Becoming a Preventive Controls Qualified Individual

<p>By: Hilary Thesmar, PhD, RD, FMI Vice President, Food Safety Programs, Food Marketing Institute and Stephanie Barnes, Regulatory Counsel, Food Marketing Institute<br /> <img src="http://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/photos-for-staff-use/back-end/20151208-fmi-582-web.jpg?sfvrsn=2&amp;MaxWidth=350&amp;MaxHeight=&amp;ScaleUp=false&amp;Quality=High&amp;Method=ResizeFitToAreaArguments&amp;Signature=CEB676CAEA7DDED42645E87ED50423F3" data-displaymode="Custom" alt="20151208-FMI-582-WEB" title="20151208-FMI-582-WEB" style="float: right; margin: 5px 0px 5px 10px;" data-method="ResizeFitToAreaArguments" data-customsizemethodproperties="{'MaxWidth':'350','MaxHeight':'','ScaleUp':false,'Quality':'High'}" /></p> <p>The <a href="http://www.fda.gov/">Food and Drug Administration</a> (FDA) continues its implementation of the <a href="http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/FSMA/">Food Safety Modernization Act</a> (FSMA), which significantly overhauls the country&rsquo;s food safety system.&nbsp; The agency has already released several of the law&rsquo;s final rules, and two additional key rules are expected over the next few months.&nbsp; In September 2015, FDA released the <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2015/09/17/2015-21920/current-good-manufacturing-practice-hazard-analysis-and-risk-based-preventive-controls-for-human">Preventive Controls for Human Food final rule</a>, which requires covered food facilities to create written food safety plans that include hazard analyses and preventive controls, among other requirements.</p> <p>This week, FMI hosted a three-day training session that allows food retailers and other interested parties to become preventive controls qualified individuals (PCQI) as defined by FDA through a curriculum developed through the <a href="http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/FSMA/ucm284406.htm">Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance</a> (FSPCA).&nbsp; Under the preventive controls rule, certain food safety tasks must be performed by a PCQI.&nbsp; We trained representatives from several FMI member companies, who are now qualified to perform many of the tasks required under FSMA.</p> <p>There will be many additional opportunities for your food safety professionals to become trained as a preventive controls qualified individual in the coming months.&nbsp; FMI will be hosting another preventive controls <a href="http://www.fmi.org/forms/meeting/MeetingFormPublic/view?id=376DC00000002A">training session in March</a>, and we will provide future educational sessions on additional FSMA rules to ensure that the supermarket industry is fully prepared as we approach key compliance dates.</p> <p><strong>Related FMI FSMA Materials:</strong></p> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.fmi.org/forms/meeting/MeetingFormPublic/view?id=376DC00000002A">Registration Link for March Training</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.fmi.org/docs/default-source/gr/fsmafinalpreventivecontrolsfinal920.pdf?sfvrsn=2">FMI Slides on Preventive Controls Final Rule</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.fmi.org/docs/default-source/gr/fmi-generic-food-safety-plan-for-distribution-centersd4e2fd0224aa67249237ff0000c12749.docx?sfvrsn=0">FMI Generic Food Safety Plan for Distribution Centers</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.fmi.org/docs/default-source/gr/fmi-overview-of-fsma---january-2016.pdf?sfvrsn=0">FMI Overview of FSMA Provisions</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.fmi.org/government-affairs/regulatory/food-safety---fsma-resources">FMI FSMA Resources Webpage</a></li> </ul> <p><em>Disclaimer: The information provided by the FSPCA is for training purposes only and is intended as a training tool to assist companies in complying with FSMA, but does not ensure compliance with FDA&rsquo;s regulations or any other law or legal requirement.</em></p>