New Food Safety Tool for Produce Wholesalers Now Available

Produce wholesalers and distributors now have a new tool to develop food safety plans that comply with FDA regulations under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).

“Wholesalers face many of the same food safety regulatory challenges that other members of the produce supply chain do under FSMA, but the unique nature of the wholesale produce business means the rules apply differently to these types of companies,” says Dr. Jennifer McEntire, vice president of Food Safety & Technology, United Fresh Produce Association. “It’s critical that wholesalers and distributors understand their responsibilities under the new rules, and this new publication provides step by step guidance on assessing how the rules apply to your operations and developing the appropriate company food safety plan.”

Developed with the support of the National Association of Perishable Agricultural Receivers (NAPAR), which had previously published a food safety plan builder for wholesalers written by Dr. McEntire, the new publication includes a summary of each of the major FSMA rules and how they impact wholesalers, including a step-by-step review of the Preventive Controls for Human Food Rule, which requires the development of a food safety plan. The publication includes templates developed by the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance that companies can use to develop and implement their food safety plans.

“The Preventive Controls for Human Food Rule applies to facilities that are required to register with the FDA, which applies to most wholesalers and distributors,” says John Motley, president of NAPAR. “These companies need to develop a food safety plan to be considered in compliance with this rule, as well as to meet customers’ expectations and requirements.”

Wholesalers can download the new publication “How to Build a Food Safety Plan” on the United Fresh website for $100 for United Fresh members and $300 for non-members.