In ongoing efforts to prepare animal food organizations for the implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), the three leading animal food industry trade associations hosted the first-ever Food Safety Preventive Control Alliance (FSPCA) lead instructor training for the preventive controls for animal food on July 26-29. 

The American Feed Industry Association, the National Grain and Feed Association, and the Pet Food Institute, in conjunction with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), brought together a capacity crowd of 75 individuals from 60 animal feed companies to participate in the training. The course covered the standardized curriculum recognized by FDA as being adequate for training preventive controls qualified individuals (PCQI) under FDA\'s final rules implementing the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), as well as instruction on how to teach the course.

 \"FDA\'s rules implementing FSMA require that at least one preventive controls qualified individual be determined for each facility. The PCQI lead instructor program educates those identified individuals who, upon successful completion, will be able to train others,\" said the three associations.

\"The event exceeded expectations,\" stated the trade groups. \"Many attendees commented on the importance of the break-out sessions to further discuss sample plans and  the benefits of networking with other industry colleagues during the training.\"

Fifteen percent of the companies represented at the training were from pet food manufacturing companies, 30 percent from animal feed manufacturing firms, 30 percent from ingredient suppliers, 10 percent from premix manufacturing companies and 25 percent from  companies that are general service providers for the animal food industry. Several companies represented more than one segment of the industry.

AFIA, NGFA and PFI will continue to provide FSMA training opportunities for the animal food industry in the weeks and months leading up to the various compliance dates.