The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) represents a significant shift in U.S. food safety regulation. Rather than reacting to contamination, FSMA focuses on preventing it. This proactive approach aims to safeguard both human and animal food supplies, including pet food. The FDA’s FSMA page is a valuable resource, offering regulations, programs, guidance, and FAQs related to FSMA.
Understanding the Core Components of FSMA
FSMA encompasses various key areas, each designed to strengthen food safety measures across the board. These include facility registration, preventive standards, inspection and compliance, import regulations, and sanitary transportation.
Food Facility Registration
Unless exempted, facilities that manufacture, process, pack, or store animal food in the United States are required to register with the FDA. This registration is a key factor in determining which facilities are subject to specific FSMA regulations, notably the Preventive Controls for Animal Food (PCAF) rule. More information on food facility registration can be found on CVM’s How to Start an Animal Food Business page.
Preventive Standards: A Proactive Approach to Food Safety
FSMA mandates comprehensive, science-based preventive controls across the food supply, including mandatory preventive controls for food facilities. These facilities are required to implement a written preventive controls plan.
Preventive Controls for Animal Food (PCAF)
In September 2015, the FDA finalized the Current Good Manufacturing Practice and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Food for Animals, known as the PCAF rule. This rule established current good manufacturing practice (CGMP) and hazard analysis and risk-based preventive controls (PC) requirements for animal food for the first time. CGMP requirements are baseline safety and sanitation standards for manufacturing, processing, packing, and holding animal food. The PC requirements stipulate that animal food facilities must have a food safety plan that includes hazard analysis to identify risks and implement preventive controls to minimize or prevent those hazards. They must also have a process to verify the effective implementation of these controls. Detailed information on the PCAF rule, including guidance documents and FAQs, can be found on the FSMA PCAF page.
Inspection & Compliance: Strengthening Oversight
FSMA provides the FDA with crucial new tools for inspection and compliance, allowing for more effective oversight of food safety practices.
Imports: Ensuring the Safety of Imported Foods
FSMA provides key import authorities and mandates to ensure that imported foods meet the same safety standards as those produced domestically.
Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food
The Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food (ST) rule aims to protect food from contamination during transportation, from farm to table. The rule focuses on preventing practices that create food safety risks, such as inadequate refrigeration, insufficient cleaning of vehicles, and failure to protect food properly. The ST rule sets requirements for shippers, loaders, carriers (by motor or rail vehicle), and receivers involved in transporting human and animal food to use sanitary practices. More information, including guidance and training for carriers, can be found on the FSMA Sanitary Transportation page.
The Future of Food Safety with FSMA
FSMA represents a fundamental shift towards a proactive, prevention-based approach to food safety. By focusing on preventing contamination rather than reacting to it, FSMA aims to create a safer food supply for both humans and animals in the United States. The ongoing implementation and enforcement of FSMA’s various rules and regulations will continue to shape the landscape of food safety for years to come.
