UPDATE: Michael Taylor, deputy commissioner for foods and veterinary medicine of the FDA, said "These are not one-size-fits all requirements," on a media call.
For this coming fiscal year, the budget requested by the FDA is $109.5 million more for FSMA implementation. The total needed is about $260 million for FSMA, according to Taylor.
The rules came after a slew of major industry hazards, including ones involving ice cream and peanuts. Blue Bell is now just getting products back on shelves.
"The idea is to put more focus on prevention in a system that for decades has been primarily reactive to outbreaks after they sicken or even kill people," reports the Associated Press. "The majority of farmers and food manufacturers already follow good food safety practices, and the law would aim to ensure that all do."
These rules are two of seven final rules to be finalized in FSMA in the coming months.
Dive Brief:
- Two of the Food Safety Modernization Act's final rules were published Thursday morning on the federal register: the preventive controls for human food rule and the preventive controls for animal food rule.
- While President Obama signed off on the Food Safety Modernization Act in January 2011, final rules are now coming to fruition.
- "The final rule has elements of both the original and supplemental proposals, in addition to new requirements that are the outgrowth of public input received during the comment period for both proposals," according to the FDA on preventive controls for human food rule.
Dive Insight:
Specific components of each rule are outlined by the FDA. Compliance dates vary depending on the size of the business (i.e. for human food, a small businessthat has less than 500 full-time employees has two years to comply, while a very small one has three years).
Preventive controls for human food rule:
- Covered facilities must establish and implement a food safety system that includes an analysis of hazards and risk-based preventive controls.
- The definition of a 'farm' is clarified to cover two types of farm operations. Operations defined as farms are not subject to the preventive controls rule.
- Supply-chain program is more flexible, with separate compliance dates established.
- Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMPs) are updated and clarified.
Preventive controls for animal food rule:
- Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMPs) established for animal food production.
- Covered facilities must establish and implement a food safety system that includes an analysis of hazards and risk-based preventive controls.
- Supply-chain program is more flexible, with separate compliance dates established.
- The definition of a 'farm' is clarified in the Preventive Controls for Human Food final rule to cover two types of farm operations. Operations meeting the definition of 'farm' are not subject to the preventive controls rule.
- Feed mills associated with farms (vertically integrated operations) not covered.
Food Dive will continue to update coverage regarding these rules.