Speaking with BeverageDaily.com, an FDA spokesperson said that the methods and solutions employed by the US beverage industry to clean and sanitize processing facilities are unlikely to change as a result of the FSMA, as the majority of manufacturers already adhere to good manufacturing practices (GMPs).
Under GMP regulations, documentation of these cleaning practices is recommended, but not required across the whole industry. This will, however, change under the FSMA, the FDA spokesperson explained.
Written preventive controls
“Beverage facilities should be following GMPs to ensure that their equipment and plants are appropriately cleaned and sanitized,” said the spokesperson. “Although a prudent manufacturer would keep records of these activities, records are not required under the existing GMP regulations, but are required by regulations applicable to some beverages.”
“The proposed rule for Preventive Controls for Human Foods promulgated under FSMA would require facilities to identify hazards and implement preventive controls for those hazards.”
“The actual cleaning practices may not change, but the facility would have to have written preventive controls in a food safety plan, monitor the implementation of the plan, verify the plan is properly implemented and take corrective action if it is not, and keep records of these activities," the spokesperson said.
Shifting focus from responding to preventing
The FSMA, which was signed into law by President Obama in January 2011, aims to ensure the safety of the US food supply “by shifting the focus from responding to contamination to preventing it.”
In January 2013, the FDA published for public comment a proposed rule on Preventive Controls for Human Food.
Under the proposed rule, domestic and foreign firms that manufacture, process, pack or hold food for humans will be required to “identify hazards, specify the steps that will be put in place to minimize or prevent those hazards, identify monitoring procedures and record monitoring results and specify what actions will be taken to correct problems that arise.”
The window for public comment is scheduled to close on 16 September 2013. Following this, the FDA will finalize the regulations and issue them.
Easy transition for manufacturers?
Once this final rule has been published, large firms will have one year to comply with the new regulations. Small businesses will be given two years to comply and very small businesses will have three years.
The majority of the US beverage industry is likely, however, to find this regulatory transition period quite “easy,” said the FDA spokesperson.
“The proposed rule for Preventive Controls for Human Foods does not specify how hazards are to be controlled.If existing technologies are adequate then new technologies or solutions would not be needed.”
“The proposed rule for Preventive Controls for Human Foods is very similar to HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) systems that are commonly used by industry. Facilities with existing HACCP plans will likely find it easy to comply with the proposed rule for Preventive Controls for Human Foods when it is finalized," the spokesperson added.