The Preventive Controls for Human Foods regulation (21 CFR Part 117), as mandated by the U.S. Food Safety Modernization Act of 2011, became final in September 2015. This regulation, titled Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food, was enacted to ensure the safe manufacturing/processing, packing, and holding of food products for human consumption in the U.S. The requirements of this regulation apply to businesses in the U.S. or any other country that are required to register with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as food facilities.

FDA recognized that education and training would be needed to help the food industry, especially small businesses, understand the requirements of the Preventive Controls for Human Food regulation once the final regulation was issued. The Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance (FSPCA) was established at the Illinois Institute of Technology's Institute for Food Safety and Health (IFSH) to meet this need. The FSPCA was funded by FDA, through a cooperative agreement, to initially develop the Preventive Controls for Human Food standardized curriculum¹ recognized by FDA. FSPCA has become an internationally recognized, trusted source of training and outreach programs for the food industry worldwide.