FDA grants three waivers from sanitary transport rule

The day before the initial compliance date for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's rule on the sanitary transportation of animal food the agency announced the publication of three waivers to the rule, which was mandated by the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).

FDA is granting the waivers to businesses whose transportation operations are subject to separate state-federal controls:

• Businesses holding valid permits that are inspected under the National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments’ Grade “A” Milk Safety Program, only when transporting Grade “A” milk and milk products.

• Food establishments authorized by the regulatory authority to operate when engaged as receivers, or as shippers and carriers in operations in which food is delivered directly to consumers, or to other locations the establishments or affiliates operate that serve or sell food directly to consumers. (Examples include restaurants, supermarkets and home grocery delivery services.)

• Businesses transporting molluscan shellfish (such as oysters, clams, mussels or scallops) that are certified and inspected under the requirements established by the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference’s (ISSC) National Shellfish Sanitation Program (NSSP) and that transport the shellfish in vehicles permitted under ISSC authority.