While the compliance dates have already arrived and passed for the preventive controls rules for human and animal food for large food and beverage processors, FDA recently reminded small businesses and very small businesses that they must comply with the same rules by Sept. 18, 2017 and Sept. 17, 2018 respectively. Small businesses are defined as those with fewer than 500 employees, and very small businesses generally average less than $1 million per year in human food sales or $2.5 million per year in animal food sales. Very small businesses must maintain records supporting Qualified Facility status as of January 1, 2016.

In an FDA-conducted interview, Joann Givens, co-chair of the FSMA Operations Team Steering Committee and director of FDA’s Food and Feed Program in the Office of Regulatory Affairs, responded to questions relating to what the immediate future holds for human food facilities required to comply with the CGMP and preventive controls requirements and animal food facilities required to comply with CGMP rules.