The sweeping act will shift safety focus from responding to food contamination to preventing it. The US District Court for the Northern District of California ruled on August 13 against the FDA’s attempt to delay implementing the legislation.
Judge will not grant “extension after extension”
Judge Phyllis Hamilton, who refused to grant an extension to the existing 2014-2015 deadlines, stated: “The court understands the FDA’s position, and is in sympathy with it, but remains of the opinion that the dispute here is between the FDA and Congress.
“This court is unwilling to grant extension after extension, or to permit the FDA to continually delay publication of this rule, in the face of the clear Congressional directive that this be a closed-end process.”
The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act represents the most thorough reform of US food safety laws since the 1930s. It requires the FDA to establish science-based standards for safe food production and grants the FDA new enforcement and inspection powers, including the authority to suspend food plants and force recalls.
The FDA missed the original July 2012 deadline set by US Congress for FSMA’s food safety rules to come into effect.
In a suit then filed by the Center for Food Safety (CFS), a federal court found in April 2013 that the FDA had violated the law by neglecting these deadlines.
CFS claimed during litigation “the agency’s unlawful delay is putting millions of lives at risk from contracting foodborne illnesses”.
The lawsuit attacked the FDA for failing to implement “seven critical deadlines” regarding: 1) science-based preventative controls, 2) FDA powers to suspend food facilities, 3) standards for harvesting fruit and vegetables, 4) preventing intentional contamination, 5) hygienic transportation, 6) screening foreign imports, and 7) the neutrality of third-party audits.
The federal court ruled against the FDA and set new deadlines for FSMA’s targets, which the FDA moved to delay once again in July 2013.
The Center for Food Safety is known for using legal action to campaign for organic and sustainable agriculture. In 2013, CFS has filed lawsuits seeking to ban arsenic in animal feed, insecticides that endanger bees, and groundwater pollution from dairy factories.
Throughout litigation, the FDA has contended that the complexity of the issues and the workload and staff required have been hurdles to meeting statutory deadlines.
“Without additional funding, FDA will be challenged in implementing the legislation fully without compromising other key functions. We look forward to working with Congress and our partners to ensure that FDA is funded sufficiently to achieve our food safety and food defense goals,”said the FDA’s website.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius industry is facing new opportunities to expand its development space as many localities and businesses begin promoting marine farming models aimed at diversifying farming areas and adapting to climate change. However, for pangasius to truly “go offshore” and develop into a large-scale industry segment, significant challenges related to technology, broodstock, and markets still need to be addressed.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tilapia exports in April 2026 reached USD 11 million, up 92% compared to the same period in 2025. This strong growth indicates that Vietnamese tilapia products are continuing to penetrate and expand rapidly in international markets. Cumulative export turnover in the first four months of 2026 reached USD 49 million, up 151% year-on-year.
(seafood.vasep.com) At VietShrimp Asia 2026, disease management trends in shrimp farming are shifting strongly from treatment-based approaches toward proactive prevention through environmental and pond ecosystem control.
(vasep.com.vn) After a period of strong growth, with export turnover reaching USD 38 million in Q1/2026 — up 174% year-on-year — the sector’s rapid expansion clearly reflects growing market opportunities.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first quarter of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the ASEAN bloc reached USD 44 million, up 7% compared to the same period in 2025. After falling to the lowest level of the quarter at USD 9 million in February — reflecting the seasonal slowdown in orders after the festive period — exports recovered strongly to USD 18 million in March, the highest monthly value of the quarter. This development shows that import demand for pangasius in ASEAN remains relatively stable despite short-term fluctuations.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On May 11, 2026, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced a positive comparability finding for Vietnam’s swimming crab fisheries, along with those of Indonesia and Sri Lanka, under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). With this decision, seafood and seafood products harvested from Vietnam’s swimming crab fisheries will continue to be eligible for import into the US market.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) After a slowdown in 2025, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Germany showed more positive signs in the first quarter of 2026. However, the recovery remains uncertain as consumer demand in Germany is still cautious, while market competition is increasingly driven by pricing and supply stability.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) After a sharp decline in 2025, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Israel are showing positive signs of recovery in the early months of 2026. According to Vietnam Customs data, export turnover to this market grew steadily month by month in Q1/2026, reaching nearly USD 10 million, up 33% compared to the same period in 2025. However, compared to Q1/2024, this level remains significantly lower, indicating that the recovery is still in its early stage following last year’s strong adjustment.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Entering 2026, the U.S. whitefish market has shown complex developments as global cod supply continues to tighten, while the U.S. trade environment becomes less stable. In this context, the U.S. market has had to become more flexible in sourcing alternative whitefish. However, relying heavily on Alaska pollock is not a long-term solution, as it is a strictly managed fishery with quotas and sustainability regulations, limiting any rapid increase in output to offset cod shortages.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Aquaculture, capture fisheries, and seed production activities in Lam Dong in the early months of 2026 continued to show positive signs, with both output and farming area slightly increasing compared to the same period, contributing to maintaining overall industry stability.
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