The U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Friday its plan to implement a new rule in the transport of food which include new measures to ensure that no contamination happens to the food while it is on transport.
The changes made were part of the framework of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), an act which aims to create regulatory and preventive measures to ensure the quality and safety of the food consumed within the U.S.
Under this new rule, organizations involved in the transport of food are required to implement stricter measures to avoid food contamination by following the new criteria for several sanitary procedures for food transport such as the sufficient cleaning of the vehicles before and after loading the food and the proper refrigeration and protection of the food while it is being transported.
The rule will be applicable to all food carriers, receivers, and shippers operating within the U.S. Also, international organizations which ship food into the country are also expected to abide by the new regulation.
"This proposed rule will help reduce the likelihood of conditions during transportation that can lead to human or animal illness or injury," stated FDA's deputy commissioner for foods and veterinary medicine, Michael R. Taylor in a press release.
"We are now one step closer to fully implementing the comprehensive regulatory framework for prevention that will strengthen the FDA's inspection and compliance tools, modernize oversight of the nation's food safety system, and prevent foodborne illnesses before they happen."
Exemptions to the rule, on the other hand, include food receivers, carriers, and shippers, which earn less than $500,000 a year, carriers and shippers of shelf-stable food, raw agricultural produce, and live food animals, and carriers or shippers of food products that are transshipped through the U.S.
The agency is expected to discuss the new rule further during three scheduled public meetings which will happen on Feb 27 in Chicago, March 13 in Anaheim, and March 20 in College Park. On the other hand, the rule will be open for public comment on May 31.
