Ethanol Blog

DALLAS (DTN) -- Ethanol plants will be included in a list of industries that will need to comply with requirements of the new Food Safety Modernization Act when it goes into effect, according to Leah Wilkinson, Director of Ingredients and State Legislative Affairs for the American Feed Industry Association.

Wilkinson spoke about what the FSMA will mean for the ethanol industry at the 18th Annual Distillers Grains Symposium hosted by the Distillers Grains Technology Council in Dallas May 15.

The requirements under FSMA will apply to all ingredient processing, feed manufacturing pet food, feed and ingredient, import and transportation operations. The Food and Drug Administration had required operations to reregister before January 31, 2013, Wilkinson reminded those present. Re-registration will then be required every two years in even years. The next reregistration will be from Oct. 1 through Dec. 31, 2014.

Wilkinson stressed that the main component of the FSMA will be focused on hazard analysis and risk-based preventative controls. Such measures FDA deems necessary to prevent occurrence of hazards and provide assurance foods are not adulterated.

The biggest concern of AFIA is that FDA drafted the rules using requirements for human food as a basis. Currently, AFIA is working to change certain aspects of the rule, arguing that animal food is not human food and does not need the same standards.

Also, AFIA has some concerns about compliance dates, which they feel are very quick for such major changes.

The final rule must be issued by Aug. 30, 2015 and will be effective 60 days post-publication. Compliance dates vary, however, according to the size of the firm. Large firms will have a compliance date of 12 months post-publication, small firms with less than 500 employees will have two years and very small firms will have three years.

Cheryl Anderson can be reached at Cheryl.anderson@dtn.com.

(ES)

© Copyright 2014 DTN/The Progressive Farmer. All rights reserved.