRae-Perez

2018 was a bad year for lettuce. On January 10, 2018 the CDC reported that a 2017 E. coli outbreak “likely related to” unidentified “leafy greens” had ended.  The multi-state outbreak involving infections in 15 U.S. states and five Canadian …

As the federal government shutdown marches through its third week, many regulated businesses are evaluating how they might navigate the closures in the short and the longer terms. Read on for some of the ways the government shutdown is affecting …

UPDATED June 20, 2018 In response to more than 3000 comments from the maple and honey industries, the FDA is reconsidering whether it will require producers of pure maple syrup and pure honey to break out “added sugars” on their …

Are you ready for the FDA inspection?   The Food Safety Modernization Act has been in place since 2011, but it took some time for the FDA to implement the rules.  Now that many compliance deadlines have passed (see here for …

When preparing for FSMA inspections, my checklist will help you, and no one preparation can be said to be more important than another . . .  other than, perhaps,  records, records, RECORDS. Did I mention records? Did you make a …

As a food and beverage producer, you already know that the regulations governing your business can be a little…complex. The USDA’s draft GMO regulations are no exception, so this is a lengthy update. The quick and dirty is that comments …

  "First we eat, then we do everything else.”  - MFK Fisher