What is the Food Safety Modernization Act?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was signed into law on January 4, 2011. FSMA is one of the most sweeping reforms of our food safety laws in more than 70 years. It aims to ensure the safety of the U.S. food supply, and therefore public health, by requiring domestic and foreign processors (exporting product to the U.S.) to proactively manage food safety hazards associated with the manufacture and transport of FDA-regulated food products. Facilities that manufacture, process, pack, hold or transport FDA-regulated food products (including alcoholic beverages) produced for consumption by humans and animals need to comply with the final rules, though exemptions apply for specific types of businesses, including manufacturers of alcoholic beverages.