Food and Drug Branch

ATTENTION THIS WEBSITE HAS MOVED

You may go directly to the new website using the following link: http://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/Pages/FDB%20Food%20and%20Drug%20Branch.aspx

or you may wait and you will be automatically transferred to the new website.

The Food and Drug Branch mission is to protect and improve the health of all California residents by assuring that foods, drugs, medical devices, cosmetics and certain other consumer products are safe and are not adulterated, misbranded nor falsely advertised; and that drugs and medical devices are effective.

We accomplish our mission through sound investigations and inspections based on valid scientific principles and specific legal authority, and effective industry and consumer education.
We strive to regulate fairly and without unduly burdening California businesses.
We do this by helping businesses understand the public health basis for regulatory requirements, encouraging businesses to voluntarily correct deficiencies, and uniformly enforcing regulatory requirements to prevent unfair competition.
Our success is crucial to the health of California residents, and the economic vitality of the industries we regulate.

The Food and Drug Branch vision is to lead the way into the 21st century by redefining the standards for Food and Drug program excellence through scientifically-based, cost effective, outcome-oriented public health protection programs.

New Address for PO Box delivery

California Dept. of Health Services
Food and Drug Branch
1500 Capitol Avenue MS 7602
PO Box 997435
Sacramento, CA 95899-7435

New Address for Courier delivery:

California Dept. of Health Services
Division of Food, Drug and Radiation Safety
Food and Drug Branch
MS 7602
1500 Capitol Avenue, Suite 72-436
Sacramento, CA 95814

Main Phone Number: (916) 650-6500

California Performance Review - Licensing and Certification Survey. Click here to download short survey

Hallmark Westland Meat Recall

Westland Recall Retail Distribution

Additional Products Containing Westland Recalled Beef

Cagle, Inc. Chicken Giblets Recall

Cagle, Inc. - California Retail Distribution

NEW STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS FOR MEAT AND POULTRY RECALLS

The attachments below contain the new statutory requirements, effective July 1, 2007, for Class I and Class II recalls of meat and poultry products in California. The law applies to any processor, distributor, or broker who received or sold recalled meat and poultry products. The basic requirements include the following.

Any meat or poultry supplier, distributor, processor or broker that sells meat or poultry associated with a Class I or Class II USDA recall must:

immediately notify the California Department of Public Health by e-mail at FDBINFO@CDPH.CA.GOV or by phone during normal business hours at (916) 650-6500.
provide the department with a list of all customers who received any product subject to the recall, including a firm name, address, contact person's name, telephone number, fax, and email address. This list will include all pertinent identifying codes, brands, lot codes, establishment numbers, pack dates, etc, and will be provided in an electronic format specified by the Department (see Excel spreadsheet below).
suppliers, distributors, processors, and brokers shall immediately notify all customers who received the recalled product and keep a log of these notifications to be provided to the Department if requested.

Please review the entire statute and provide to your staff who may be involved with meat and poultry recalls. If you have questions, please contact the Food and Drug Branch at (916) 650-6500.

Meat and Poultry Recalls - H&S 110806 (pdf)

Spreadsheet for Recalled Meat and Poultry Distribution (xls)

Lead Test Results for Imported Candy
	Retested Lead in Candy Laboratory Analysis Data
	AB 121 Lead in Candy Laboratory Analysis Data
	Historical Lead in Candy Laboratory Analysis Data
Gulf Oyster Regulations
	Limiting the sale of Raw Gulf Oysters in California
Food Security Guidelines
	Food Safety and Security: Operational Risk Management Systems Approach

GUIDANCE FOR INDUSTRY:
FDA Issues Food and Cosmetic Security Preventive Measures Guidance
March 2003

On March 19, 2003, the Food and Drug Administration has announced the availability of four guidance documents addressing food and cosmetic security preventive measures. Two are revised, final guidance documents; one addresses food producers, processors, and transporters; the other addresses importers and filers. The other two documents are draft guidance; one addresses retail food stores and food service establishments and another addresses cosmetics processors and transporters. This fact sheet provides an overview of the draft and final guidance documents that present the agency's current thinking on appropriate preventive measures that establishments may take to minimize the risk that food or cosmetics under their control will be subject to tampering or other malicious, criminal, or terrorist actions.

