FDA Set to Enforce Juice HACCP Rule in April
IDFA HACCP Short Course to Include Briefing from FDA on New Requirements

In April, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is expected to fully enforce its new juice HACCP rule, which was published last year. FDA's mandatory regulation requires all plants that process juice beverages, including dairy plants, to have in place a written hazard analysis, a HACCP plan and Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs). Dairy plants need to be prepared for full juice beverage audits by FDA district investigators or FDA Regional Milk Specialists. IDFA urges all of its members to review FDA's juice rule and to complete documentation/implementation of their juice HACCP programs as soon as possible.

Published January 19, 2001, the FDA rule applies to all plants that make 100% fruit or vegetable juice beverages. This regulation requires each affected plant to have trained staff and a written HACCP program for every beverage that uses 100% juice as the ingredient. The rule includes references to "trained individuals" as being responsible for development and verification of the juice HACCP program.

IDFA's HACCP Short Course for Fluid Milk and Juice Plants, April 3-5, in St. Louis, Mo., is an excellent opportunity for training plant personnel on juice HACCP. There is still time to register for this important program, which will include a juice HACCP session that will feature these speakers: Dr. Michelle Smith, FDA; Dr. Mickey Parish, University of Florida; Dr. Les Bourquin, Michigan State University; Dr. John Rushing, North Carolina State University; and Allen Sayler, IDFA.

The IDFA HACCP Short Course for Fluid Milk and Juice Plants can also be attended as part of IDFA's HACCP Certification Program to assist companies in meeting FDA requirements. The IDFA HACCP Certification Program, launched in January 2002, is designed to provide a comprehensive HACCP certification, training and on-site plant reviews that will allow dairy and juice manufacturers be prepared for FDA's regulatory requirements. IDFA is offering the program as a one-stop resource for the industry on HACCP expertise and implementation. The program includes workshops, training materials and audits. To find out more about the complete IDFA HACCP Certification Program, click here. Members can attend the April short course without being a part of the overall HACCP program. For a complete agenda and registration form for this meeting, click here. ###

Posted March 25, 2002