The Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-based Preventive Controls for Animal Food regulation (referred to as the Preventive Controls for Animal Food regulation) is intended to ensure safe manufacturing/processing, packing and holding of food products for human consumption in the United States. The regulation requires that certain activities must be completed by a “preventive controls qualified individual” who has “successfully completed training in the development and application of risk-based preventive controls, or is otherwise qualified through job experience to develop and apply a food safety system”.

This course developed by the FSPCA is the “standardized curriculum” recognized by FDA; successfully completing this course is one way to meet the requirements for a “preventive controls qualified individual.” The second major compliance dates will soon arrive for the preventive controls for animal food rule under the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). On September 18, 2017, larger animal food facilities must comply with preventive controls requirements mandated by FSMA. And small animal food facilities will be required to meet Current Good Manufacturing Practices. CGMPs are more basic; they’re things you would do in the course of normal business, like proper cleaning, pest management, and maintenance of equipment. With the required CGMPs in place, it is clearer where there is the need for extra layers of protection. Preventive controls require a food safety plan that includes an analysis of potential biological, chemical or physical hazards and the steps needed to reduce or minimize that risk.