RFA Trains 200th Ethanol Industry Employee on FSMA Preventive Controls for Animal Food Requirements

by Kelsey Quargnenti (Renewable Fuels Association) This month the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) hit a major milestone with its Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) training program on Preventive Controls for Animal Food. During the latest course, offered in early March in St. Louis, the RFA trained its 200th employee from the ethanol industry.

The RFA-facilitated FSMA training courses are based on the standardized curriculum developed by the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance (FSPCA) in collaboration with the FDA. The courses have been led by RFA Director of Regulatory Affairs, Kelly Davis, and Matt Frederking of Ralco Nutrition. Participants who have successfully completed the courses were designated as Preventive Controls Qualified Individuals (PCQIs).

RFA initiated its series of FSMA training in 2016 to prepare the entire ethanol industry for the initial major compliance dates for the preventive controls rules under FSMA that began on Sept. 19, 2016. On that date larger animal food facilities were required to meet baseline Current Good Manufacturing Practice requirements (CGMPs) for producing safe animal food.

Over the series, RFA has conducted five 20-hour courses across the Corn Belt to demystify the regulatory requirements, training a total of 200 ethanol industry employees. The PCQIs trained by RFA have come from 74 companies across 21 U.S. states and Canada. READ MORE