According to recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 48 million people in the U.S. get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die each year from foodborne diseases. The recent changes to the FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) are working to change these statistics. In this article, we’ll be outlining exactly what the FSMA includes and giving you five tips on how to make compliance simple. Read on to learn more.
What is the Food Safety Modernization Act?
The FSMA was signed into law over ten years ago on January 4, 2011, launching a new era of food safety regulation. The regulations under FSMA’s umbrella aim to transform the United States' food safety system by shifting the focus from responding to foodborne illness to preventing it. As the act evolved, the FDA eventually landed on seven final rules for the implementation of modern food safety prevention practices by those who grow, process, transport, and store food.
1. Foreign supplier verification program (FSVP)
The Foreign Supplier Verification Program applies to importers of human and/or animal food into the United States. It requires distributors to perform certain risk-based activities to check that imported food meets applicable U.S. safety standards.
2. Produce safety
The produce safety regulation establishes minimum standards for food safety practices such as growing, harvesting, packing, and holding food for human consumption. This food safety law covers farms that provide products that can be consumed in their raw state.
3. Protection against intentional adulteration
This rule is concerned with “preventing intentional adulteration from acts intended to cause wide-scale harm to public health, including acts of terrorism targeting the food supply.” All the facilities covered by this regulation must develop a protection plan that includes a vulnerabilities assessment, mitigation strategies, production monitoring, corrective actions, and verification.
4. Sanitary transportation
The sanitary transportation rule requires food and beverage companies to develop and sustain preventive controls for potential hazards and contaminants that may occur along the transportation process. It requires organizations to fulfill transportation standards such as temperature regulations, vehicle conditions, and other good manufacturing practices.
5. Accredited third-party certification
This regulation outlines “the framework, procedures, and requirements for accreditation bodies seeking recognition by the FDA, as well as requirements for third-party certification bodies seeking accreditation.”
Certifications provided by third-party accreditors serve as evidence of quality and can be used as proof of eligibility for the Voluntary Qualified Importer Program.
6. Preventive controls
This rule requires food producers to have a food safety plan implemented that includes a comprehensive hazard analysis program and comprehensive, science-based preventive controls for these standards.
7. Voluntary qualified importer program (VQIP)
This program helps participating importers, that pay a user fee and meet eligibility criteria, import their products to the U.S. with greater speed and predictability. Requirements for safe food certifications under the VQIP ensure that the importer adheres to the food safety regulations of the country. The FDA has an FAQ page dedicated to VQIP – you can find that and more information on the program here.
How Can Your Company Simplify FSMA Compliance?
With the seven FSMA rules outlined, let’s take a look at five tips to make meeting these regulations simple.
Your entire quality management process can be implemented through the system to quickly and easily prove FSMA compliance every step of the way before an auditor even steps in the door.
The Food Safety Modernization Act is a necessary part of creating a strong global food chain and ensuring general public safety. Therefore, meeting the regulations it outlines benefits both your company and customers. Once you have determined which of the rules mentioned above apply to your business, use the five tips we’ve outlined today to make implementing the necessary procedures and safety measures for FSMA compliance simple.
Contact DocXellent today to learn how our ENSUR Quality Management System (QMS) can streamline every aspect of your Food Safety Modernization Act compliance.