The Sanitary Transportation Food Act (STFA) is a foundational rule of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), established in 2011. The STFA includes both human and animal food. It became effective on June 6, 2016. USDA regulated product transportation under Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA), Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) and Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) are exempt.
The rule ensures the safety of food during transportation for refrigerated/frozen and bulk liquids. It applies to food intended for consumption in the U.S. whether or not the food is offered for or enters interstate commerce. It requires temperature monitoring in transit and pre-cooling of trailers as necessary. There is flexibility in the rule that is necessary for the industry to develop effective controls tailored to the requirements of their individual operations and their specific customer base.