MANHATTAN, KANSAS, US — The IGP Institute hosted a training session to educate US industry professionals on the animal food safety regulations set by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Creating safe and effective products while following regulation guidelines was the topic of the NGFA-KSU Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) course held at the IGP Institute Feb. 18-20.

A total of 52 course participants from 17 states were able to see a complete walk through for the steps in creating a feed safety plan and implementing them into their companies.

“This was our largest class ever,” said Cassandra Jones, course instructor and associate professor of animal sciences and industry. “We have seen participants shift from active writing of the food safety plan to its implementation, so they are bringing different questions.

“Some of the participants are even retaking the class because they have moved to a new role or have new considerations, so it’s fun to see some familiar faces with different perspectives.”

Participants gained information from the diverse corporations in attendance.

“My favorite part was the hands-on training in groups,” said Tim Hieger, location manager for Mid Kansas Coop. “I learn better by doing and it’s always interesting to get viewpoints from different industries.”

The course offered additional components to allow two certificates upon completion, one from the Food Safety Preventative Controls Alliance (FSPCA) and another from the International Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HAACP) Alliance. To receive course completion each participant had to fully demonstrate the requirements by a “preventative controls qualified individual” per the FDA’s regulation.