FSMA Rule on Sanitary Transportation Finalized
FDA has finalized the FSMA rule Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food. The rule establishes sanitary requirements for shippers, loaders, motor and rail vehicle carriers, and receivers involved in transporting human and animal food. The rule does not apply to exporters that ship food through the United States.
“Consumers deserve a safe food supply and this final rule will help to ensure that all those involved in the farm-to-fork continuum are doing their part to ensure that the food products that arrive in our grocery stores are safe to eat,” said Michael R. Taylor, the FDA’s deputy commissioner for foods and veterinary medicine in an agency press release.
The sanitary transportation rule puts forth requirements for the following:
- Vehicles and transportation equipment, including design and maintenance
- Transportation operations, including temperature control, preventing contamination between ready-to-eat food and raw food
- Training of carrier personnel
- Record maintenance, including written procedures, agreements and training
Those exempt from the rule include:
- Food transportation shippers, receivers and carriers with less than $500,000 in annual revenue
- Farms that perform transportation
- Transport of compressed food gases and food contact substances
- Transport of live food animals
- Transport of human food byproducts for use as animal food without additional processing
Businesses must comply with the regulation one year following publication; smaller businesses (those with fewer than 500 employees and motor carriers with less than $27.5 million in annual receipts) have two years to comply.
Additional information is available on FDA’s website.