The guidance documents take the operators of food and cosmetic establishments through each segment of the system within their control, in order to minimize the risk that the foods or cosmetics under their control are subject to tampering, or other malicious criminal or terrorist actions. Implementation of these measures requires commitment from both management and employees to be successful and, therefore, both should participate in their development and review.

These guidance documents are not regulations and are not mandatory. They set forth voluntary recommendations from FDA, which represent FDA's current thinking on appropriate and flexible food and cosmetic security preventive measures that may be taken by the FDA-regulated industry. FDA has found that developing guidance is the fastest way to get these types of recommendations to the industry, while allowing greater flexibility to alter recommendations as science and intelligence information changes. In matters such as these, industry generally follows FDA's recommendations.

Revised, Final Guidance Documents

The two revised, final guidance documents are:

Food Producers, Processors, and Transporters: Food Security Preventive Measures Guidance
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/secguid6.html
Importers and Filers: Food Security Preventive Measures Guidance
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/secguid7.html

The guidance found in these documents is designed as an aid to operators of food establishments (for example, firms that produce, process, store, repack, re-label, distribute, or transport food or food ingredients) and operators of food importing establishments, storage warehouses, and filers (including customhouse brokers). It identifies the kinds of preventive measures that operators may want to consider taking to minimize the risk that food under their control will be subject to tampering or other malicious, criminal or terrorist actions.

Draft Guidance Documents

The two draft guidance documents are:

Retail Food Stores and Food Service Establishments: Food Security Preventive Measures Guidance http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/secguid5.html
Cosmetics Processors and Transporters: Cosmetics Security Preventive Measures Guidance http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/secguid4.html

The guidance found in these documents is designed as an aid to operators of retail food stores and food service establishments (for example, bakeries, bars, bed-and-breakfast operations, cafeterias, camps, child and adult day care providers, church kitchens, commissaries, community fund raisers, convenience stores, fairs, food banks, grocery stores, interstate conveyances, meal services for homebound persons, mobile food carts, restaurants, and vending machine operators) and operators of cosmetic establishments. It identifies the kinds of preventive measures that operators may want to consider taking to minimize the risk that food and cosmetics under their control will be subject to tampering or other malicious, criminal or terrorist actions.

New Information

Update - Drug and Medical Device License Fees

Additional Materials

Press Release: http://www.fda.gov/oc/factsheets/foodsecurity.html

Food Security Preventive Guidances Federal Register (PDF)

Final Guidance--Importers and Filers: http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/secguid7.html

Final Guidance--Food Producers, Processors, and Transporters: http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/secguid6.html

Food and Cosmetic Security Guidances ( U.S. FDA )

Draft Guidance--Retail Food Stores and Food Service Establishments: http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/secguid5.html
Draft Guidance--Cosmetics Processors and Transporters: http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/secguid4.html\

CDC Public Health Emergency Preparedness & Response

2005 Chaptered Legislation Summary (pdf)

NEW EMERGENCY ADVISORY SERVICE

Subscribe to this confidential, free service to receive brief alerts of urgent food, drug, or medical device safety issues in California such as recalls, changes in laws or regulations, health alerts, and press releases. You can choose how you would like to receive these urgent messages including fax, phone, e-mail, and pager.

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Reporting a Problem

Consumer Complaint reports can be made on:
Prepackaged foods, drugs, medical devices, cosmetics, or household products by calling the Food and Drug Branch 24-hour answering machine.
Toll Free at 1(800) 495-3232

Emergencies: Office of Emergency Services 24-hour staffing (916) 845-8911