Recognising that training is vital to a successful operation, the public health body has announced a new set of grants to aid training developments for food producers. The FDA has also released the first compliance dates to implement the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act.
Grants to local food producers
Recognizing the importance of local food producers, the FDA announced the awarding of cooperative agreements that will develop training options for local food production systems and tribal operations.
The goal of The Local Food Producer Outreach, Education, and Training to Enhance Food Safety and FSMA Compliance cooperative agreement, awarded to the National Farmers Union Foundation, is to develop and provide science-based, culturally specific food safety training, education and outreach, for local food producers and processors with an emphasis on diversified, sustainable, organic and identity-preserved agricultural operations, socially disadvantaged farmers, small-size processors, and direct and intermediate supply chain participants.
The Native American Tribes Outreach, Education, and Training to Enhance Food Safety and FSMA Compliance cooperative agreement was awarded to the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville with a goal to develop and implement food safety training, education, outreach and identification of technical assistance resources for key tribal stakeholders, including farmers, packers and manufacturers/processors that grow, harvest, pack and hold produce and process food covered by FSMA.
This agreement will reflect the cultural practices associated with produce farming and food manufacturing and processing within tribes relevant to their status as sovereign nations.
The awards will provide one year of support at $1.5m for the local food agreement and $750,000 for the tribal agreement. Each agreement includes recommended support for two additional years, contingent upon satisfactory performance in achievement of project and program objectives during the preceding year and the availability of federal fiscal year appropriations.
First batch of compliance dates for food manufacturers released
The FDA has begun to implement the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, with the first major compliance dates, taking effect in September for large food facilities as part of an effort to improve the safety and environmental welfare of production for both human and animal food.
While the major provisions of the FSMA rules are being implemented as planned, the FDA issued a final rule to addresses technical issues. The rules and compliance dates are as follows:
- Human food companies other than small and very small businesses will need to come into compliance with the Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food rule by September 19, 2016.
- Animal food companies other than small and very small businesses will need to come into compliance with Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMPs) under the Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Food for Animals rule by September 19, 2016, and with preventive controls by September 18, 2017.
The two CGMP and preventive controls rules – together with the five other foundational rules that will be implemented over the next several years to strengthen FDA oversight of produce, imported foods, sanitary transportation and intentional adulteration – will create the preventive and risk-based food safety system mandated by FSMA and reduce foodborne illness.
The changes announced in the most recent, impact the compliance dates for certain provisions four rules: the two CGMP and Preventive Controls rules for human and animal food, Foreign Supplier Verification Programs (FSVP), and Produce Safety, and they include providing more time for manufacturers to meet requirements related to certain assurances that their customers must provide; providing more time for importers of food contact substances, and other extensions to align compliance dates for various other food operations or provide time for FDA to resolve specified issues. The rule also clarifies the timeframe for agricultural water testing.
The FDA plans on releasing all completed chapters of this draft guidance by early 2018.
