The FDA has partnered with the Illinois Institute of Technology’s Institute for Food Safety and Health (IIT IFSH) to create the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance (FSPCA) to help companies deal with new rules that will take effect in 2012. The alliance will develop training courses and papers to help industries, especially small- and medium-size manufacturers, prevent contamination in food during production.
This isn’t the first time that such an alliance has been created. The Seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) Alliance was created in 1994, and the Produce Safety Alliance was created in 2010. Those working for the alliance include food industry representatives, FDA officials, state and local food protection agencies, and researchers at universities.
The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was signed into law earlier this year by President Obama. Food producing facilities will be required to:
- Develop safety plans that evaluate potential hazards
- Find and list preventive measures to guard against the defined hazards
- Describe how preventive measures will be monitored to make sure they’re working
- Keep detailed monitoring records
- Develop an action plan to correct problems that arise
To help corporations adhere to these new requirements, the alliance will develop training modules, a technical assistance network, guidelines for specific industries, and identify gaps in knowledge and research for preventive control measures. They will also develop “train-the-trainer” documents and materials, and establish a distance training portal at the Illinois Institute of Technology.
