Food hubs & FSMA

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The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), a federal law enacted in 2011, contains seven sections which apply to different areas of the food supply chain. The section most likely to pertain to food hubs applies to facilities that manufacture, pack, and/or hold human food, and is called the “Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food” or Preventive Controls Rule. Under the Preventive Controls Rule, there are different types of compliance status. Based on a facility’s operations and characteristics, it might be Exempt, Qualified, Fully Subject, a “Very Small Business”, a Secondary-Activities Farm or a “Farm Mixed-Type Facility”.

In the presenation slides below, Dr. Erin DiCaprio, Associate Professor in Cooperative Extension in Community Food Safety at the UC Davis Department of Food Science and Technology, provides information on:

• How to determine your food hub’s status under the FSMA Preventive Controls Rule
• How to meet the requirements if your food hub is a Qualified facility
• How to meet the requirement if your food hub is Fully Covered 

 

 

Sample Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

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Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are a set of step-by-step instructions for how to carry out operational tasks within a food facility. Following and documenting appropriate SOPs can play an important role in controlling risks related to food safety.

While there is no prescribed format for SOPs and how they are written, it is recommended that they encompass nine core elements:

1. The purpose of the task – why,
2. To whom the instructions apply,
3. When (how often) the task must be completed,
4. What is needed to carry out the task,
5. How task must be carried out,
6. Steps taken to ensure the task is carried out according to the instructions,
7. What will happen if the instructions are NOT followed or if they are found to be ineffective in accomplishing the purpose of the task,
8. How implementation of any revisions or corrections to the procedures will be confirmed to be effective,
9. How all of the above will be documented and made accessible.

In 2021, a team of educators at UC SAREP and UC Davis department of Food Science & Technology developed a series of example SOPs inspired by the operations of food hubs. These SOPs are for guidance and educational purposes only. They are intended as a starting point to be adapted to a food hub’s specific operations and practices, and it is unlikely that they can be adopted by a facility without at least some modifications. To create an SOP for a topic different than those listed below, you may download and use this blank Word template.

 

Other SOP resources

• EPA's Guidance for Preparing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)


• Comprehensive list of SOP examples from Iowa State University extension


• NC State Extension Standard Operating Procedures Resources


• Food Safety Magazine "Validation, Verification, and Monitoring of Cleaning in Food Processing Factories"


• Food Safety Magazine "Food Plant SOPs: The Backbone of Your Food Safety System"


• Michigan State University "Food Safety Certification & Standard Operating Procedures for Your Hub Webinar"


• Penn State Extension "Standard Operating Procedures: A Writing Guide"

 

Sample food safety plans

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Food hubs that are fully covered by the FSMA Preventive Controls for Human Food Rule are required to have a food safety plan in place. While a written food safety plan isn’t a legal requirement for others, it’s always a good idea to have a shared document describing a food hub’s operations and how potential risks of food contamination are managed.

In 2021, a team of educators at UC SAREP and UC Davis department of Food Science & Technology developed two sample food safety plans inspired by the operations of food hubs in California. Both are designed for food hubs that do not handle allergens (nuts, dairy, etc.) in their facility. One is applicable to an operation that is involved in “breaking” boxes: disaggregating and recombining product into individual boxes, such as for a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) or consumer box program. The other is applicable to an operation that receives and delivers intact boxes without handling the contents. Both model food safety plans are for guidance and educational purposes only. They are intended as a starting point to be adapted to a food hub’s specific operations and practices, and it is unlikely that they can be adopted by a facility without at least some modifications. 

 

Sample flow diagrams

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A flow diagram provides a visual map of how products and materials move through your facility, outlining each step of the aggregation/distribution process in its proper sequence. The diagram is useful in helping to identify potential food safety hazards associated with any of the steps, and how they can be controlled.

 

Food Safety Certification Guide

Buyers may wish to verify a supplier’s food safety program by requiring a food safety audit performed by a Third-Party Certification Body. These audits evaluate a supplier’s food safety program and can occur at many levels throughout the food supply chain. This guide is written for food hubs and other food facilities seeking information about how to navigate food safety questions from buyers and pursue a third-party food safety audit.