Dive Brief:
- Manufacturers looking to comply with the Food Safety Modernization Act have undergone a number of changes to make their operations and ingredient sourcing safer, but transportation of products and ingredients is also key to the safety of the food supply, according to a new report from Lockton.
- Manufacturers and their distributors can establish better food safety and FSMA compliance for food transportation through standardized policies, procedures and training, Lockton senior loss consultant Mark Oldham said in a statement.
- The report outlines five primary areas of FSMA rules for food safety during transport: requirements for effective food controls; compliance responsibilities of shippers, receivers, loaders and carriers; training employees involved in food transport; maintaining records of any FSMA-related written agreements for 12 months after the agreements' termination; and any potential waivers from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Dive Insight:
These strategies for safer food transportation protocols surpass requirements for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's hazard analysis and critical control points and risk-based controls under FSMA's first rule, which recently went into effect for large manufacturers.
These rules are intended to reduce food safety issues, But in the interim, they could cause an artificial rise in recalls if FDA inspectors take issue with manufacturers' or distributors' safety protocols or documentation.
Lockton's report shows that if the transportation and distribution companies that manufacturers employ do not abide by stringent safety protocols and documentation, it could lead to a recall linked to the manufacturer's product, even if it technically wasn't the manufacturer's fault.
These reports contribute to understanding the importance of whole chain traceability and understanding the safety needs and regulations at each level of supply chain. Better data collection and analysis and even automation of some of these processes may enable manufacturers to feel more confident and safer in their decisions.