ARLINGTON, Va. — The Food Marketing Institute here is confident that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Reportable Food Electronic Portal and Registry, launched earlier this week, will compliment the industry's Rapid Recall Exchange, an electronic database designed to expedite food recall notifications amongst industry members.

The FDA Amendments Act of 2007, directed the launch of the RFR, an electronic portal that will be used by food companies to report when there is reason to believe food items might cause serious adverse health consequences. Companies are now required to notify the FDA through RFR within 24 hours of becoming aware of such a circumstance. FMI is hopeful that both tools will lead to speedier recalls.

“The agency’s electronic database should work well with the industry’s Rapid Recall Exchange,” said Leslie Sarasin, president and chief executive officer of FMI, in a statement. “This online initiative, set to be launched later this month, is designed to expedite supplier notification of food recalls to food retailers and wholesalers with more complete and accurate information.”

The Grocery Manufacturers Association, meanwhile, has asked the FDA to clarify a number of "ambiguities" published in the RFR guidance document it's provided. “As with any new system such as this, there are bound to be a number of issues to be resolved in the initial stages and we would hope that the agencies will take this into account as both industry and government personnel learn to navigate it," said Robert Brackett, senior vice president and chief science and regulatory affairs officer for GMA, in a statement.

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