What Are Your Responsibilities Under FSMA's Sanitary Transport Rule?

By Rick Barham, Food Safety Specialist, Registrar Corp

The FDA recently finalized one of its seven proposed rules under FSMA: the Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food. Proposed on February 5, 2014, the final rule was published in the Federal Register on April 6 this year and includes nearly 200 comments from industry, interest groups, and individual stakeholders. The rule aims to minimize public health risks associated with the transportation of food and beverages by building on the transportation industry best practices, such as properly refrigerating food, adequately cleaning vehicles between loads, and properly protecting food during transportation.

The Sanitary Transportation rule forms not only part of the FDA’s implementation of FSMA, but builds on the 2005 Safe Food Transportation Act (SFTA). In fact, Congress first enacted the SFTA more than 25 years ago, in 1990, in response to documented illness outbreaks from human and animal food contaminated during transportation and reports of unsanitary transportation practices. In response to those concerns, the final rule established requirements for shippers, loaders, carriers by motor or rail vehicle, and receivers involved in transporting human and animal food to follow to ensure that food is transported under conditions and controls necessary to prevent the food from becoming adulterated. The FDA has excluded transportation by air and water as a matter of jurisdiction

The FDA's Sanitary Transportation rule defines new responsibilities for the four previously-mentioned entities involved in the ground transportation process. According to the rule, one entity may act in multiple capacities. Covered entities may also assign their responsibilities over to another party in a written agreement.