Feb 6 (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administrationproposed a new rule to better regulate and set safety standardsin the manufacture of infant formula products.
The interim final rule amends the FDA's quality controlprocedures, notification requirements for new formulas andchanges to formulas, and requirements concerning whatmanufacturing records and reports must be maintained.
The rule also establishes good manufacturing practices forinfant formula, including testing for contamination from harmfulbacteria such as Salmonella.
"This rule will help to prevent adulteration in infantformula and ensure infant formula supports normal, physicalgrowth," Michael Taylor, FDA's deputy commissioner for Foods andVeterinary Medicine, said in a statement. ()
He noted that many families rely on infant formula as eitherthe sole source of nutrition or an integral part of an infant'sdiet through the first year.
The U.S. health regulator has amped up its efforts tosafeguard public health with several significant measuresannounced over the past few months, including proposed rulescalling for better safety of products such as antibacterialsoaps, apple juice and imported food.
The FDA said the new rule only applied to infant formulasfor use by healthy infants without unusual medical or dietaryproblems.
The regulator will accept and review comments from thepublic on the rule for 45 days, it said.
Glaxosmithkline (GSK)