NGFA KSU FSMA course
Course instructor, Cassandra Jones, discusses feed manufacturing and technology during the O.H. Kruse Feed Technology Center tour.
Photos courtesy of KSU.
 
MANHATTAN, KANSAS, U.S. – With the new U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) animal food safety regulatory requirements, many wonder about new safety requirements and the necessary elements of having an effective animal food safety plan. A course hosted by the National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) and Kansas State University (KSU) addressed or answered these questions about the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). The course was held at the IGP Institute Conference Center May 23–25 in Manhattan Kansas, U.S.

The course instructors primarily discussed the fundamentals of animal food safety and provided participants with a framework to develop and implement a plan for animal food safety.

“It’s been enlightening,” said Matt Repking, quality control manager at The Equity in Effingham, Illinois, U.S. “I’ve liked seeing how the industry as a whole is working and to be able to actually use it as a tool. The opportunities and connections made will be valuable to reach out and find information when you need it.”

NGFA KSU FSMA course
Participants learn about the hammer mill while touring the O.H. Kruse Feed Technology Center.
 
This FSMA training had an additional secondary HACCP component that was accredited by the HACCP Alliance. After successfully completing both of these courses in the program, participants received two certificates and can demonstrate they are a “preventative controls qualified individual” to the FDA. 

“The best part of the course is the interaction among participants,” said Cassandra Jones, associate professor at Kansas State University. “We have people from various parts of the grain and feed industry learning the regulations alongside one another and those who will be inspecting them. This encourages valuable discussion to help facilities learn their options for compliance with the rules, and also helps inspectors understand the complexity that compliance can add to existing facility operations.”