FDA Law Reforms Seek to Save Thousands

New rules and regulations have been outlined by the FDA to set into motion an overhaul on how companies deal with contaminated food. The FDA has set up a multi-layered law to focus on prevention rather than reaction.

The new Food Safety Modernization Act is hailed as "one of the most comprehensive and sweeping reform policies initiated in American food safety since 1906."

It was signed into law by President Obama in 2011, but its first two regulations go into effect only now, including the Preventative Controls for Human and Animal Food. This establishes a baseline for risk assessment and prevention that tries to stop outbreaks before they can start. They would also hold food providers liable if they do not follow the rules.

It makes use of food processors to manage and identify risk.

The Preventative Controls for Animal Food also follow the same rules for the animal food industry.

Hence, food providers need to identify contamination risks and find solutions, hoping to prevent mass food poisoning, which leads to 3,000 deaths per year, according to NBC News.

"Rather than just react to outbreaks, we are requiring food facilities to take measures to prevent them from the get-go," said FDA Senior Adviser Jenny Scott, according to hngn.

Other regulations in the law will lead to safe imports.