FSMA inspectors want ‘why’ of animal feed safety plan

To satisfy Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) inspectors, feed mill employees should know and be able to explain the reasoning behind all the steps in an animal feed safety plan, said Cassandra Jones, Ph.D., associate professor at Kansas State University, in an interview after her presentation at the Feed and Pet Food Joint Conference, on September 19 in St. Louis. Jones has observed a recurring problem when she helps feed mill facilities preparing for FSMA inspections. While feed mill workers may know the physical steps of a food safety plan, they may not have been fully trained on the reasoning behind each action.Many facilities haven’t completely fleshed out the why, she said.“The individual who is receiving the investigator understands what is in the safety plan, but may not understand why those decisions were made,” Jones said.