We have been closely watching progress on the new Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and sharing information throughout the past months to help keep our clients aware of changes that may affect their facilities and/or procedures. Now, we would like to turn our attention to a part of the FSMA, Section 111, Sanitary Transport of Human and Animal Food. Section 111 addresses the potential of food contamination during transport. This will directly affect shippers, carriers and receivers during transport through the following:
- Sanitary Operations
Food shipped in any container that is partially open to the environment can become contaminated. Cleaning and sanitation will be performed in manners that aim to avoid contamination of vehicles, equipment and food. Temperature monitoring during transport will be recorded and agreed to in writing.
- Information Exchange
Time and temperature requirements must be documented and demonstrated at the end of transport. The methods and procedures must be documented in writing and certain information must be shared between the shipper, carrier and receiver.
- Driver Education and Training
Documented training will provide drivers with knowledge of how to address food safety issues.
- Records
Temperature requirements for food safety must be maintained in records shared between shippers and carriers. There must be written procedure on how these requirements will be maintained and documented. All records must be made available to the FDA within 24 hours, upon request.
With Section 111, when temperature and/or time are essential for food safety, the shipper and/or carrier must apply and document appropriate procedures throughout the entire duration of transport. Records must be maintained, such as temperature requirements for food safety, when applicable. With the recent acquisition of Infitrak, Mesa is proud to offer solutions to meet these requirements:
- Compliance Services
- Temperature Mapping
- Shipping Studies
- Package Design and Testing
- Transport Mapping, Qualification and Validation
- Gap Analysis
- Qualification and Validation
- Hospital and Pharmaceutical Regulatory Compliance
- Monitoring
- Facility
- Portable
- Transport
- TempTrust Qualified Packaging
- Rugged Coolers
- Packaging Services
- Packaging Components
- Calibrated Data Loggers
A detailed explanation of Section 111 is available here in an article authored by Cornelius Hugo.
For more information on how Mesa can help you prepare for the new FSMA Section 111, please contact an expert today.
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