FSMA Fridays — What's Ahead In 2017? (Part Two Of Four)

View the entire webcast or read part one of this series

In part one of FSMA Fridays — What's Ahead In 2017? SafetyChain Software’s VP of Marketing, Jill Bender is joined by The Acheson Group’s (TAG) President and CEO Dr. David Acheson to share insight on what 2017 will bring the F&B industry in regards to the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). Here, in part two, the duo continues their conversation.

Jill: Let's talk a little bit about insights on the future of FSMA in 2017. Obviously, we had an election, and we will have a new administration coming in under Trump. I've heard everything from “it'll just be full-steam ahead with current plans” to “will FSMA survive?” What are your thoughts?

David: Yes, I think FSMA will survive. We've talked about this in past FSMA Fridays a little bit. Obviously, there was a very short-lived speculation that the Trump administration — this was before he became president-elect — would roll back every regulation in sight. I think there are some things in jeopardy, but FSMA's probably not one of them.

Just to reiterate why I think that is the case, if we think back to where FSMA began, it truly was a bipartisan initiative on Congress' part. Industry was solidly behind it and, I think, continues to be for the most part, questions on details, obviously, consumer groups, and regulators. I don't think any of that has really gone away, so any lobbying to destroy FSMA will not be successful. I've really not heard it. I've really not heard a significant head esteem getting up anywhere in Washington that is attempting to put FSMA on the chopping block. My instincts are that FSMA will survive pretty much in the way it's written. We should just make that assumption.