Ethanol Blog

A group of ethanol industry experts are working on a sample food safety plan and educational curriculum for ethanol plants to use to comply with regulations set in the final rule of the new Food Safety Modernization Act, which was released in September, according to an article by Ethanol Producer (http://bit.ly/…).

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration calls FSMA "the most sweeping reform of food safety laws in more than 70 years." A group of 10 industry exports has been working to understand the details of the FSMA final rule, as well as the requirements for every facility to adopt current good manufacturing practices (CGMPs) and extensive recordkeeping. According to the Ethanol Producer, the group worked to "pin down just what producers will need to do to ... (ensure) distillers grains and corn oil bound for feed are in compliance."

Since defining CGMPs and identifying hazards that need controls will be an enormous task, the ethanol working group, a subgroup of the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance, is writing a sample food safety plan for the ethanol industry. The safety plan will be used as an example in training sessions to show what a plant's CGMPs, hazard analysis and preventive controls might look like.

David Fairfield, vice president of the National Grain and Feed Association, said the safety plan is just an example, adding that FDA expects "each facility to develop a plan that is unique to its own operation."

Once completed, the goal of the alliance is to have the curriculum in place by May. All the materials will be available at no cost on the alliance website.

Other committees are developing hazard guidance and curriculum, including a 20-hour animal food curriculum. Courses will be scheduled once the curriculum is finished and approved by FDA.

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

(ES)

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