A
s the deadlines for the Food Safety Modernization Act rapidly approach,
the specialty food industry must start to comply with the regulations.
BY RON TANNER
DEVELOPING A FOOD SAFETY PLAN:
The Step
Whereas large companies must be in
compliance by September 2016, there are
extensions for "small" and "very small" busi-
nesses as follows:
• Small businesses: Defined as fewer
than 500 full-time equivalent employ-
ees; September 2017
• Very small businesses: Defined as
less that $1 million in annual sales, for
the past three years; September 2018
There are also certain allowances for "quali-
fied facilities."
The FDA has required that food manu-
facturers use a risk-based preventive-controls
approach to food safety. The priority is to pre-
vent food-safety issues rather than reacting to
problems after they arise. While the preventive
controls are based on Good Manufacturing
Practices (GMPs) and Hazard Analysis and
Critical Control Points (HACCP), they go
beyond those processes to create a safe food
supply for the American consumer. These
preventive controls address hazards related to
food allergens, sanitation, suppliers, and other
aspects of food production.
The Food Safety Plan starts with haz-
ard analysis, but must also include preven-
tive controls for the manufacturing process,
sanitation, food allergens, and supply chain.
These elements, combined with a recall plan,
create the Food Safety Plan.
A Food Safety Plan involves an approach based
on science. First, manufacturers need to identify
the hazards that could potentially occur in the
production process, and develop preventive
controls that can eliminate these hazards.
48 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE specialtyfood.com
food safety update
