FDA Proposes New Temperature Measuring
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a proposal Tuesday to allow alternative temperature measuring procedures by the canned food industry.
The proposed rule would allow manufacturers of heat-processed low-acid canned foods to modernize their equipment by using alternative temperature-indicating electronic devices instead of, or in addition to, conventional mercury-in-glass thermometers.
If finalized, the proposed rule would amend the FDA’s current regulations for the processing of low-acid canned foods such as beans, corn, peas and potatoes.
This proposal is designed to benefit both consumers and the food industry, said Robert Brackett, director of the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Nutrition. It enables manufacturers to rapidly adopt technologically advanced temperature-indicating devices.
Comments may be submitted at http://www.fda.gov/dockets/ecomments. Submitted comments should be identified by Docket Number 2007N-0026.