IDFA welcomed a delegation of food safety professionals belonging to the Japan Food Hygiene Association to the IDFA office Monday afternoon. The Japanese association, which uses research to promote the safety and assessment of food in Japan, tours the United States almost every year to learn more about food safety technologies, principles and policies in America. This year, the group asked to meet with subject matter experts at IDFA to discuss the major food safety regulations and safety procedures associated with the U.S. dairy industry.

Following a morning visit with officials at the Food and Drug Administration, the group met with John Allan, vice president of regulatory and international standards at IDFA, to discuss the impact of the Food Safety Modernization Act on U.S. dairy companies. Allan also explained how IDFA helps dairy companies comply with a variety of regulatory requirements, including food safety and labeling regulations.

“IDFA devotes a significant amount of time to developing webinars, laboratory courses and regulatory meetings to keep members on the cutting-edge of today’s food safety best practices and requirements,” said Allan. “It was wonderful to be able to discuss our work with the delegation and highlight some of the major challenges our industry faces. It was also good to learn about some of their challenges as well.”

In addition, the group spoke briefly about trade and the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which has significant potential to affect dairy trade in both Japan and the United States. Beth Hughes, director of international affairs at IDFA, told the delegation that the U.S. dairy industry is hopeful for a successful outcome for dairy, and is looking forward to reviewing the agreement’s dairy provisions when they become available.

For more information about the visit, contact Allan at jallan@idfa.org.

The visiting association members were food company quality assurance staff, contract laboratory managers, researchers and others food quality professionals from several industry sectors in Japan, including dairy foods, grains and brewing.