World Grain - March 2013 - 76

PEST MANAGEMENT

Be prepared for

ith the new rules of the Food
Safety Modernization Act
(FSMA) set to become law in
the United States, the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) will make its biggest leap in ensuring food safety in the
U.S. since the Food, Drug and Cosmetic
Act was passed in 1938.
FSMA is a game changer for the food
manufacturing, processing and distribution channels in the United States. Before
FSMA, the FDA could only react to issues and outbreaks that were the result
of unimpeded problems along the food
supply chain. With this approach, bacteria such as E. coli, Listeria or Salmonella
were free to grow, evolve and thrive in
several environments and conditions, going unnoticed until it was too late.
As a result, millions suffered. The
Centers for Disease Control estimated in
2011 that one in six Americans became
sick due to foodborne diseases. Of those
48 million people, 128,000 were hospitalized, and 3,000 died of these diseases.
The proposed FSMA rule focuses on
prevention and risk-based regulations
that aim to stop any food safety issues
before they have a chance to cause
harm. Under the rule, facilities will be
required to prepare and implement written food safety plans that:
 identify hazards to food safety;
 specify the steps and processes that
will be executed to minimize or prevent
those hazards;
 identify and implement monitoring
procedures;
76

by Zia Siddiqi

Food Safety Modernization Act is a game changer
for U.S. grain processing facilities
 keep thorough records of the food
safety program; and
 specify actions that will be taken
to correct problems that arise.
The entire supply chain — from farm
to store — will be under review for riskbased defects.
Facilities that are compliant with
the Global Food Safety Initiative
(GFSI) and major third-party auditors

may already meet these requirements.
However, smaller facilities that have not
implemented formal food safety programs or that are not audited according
to major audit standards will likely be
most affected. Regardless of the facility’s size, it’s always a good idea for facility managers to review their plans for
areas of improvement.
If your facility currently uses an

FSMA Rule Requirements

Components of an IPM Program

Hazard analysis to determine and evaluate
rational hazards

Comprehensive inspection to identify pest
activity and areas of risk within the facility

Preventive controls to decrease the
possibility for hazards

Focus on pest prevention through
non-chemical strategies, facility maintenance
and sanitation.

Monitoring processes to confirm preventive
controls are executed consistently

Ongoing monitoring to pinpoint conducive
conditions for pests and any resulting evidence
of pest activity

Corrective actions to address problems and
avoid repeat occurrences

Corrective actions to help handle
pest presence

Verification activities to measure
effectiveness of preventive controls, including
reassessment after periods of time

Combination of regular service visits,
pest trend analysis and an annual
facility assessment to ascertain areas of
improvement within the program

Recordkeeping to take note of the plan and
all counteractive efforts

Comprehensive documentation that
shows past and current pest issues and
rehabilitative steps
March 2013 / World Grain / www.World-Grain.com

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World Grain - March 2013

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