"New Federal Food Safety Rules Issued After Deadly Outbreaks"

"WASHINGTON - Food manufacturers must be more vigilant about keeping their operations clean under new government safety rules released Thursday in the wake of deadly foodborne illness outbreaks linked to ice cream, caramel apples, cantaloupes and peanuts.

The rules, once promoted as an Obama administration priority and in the works for several years, ran into delays and came out under a court-ordered deadline after advocacy groups had sued. Even then, the Food and Drug Administration allowed the Aug. 30 deadline to pass without releasing the rules to the public.

When the rules go into effect later this year, food manufacturers will have to prepare food safety plans for the government that detail how they are keeping their operations clean and show that they understand the hazards specific to their product. The plans will lay out how they handle and process food and how they monitor and clean up dangerous bacteria like listeria, E. coli or salmonella that may be present, among other safety measures."

Mary Clare Jalonick reports for the Associated Press September 10, 2015.

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"U.S. FDA Finalizes Two Rules Aimed at Preventing Food Hazards" (Reuters)