In January 2011, the Club informed Members of the Food Safety Modernization Act that passed into law the purpose of which was to enhance the safety of food produced in the U.S. and imported from overseas, and to prevent food-borne illnesses.

The Club would like to update Members regarding the status of the implementation of the new law. In December 2011, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued the below bulletin. It is still yet unclear as to how the new law will apply to transportation companies.

The latest updates on implementation can be found at the following link;

www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/FSMA/ucm250568.htm

Background

The FDA is expected to issue proposed rules during early 2012, that would require facilities that make or handle food for people and animals to put measures in place to help prevent food borne illness. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration in cooperation with the Illinois Institute of Technology's Institute for Food Safety and Health (IIT IFSH) has created the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance (FSPCA) to develop training courses and materials on preventing contamination for both human and animal food during production. The materials to be developed by the alliance will help industry-particularly small- and medium-size companies-- comply with the new preventive control rules.

The alliance is composed of members from the FDA, local and state food protection agencies, the food industry, and academia. It is funded by a one-year, $1 million grant to the Illinois Institute of Technology's Institute for Food Safety and Health (IIT IFSH), a nationally-recognized leader in food safety.

Alliance support to industry

Under the FSMA, facilities are required to develop food safety plans that evaluate food safety hazards, and identify the preventive measures to guard against those hazards. The plans must also describe how manufacturers will monitor their preventive measures to ensure they are working, and keep records of that monitoring. Manufacturers also must develop a plan of action to correct problems.

The alliance will:

• develop standardized hazard analysis and preventive controls training and distance education modules for food industry and regulatory personnel;

• design and deliver a state-of-the-art distance learning training portal at the IIT IFSH Moffett Campus in Bedford Park, Ill.;

• develop "train-the-trainer" materials and student education delivery systems

• create a technical assistance network for small- and medium-sized food companies;

• develop commodity/industry sector-specific guidelines for preventive controls;

• assess knowledge gaps and research needs for further enhancement of preventive control measures; and

• identify and prioritize the need for, and compile, critical limits for widely used preventive controls.

Other Alliances

The food safety alliance is modelled on previous alliances for seafood and fresh produce developed by the FDA and groups representing academia, industry, and government. The Seafood HACCP Alliance was created in 1994, and the Produce Safety Alliance in 2010.

Alliance Membership

Representatives from academia, industry trade and scientific associations representing human and animal food and government will join the FDA and IIT IFSH officials on the alliance's steering committee. The organizing committee selected members of the steering committee at its first meeting December 20-21, 2011, in Washington, D.C.

Source of Information:

George Radu

UK P&I (Americas)

San Francisco, USA

george.radu@thomasmiller.com