On January 4, 2011, President Barack Obama scored what many consider to be a huge step toward assuring the quality of our nation's food supply when he signed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) into law. Initiated as a response to a slew of foodborne illnesses reported in the decade before, the legislation endowed the FDA with a number of new powers, all intended to help the administration better prevent potential contamination. The current focus is on prevention instead of retroactive reaction, and with that comes regular inspections. How can food manufacturing facilities ensure they're staying on top of the ever-changing landscape of food safety regulations? Whether you're searching for guidelines to use during an in-house audit or you're preparing for an inspection led by an external team, here is a list of programs, procedures and documentation you should have in place to safeguard success.
Always Follow HACCP
Your facility should already have a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) system in place. Reviewing those checkpoints and ensuring compliance will go a long way toward meeting the FDA's standards. HACCP organizes procedures concerned with the potential biological, chemical and physical hazards involved in the many steps of food production. Having a checklist in place that is adhered to each day is absolutely essential. Use this time to find weak points, identify any areas of noncompliance and update your HACCP plan to include any new additions to your plant or packing facility.