FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Sanitary Transportation
 in Human and Animal Foods 

The full FDA FSMA compliance date for all impacted shippers, carriers and receivers of human and animal foods is April 6, 2018.  All training, food safety transportation plans, system improvements and complete documentation must be in place by that date.

Over 64,000 U.S. companies are impacted by the requirements established by the 2011 passage of this FSMA rule.  The last major set of rules requiring full compliance for large and small companies was published in April 2016.  These rules established April 2018 as the final date for full legal compliance for all carriers by road or rail.  To date, thousands of U.S. carriers have not yet provided training for loaders, un-loaders, drivers and all personnel involved in food transportation.  

What your company must do to comply:

1. CLICK HERE To JOIN THE NTA FOR FREE TRAINING

2. We will pay for your training and send you the link to do the training. 

In addition to training, the rules require substantial improvement to procedures and processes involving sanitation and temperature controls designed to prevent adulteration of human and animal foods during transportation processes.  Substantial written agreements between shippers and carriers must also be established and new documentation systems must be in place to provide evidence of rule compliance.

The shortage of support infrastructure involving container and trailer sanitation and the lack of specification by shippers and carriers regarding adequate sanitation procedures is causing many companies to ignore rule compliance. 

1.  Each company needs to develop a food safety plan that focuses on the transportation of food.  Most companies already have a food safety plan and the transportation part needs to be added to the company food safety plan.

2.  Company management needs to approve the plan and monitor plan implementation.

3.  Procedures for temperature monitoring and the sanitation of trailers must be written, people trained, and implementation monitored.  How this is done depends on what foods are transported and customer needs.

4.  There needs to be a written agreement between the shipper or motor carrier company and its customers regarding who is responsible for what (sanitation and temp monitoring).

5.  All transportation operations personnel (loaders, un-loaders, drivers, supervisors, etc.) must go through mandatory training.  Training certificates by FDA will be issued at the end and should be kept on file. 

6.  Each company needs to look at two primary planning and implementation issues:

              a.  In-transit issues:  Acceptance at load and unload according to written procedures and hazard control specifications, data related to sanitation and temp monitoring during transit, trailer pre-cool, security, reefer breakdowns, prior loads, driver acceptance and many others.

b.  Ground operation issues that include the sanitation and temp control of the load and unload environments (tools, conveyors, floor jacks, mops, brooms, etc.).

You must me a NTA Member to receive Training.  Time is short.