The Food Safety Modernization Act and Pet Food Packaging

Last week we published a blog post about the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and how it would affect (human) food manufacturers and their packaging processes and machinery. Today we look at how the same act has provisions for animal food. The Preventative Controls for Animal Food rule is now final, and compliance dates for some businesses begin in September of 2016. Let's take a look at what this means for manufacturers, processors, and packagers of pet food and treats.

Pets have become valued parts of families, and their health is increasingly viewed as being as important as their owners. Plus, pets can be carriers of foodborne illness that can be passed on to their human caretakers. Introducing more rigorous standards for animal food processing is seen as the next step by the FDA in ensuring optimal health, for both pets and their owners alike.

An Overview of FSMA Requirements for Animal Food

Similar to rules set forth for human food, the Food Safety Modernization Act requires the implementation of a food safety system that includes an analysis of hazards and risk-based preventative controls. The FDA outlines the requirements of an animal food safety plan:

• Hazard analysis:  The first step is hazard identification, which must consider known or reasonably foreseeable biological, chemical, and physical hazards.
• Preventive controls: These measures are required to ensure that hazards requiring a preventive control will be minimized or prevented.
• Oversight and management of preventive controls: The final rule provides flexibility in the steps needed to ensure that preventive controls are effective and to correct problems that may arise.
• Monitoring: These procedures are designed to provide assurance that preventive controls are consistently performed. 
• Verification: These activities are required to ensure that preventive controls are consistently implemented and effective.
• Recall plan: Every facility that produces animal food with a hazard requiring a preventive control must have a recall plan. 

FSMA and Pet Food Packaging Equipment

The Food Safety and Modernization Act's Preventative Controls for Animal Food rule requires that all plant equipment and utensils be designed to be adequately cleanable. Much like facilities that process or manufacture human food, pet food manufacturers will need to follow Good Manufacturing Practices, or GMPs. Not required for animal food in the past, GMPs cover aspects of pet food processing like proper labeling, proper cleaning of equipment and facilities, and following proper sanitation principles.

To fulfill the requirements of hazard analysis and preventative controls, pet food companies will need to audit their current production processes for potential contamination risks. Pet food packaging equipment will be highly scrutinized as part of this analysis.

Updating Outdated Pet Food Packaging Machinery

If your current pet food packaging machinery is outdated, there may be risks of contamination. Ask yourself the following questions when evaluating current (or future) pet food packaging equipment:

• Is the equipment open design and easy to clean?
• What is the IP Rating of machine enclosures and will they withstand harsher sanitation procedures?
• Do acute angles, small niches, or sharp corners exist that can harbor microscopic bacteria or viruses?
• Are there horizontal surfaces that can act as collection points for liquid or contaminants?
• Are there areas on the machine that can't be seen or reached for cleaning?

With the passage of the final rule regarding animal food, pet food packaging machinery that can be cleaned-in-place and withstand powerful jets of water used in washdown procedures will be valuable to the pet food industry. Enter: Viking Masek's Rotary Premade Pouch Machine, already gaining popularity in the animal food industry. Filling and sealing custom premade pouches, this innovative packaging machine boasts a small footprint and compact rotary design with 'stations' at which each step of the packaging process takes place.

The Rotary Premade Pouch Machine also offers hygienic solutions, including:

• IP65 rated enclosures (able to withstand water jets)
• IP66 rated enclosures (able to withstand powerful water jets)
• Stainless steel plate on bottom of machine
• Stainless steel frame and chassis
• Stainless steel gears, shafts, and levers
• Easy-to-dismantle takeaway conveyor, infeed belt, and door
• Open design for easy cleaning with pressurized water
• Food grade lubricants
• Electropolishing of surfaces
• Anti-bacterial filter on air blowing (bag opening) station

Looking for a VFFS pet food packaging option instead? Look no further than Viking Masek. From our fully washdown vertical form fill and seal ES400 packaging machine to available sanitary upgrades on almost all of our models, we offer packaging options that focus on cleanability while not sacrificing speed. Our many years of experience providing packaging solutions for pet food and treats has afforded us a wealth of knowledge in the area of custom machine design. Don't let the Food Safety and Modernization Act be another added stressor in your life. Contact the Pet Food Packaging Experts at Viking Masek today.

Photo by Patrice Alsteen