The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued guidance to clarify that a waiver to the Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food final rule (Sanitary Transportation rule). This guidance covers retail food establishments that sell food for humans, including those that sell both human and animal food, but does not apply to establishments that only sell food for animals.
The Sanitary Transportation rule established a process by which FDA may waive any of the rule’s requirements for certain classes of persons, vehicles, or types of food. In order to be eligible for this waiver, agencies must adhere to processes ensuring the transportation of food prohibits conditions that would be unsafe for human or animal health, or are contrary to the public interest. The rule is part of the FDA’s effort to keep food safe throughout the supply chain, including during transportation and distribution. The rule establishes requirements for shippers, loaders, carriers by motor or rail vehicle, and receivers involved in transporting certain types of human and animal food.
For more information on FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act, visit http://www.fda.gov/fsma.