Details and deadlines have been slow in coming, but FDA’s tough Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) takes effect this year. Included in it is mandatory compliance with Hazard Analysis and Risk-based Preventive Controls (HARPC) regulations. It’s a continuation of the “prevent and prove” model replacing the reactive “respond and record” approach to food safety.
If you operate any kind of covered food facility, and are bigger than a “very small” business (as defined by HARPC), you have until September 19 to comply with the new regulations. You’ll have to get your food safety plan in place by that deadline and, going forward, you’ll need to reanalyze that plan every three years (sooner if you make production changes).
Like all food safety legislation, HARPC compliance requires a significant investment of time; for example you will need full, written records of every aspect of your food safety plan to demonstrate your compliance to the FDA.
As well as identifying any food hazards, you’ll need to put in place preventive controls, such as having a recall plan, food allergen control program, or Current Good Manufacturing Practices. Section 103 of FSMA describes HARPC, in part, as a requirement to “monitor the performance of those controls, and maintain records of this monitoring as a matter of routine practice.”
Routine practice? That probably doesn’t sound like business as usual to you or your employees. HARPC adds a new layer of complexity to your operations, including the entire supply chain of the food ingredients used in your facility, and all finished food received and delivered.
Automate for the Most Efficient Path to Compliance
Reliable traceability within your company’s enterprise software system will go a long way to satisfying HARPC requirements. Investing in ERP can optimize your business processes well beyond doing product recalls and forward and backward lot traces. Software for food companies provides functionality for managing allergens, quality management, and much more.
If you’re running your business on a software system built for the food industry, you can automate bidirectional traces across the food chain, as well as recalls, integration of quality management and other processes. In fact, many JustFoodERP customers are certified to standards such as GFSI, BRC, as well as cGMPs and HACCP – all of which provide the building blocks for compliance with the new HARPC regulations.
Don’t expect FSMA compliance to lighten up any time soon, but take heart: Regulatory compliance brings larger customer wins (national chains), cost containment, and supply chain transparency resulting in better vendor and distributor relations.
What are you doing to get ready for HARPC by September 19th? Tweet us @justfooderp.
Ready for a specialized food ERP? Learn more about Aptean Food & Beverage ERP JustFood Edition — a solution purpose-built to solve your challenges and propel your food business and digital transformation to the next level.
