Most of the transportation industry knows about the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and its seven protective rules designed to ensure the safety of the U.S. food supply. Of those rules, the Final Rule on Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food has the most direct impact on shippers and carriers, and its compliance deadline of April 6 is just days away. Many companies complied long ago, but others remain unprepared. Is your company ready? If you don’t know, understanding the rule is a good place to start (FDA.gov).
What is the Rule on Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food?
The FSMA Sanitary Transportation Rule sets baseline expectations for how food must be handled during transportation to prevent contamination. While the full regulation outlines detailed responsibilities for shippers, carriers, brokers, and receivers, this overview highlights the key concepts transportation teams need to understand.
Who must comply with the rule? Am I exempt?
The rule applies broadly across the food transportation ecosystem, including shippers, carriers, brokers, loaders, and receivers. While exemptions are limited, most companies involved in moving food products by motor vehicle or rail must comply in some capacity.
What are the requirements?
Compliance requirements vary by role, but generally focus on vehicle sanitation, temperature control, employee training, and documentation. A detailed breakdown of shipper, carrier, broker, and receiver responsibilities is covered in our FSMA compliance guide.
Shippers play a critical role by clearly defining temperature controls, sanitation standards, and handling instructions for every load. These written specifications form the foundation of FSMA compliance and ensure accountability across all parties involved in food transportation.
Ready or not, here it comes
The Sanitary Transportation of Food Rule requirements are designed around current best practices, so most transportation companies won’t have to undergo major changes to comply. If you have any questions around the FSMA and how it may impact your business, contact our team of experts or visit the FDA and US Food and Drug Administration website.