FDA Finalizes FSMA Guidance on Hazard Analysis and Preventive Controls for Animal Food

On July 6^th, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) finalized Guidance for Industry (GFI) #245: Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Food for Animals to help animal food facilities subject to the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for animal food requirements develop a food safety plan to prevent or significantly minimize hazards that could cause illness or injury to people or animals.

The document provides guidance on:

• How to recognize and evaluate biological, chemical (including radiological), and physical agents that are known or reasonably foreseeable hazards in manufacturing, processing, packing, and holding of animal food,
• Ways to identify and implement preventive controls for hazards that require a preventive control in animal food,
• Components of preventive control management (e.g., monitoring, corrective actions, and verification (including validation), and
• Recordkeeping requirements associated with the food safety plan and the implementation of the food safety plan.