FDA Creates Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance

To help the food industry comply with upcoming preventive controls requirements under the Food Safety Modernization Act, the FDA in cooperation with the Illinois Institute of Technology’s Institute for Food Safety and Health (IIT IFSH) has created the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance (FSPCA) to develop training courses and materials on preventing contamination for both human and animal food during production. The materials to be developed by the alliance will help industry—particularly small- and medium-size companies—comply with the new preventive control rules.

• develop standardized hazard analysis and preventive controls training and distance education modules for food industry and regulatory personnel;
• design and deliver a state-of-the-art distance learning training portal at the IIT IFSH Moffett Campus in Bedford Park, Ill.;
• develop “train-the-trainer” materials and student education delivery systems
• create a technical assistance network for small- and medium-sized food companies;
• develop commodity/industry sector-specific guidelines for preventive controls;
• assess knowledge gaps and research needs for further enhancement of preventive control measures; and
• identify and prioritize the need for, and compile, critical limits for widely used preventive controls.