Proposed Regulation Marks Seventh And
Final Major Rule Under FDA Food Safety Modernization Act
The U.S. Food and Drug
Administration TODAY proposed a rule
that would require certain shippers, receivers, and carriers who transport food
by motor or rail vehicles to take steps to prevent the contamination of human
and animal food during transportation.
Part of the implementation
of the Sanitary Food Transportation Act of 2005, the proposal marks the seventh
and final major rule in the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act’s (FSMA) central
framework aimed at systematically building preventive measures across the food
system. The proposed rule is open for public comment through May 31, 2014.
“This proposed rule will
help reduce the likelihood of conditions during transportation that can lead to
human or animal illness or injury,” said Michael
R. Taylor, the FDA’s deputy commissioner for foods and veterinary medicine.
“We are now one step closer to fully implementing the comprehensive regulatory
framework for prevention that will strengthen the FDA’s inspection and
compliance tools, modernize oversight of the nation’s food safety system, and
prevent foodborne illnesses before they happen.”
The proposed regulation
would establish criteria for sanitary transportation practices, such as
properly refrigerating food, adequately cleaning vehicles between loads, and
properly protecting food during transportation.
The proposed rule would
apply to shippers, carriers, and receivers who transport food that will be
consumed or distributed in the United States and is intended to ensure that persons
engaged in the transportation of food that is at the greatest risk for
contamination during transportation follow appropriate sanitary transportation
practices. For example, the proposed rule would require that shippers inspect a
vehicle for cleanliness prior to loading food that is not completely enclosed
by its container, e.g., fresh produce in vented boxes, onto the vehicle.
The proposed rule would
also apply to international shippers who transport food for U.S. consumption or
distribution in an international freight container by air or by oceangoing
vessel and arrange for the transfer of the intact container onto a motor
vehicle or rail vehicle in the United States.
The proposed rule would
not cover shippers, receivers, or carriers engaged in food transportation
operations that have less than $500,000 in total annual sales. In addition, the
requirements in the proposed rule would not apply to the transportation of
fully packaged shelf-stable foods, live food animals, and raw agricultural
commodities when transported by farms.
The requirements would
also not apply to shippers, receivers, or carriers who are engaged in
transportation operations of food that is transshipped through the United
States to another country, nor to food that is imported for future export and
that is neither consumed nor distributed in the United States.
The FDA is proposing
staggered implementation dates for the proposed rule based on business size,
ranging from one to two years after publication of the final rule.
The FDA will discuss the
proposed rule at three upcoming public meetings: Feb. 27, 2014 in Chicago; March 13, 2014 in Anaheim, Calif.; and
March 20, 2014 in College Park, Md.
For more information:
The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety,
effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other
biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is
responsible for the safety and security of our nation's food supply, cosmetics,
dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for
regulating tobacco products.
Labels: FDA PROPOSES RULE TO PREVENT FOOD SAFETY RISKS DURING TRANSPORTATION