The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), which was signed into law by President Obama on January 4th 2011, enables the FDA to better protect public health by strengthening the food safety system. The full text of the FSMA can be found on the FDA website.
The FSMA attempts to do this by shifting the focus from responding to possible food contamination to preventing it in the first place. This new Act represents the most sweeping reform of food safety laws in more than 70 years and is meant to address the fact that about 48 million, roughly 1 in 6 Americans, get sick, 128,000 are hospitilized, and 3,000 die each year from foodborne illness, these figures are taken from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
In 2014, the last year that the CDC issued a yearly food borne illness report, Texas had 34 outbreaks of a foodborne disease, 11 of which were caused by some form of bacteria. The full report can be read on the CDC site. Although not always the cause, bacterial foodborne illnesses can often be traced to the improper transport of food. However, food transfer by truck is not something that is going to go away or be replaced.
The National Restaurant Association’s report that states that in 2015 Texas has 43,670 eating and drinking locations. At 1,239,600 restaurant and foodservice jobs in Texas, equaling 12% of total employment in the sate, the food isn’t going to stop moving anytime soon.
Transporting Food
Although the bulk of the FSMA deals with food facilities and producers, the FDA does host a number of Guidance Documents & Regulatory Information for the Sanitation & Transportation of food (including animal feed). These documents apply to food being transported by vehicle or train and help ensure that the food is not transported under conditions that may contaminate the food.
Food being transported by truck can become contaminated by coming into contact with:
- Mold and mildew
- Cross-contamination
- Rodent infestation
- Insect infestation
Your first line of defense against these contaminants and preventing food borne illnesses is a clean and decontaminated trailer. Again, the FDA has guidelines relating to the decontamination of transport vehicles.
A Clean Trailer is a Healthy Trailer
Fleet Clean USA: Dallas is familiar with the FSMA and has a FDA/USDA trailer washout that will help you pass the most strict scrutiny. We use USDA-approved detergents to make sure that not only is your fleet able to transport food quickly, but safely as well.
We pay extra attention to detail:
- we remove the wood from the slats to ensure a thorough cleaning
- we pay extra attention to cleaning out drain holes and door crevices
- we sweep up and clean after to make sure all garbage and debris is disposed properly
Contact us for a free quote today.
FSMA Key Requirements
The following key requirements are taken from the FDA’s FSMA Final Rule on Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food.
Vehicles and transportation equipment: The design and maintenance of vehicles and transportation equipment to ensure that it does not cause the food that it transports to become unsafe. For example, they must be suitable and adequately cleanable for their intended use and capable of maintaining temperatures necessary for the safe transport of food.
Transportation operations: The measures taken during transportation to ensure food safety, such as adequate temperature controls, preventing contamination of ready to eat food from touching raw food, protection of food from contamination by non-food items in the same load or previous load, and protection of food from cross-contact, i.e., the unintentional incorporation of a food allergen.
Training: Training of carrier personnel in sanitary transportation practices and documentation of the training. This training is required when the carrier and shipper agree that the carrier is responsible for sanitary conditions during transport.
Records: Maintenance of records of written procedures, agreements and training (required of carriers). The required retention time for these records depends upon the type of record and when the covered activity occurred, but does not exceed 12 months.
Full Fleet Services in Dallas
In addition to thorough USDA/FDA trailer washouts, Fleet Clean USA: Dallas offers a wide range of services for you fleet: exterior washes, interior cleaning, interior steam cleaning, and dedicated services. Plus with our mobile services we can come to your location and provide the same great level of service and care. Don’t delay, contact us today.