Mar 23, 2017

New food safety planning publication available

Produce wholesalers and distributors now have a new tool to develop food safety plans that comply with FDA regulations under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). The “How to Build a Food Safety Plan” publication is now available on the United Fresh website for $100 for United Fresh members and $300 for non-members.

“Wholesalers face many of the same food safety regulatory challenges that other members of the produce supply chain do under FSMA, but the unique nature of the wholesale produce business means the rules apply differently to these types of companies,” said Jennifer McEntire, vice president of food safety & technology, United Fresh Produce Association.

“It’s critical that wholesalers and distributors understand their responsibilities under the new rules, and this new publication provides step by step guidance on assessing how the rules apply to your operations and developing the appropriate company food safety plan,” McEntire said.

The new publication was developed with support from the National Association of Perishable Agricultural Receivers. The new publication includes a summary of each of the major FSMA rules and how they impact wholesalers, including a step-by- step review of the Preventive Controls for Human Food Rule, which requires the development of a food safety plan. The publication includes templates developed by the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance that companies can use to develop and implement their food safety plans.

For more information on this publication and United Fresh’s wholesaler-distributor resources, contact Miriam Wolk, vice president of member services, at 202-303-3410; or visit www.unitedfresh.org.