Food Safety Modernization Act - Transportation Mandatory Training (Eugene)

The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was signed into law by President Barack Obama on January 4, 2011. The FSMA has given the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) new authorities to regulate the way foods are grown, harvested and processed. The law grants the FDA a number of new powers, including mandatory recall authority, which the agency has sought for many years. The FSMA requires the FDA to undertake more than a dozen rulemakings and issue at least 10 guidance documents, as well as a host of reports, plans, strategies, standards, notices, and other tasks.  Among these rulemakings is a final rule that requires shippers and transporters of food (animal and human) to be trained, and to retain records of the training.  The training must include food safety problems that arise during transportation, and basic sanitary transportation practices.  OTA will be offering a training class designed to meet the requirements from the FSMA.     The law was prompted after many reported incidents of food borne illnesses during the first decade of the 2000s. Tainted food has cost the food industry billions of dollars in recalls, lost sales and legal expenses.