When the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was signed into law 8 years ago, both regulators and manufacturers knew putting it into practice would take time and a whole lot of effort. Larger companies were asked to lead the way and reach compliance back in 2016.
As they navigated FSMA regulations, the bigger dairy processors began to recognize the challenge that new rules might pose for artisans who lack the support of dedicated food safety staff (see “Challenges Encountered by Artisan Dairy Producers”). They also recognized that food safety issues among smaller producers could affect the reputation of the entire industry.
To address this potential pitfall, a group of processors directed the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) to find a way to help, and—together with the Center for Dairy Research (CDR)—earned a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture–National Institute of Food and Agriculture to provide FSMA training via a program dubbed the Artisan Dairy Producer Food Safety Initiative. For this program, educators were needed to work shoulder to shoulder with artisan dairy plants.