On Sept. 10, the FDA announced the highly anticipated final rules of the Food Safety Modernization Act’s Preventive Controls for Human Food and the Preventive Controls for Animal Food.
Thanks to input provided by industry organizations, the final rules reflect some major victories for the feed industry.
One is the phased approach for compliance deadlines based on company size. Compliance dates for businesses that employ more than 500 people begin as early as September 2016. But companies that earn less than $2.5 million in sales per year do not have to comply until September 2018, allowing small and very small companies to better adapt to the new provisions.
Other positive news is that the estimated cost to the feed industry to implement FSMA has been reduced to around $135 to $170 million as opposed to the $780 million originally proposed. These significant savings come from the reduced need for personnel to meet the requirements and the elimination of expensive electronic signature and electronic recordkeeping requirements.
The American Feed Industry Association conducted a webinar on Oct. 7 to inform members about the final rules and will be presenting a face-to-face meeting on Dec. 8 in Arlington, VA, as well as training at the International Production and Processing Expo in Atlanta, GA, on Jan. 27.
In addition, it’s with great excitement that I announce another opportunity for FSMA education next summer — at Feed & Grain Live. Next year marks the first of what I anticipate will be an annual event for years to come, and our friends at AFIA will be on hand to present an up-to-the-minute snapshot of where the feed industry is with FSMA implementation and practical advice for what to do next.
Feed & Grain Live will take place in Altoona, IA, at the Prairie Meadows Casino, Racetrack and Hotel from Aug. 22-23, 2016.
The idea to launch a Feed & Grain branded event has been discussed for years, and my publisher, Arlette Sambs, and I, couldn’t be more thrilled that it’s finally coming to fruition. After much research, development and planning, this two-day conference was designed to reach, connect and engage grain handlers, feed manufacturers, grain merchandisers and the suppliers of equipment and services to those people.
Check our website, Feedandgrain.com, often for more information on keynote speakers, panel discussions, educational programs and registration details. Register now and receive an early bird discount. Also sign up to receive important email updates as the event draws closer by going to Feedandgrain.com/subscribe-now. I hope to see you in Iowa!
