ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA, U.S. — The American Feed Industry Association will host a Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance (FSPCA) for Animal Food training July 30 – Aug. 1. It will be held at the Inn at Opryland in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. The course is an opportunity to meet the requirements for a preventive controls qualified individual (PCQI).

 “The FSPCA animal food course is one of the best ways to learn about compliance with the Food Safety Modernization Act’s (FSMA) animal food rule,” said Gary Huddleston, director of feed manufacturing and regulatory affairs at the AFIA. “The best way to prepare for an inspection is to know the rules and this course builds employee confidence and understanding of what is required.”

 FSMA requires one or more PCQIs in each facility that manufactures, processes, packs or holds animal food to develop and apply an animal food safety plan. Developed by the FSPCA, the 20-hour course provides the “standardized curriculum,” which is recognized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as adequate for PCQI training. The training will cover topics including:

• An overview of the FSMA requirements for animal food;

• Current Good Manufacturing Practices requirements;

• Animal food safety hazards;

• Overview of the food safety plan;

• Hazard analysis and preventive controls determination;

• Preventive controls management components;

• Process preventive controls;

• Sanitation preventive controls;

• Supply chain applied controls; and

• Recall plans.

The course is limited to 60 registrants. To receive the early-bird rate of $650 for AFIA members and $750 for non-members, register by June 15. For more information, visit the AFIA website.