InGear Express Trucking News – FDA

The final ruling of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act on Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food was published on April 6, 2016, and goes into effect on June 6, 2016.

This final rule establishes requirements for shippers, loaders, carriers by motor or rail vehicle, and receivers involved in transporting human and animal food to use sanitary practices to ensure the safety of food during transportation.

Key requirements established by the FDA for this final rule are:

• Vehicles and transportation equipment: The design and maintenance of vehicles and transportation equipment to ensure that it does not cause the food that it transports to become unsafe. For example, they must be suitable and adequately cleanable for their intended use and capable of maintaining temperatures necessary for the safe transport of food.
• Transportation operations: The measures taken during transportation to ensure food safety, such as adequate temperature controls, preventing contamination of ready-to-eat food from touching raw food, protection of food from contamination by non-food items in the same load or previous load, and protection of food from cross-contact.
• Training: Training of carrier personnel in sanitary transportation practices and documentation of the training. This training is required when the carrier and shipper agree that the carrier is responsible for sanitary conditions during transport.
• Records: Maintenance of records of written procedures, agreements, and training (required of carriers). The required retention time for these records depends upon the type of record and when the covered activity occurred, but does not exceed 12 months.

Compliance dates depend on the type of business. Businesses classified as small businesses have two years from the publication date to comply. Other businesses have one year.

For more information regarding the final FDA ruling, visit the website.
InGear for Truckers
Check out ACUITY‘s trucking blog, Simply Trucking.