September 17, 2018 is approaching quickly. This is the deadline by which small and very small pet food manufacturers need to be compliant with FSMA.
Compliance options: have somebody on your staff PCQI trained or hire a company to administer the program for you. Whoever is involved must be able to respond to concerns within 72 hours.
Looking for some background and planning information? Here are FSMA overview videos which are offered at no charge on the AFIA (American Feed Industry Association) website. AFIA is a powerhouse trade association representing 98% of the pet food marketplace; while they do not represent our manufacturers, that does not diminish the value in the information presented. This is a great place to start.
There’s always time to get training as staff comes and goes. Ideally, the PCQI trained staff member will train others in house, propagating FSMA compliance knowledge.
Ready to write your HACCP? Now is the time to start that you can have a years worth of records by September 17, 2019.
Technically, under FSMA, inspections are supposed to be on the helpful side, rather than adversarial. We’ve heard mixed reports from the large manufacturing industry, as well as our members.
Furthermore, FDA guidance documents are here.
Have FSMA questions? Cathy Alinovi, Executive Director, Next Gen PFMA, is PCQI trained and can help with many issues.
Ready? One month ’til FSMA!
