Safe Ice Cream FAQs

Have a question? We've got answers!

How do I know if I need a food safety plan?

If you are serving ice cream to the public, you need a food safety plan to ensure the safety of your customers and your business.

Need to know more about on how to deal with COVID-19? 

Visit the following links: COVID-19 resources from IDFA, NICRA, and the Institute for Food Safety.

Do I need to hire another employee to create a food safety plan?

Before making that determination, start here. Review the resources found on this website, take the online ice cream food safety course, attend a workshop and/or contact dairyfoodsafety@cornell.edu, ph. 607-255-3459 to find out what type of food safety plan best meets the needs of your business.

I'm looking for templates and examples of how to write a Food Safety plan.

Access food safety procedures and documents to support Good Manufacturing Practices and Policies

Tools You Can Use: User friendly tools in this section were contributed by existing ice cream manufacturers to provide access to templates you can implement right now to make your day-to-day operations safer.

How can I find classes and workshops to learn more?

See our Training Opportunities section.

What is FSMA?

The Food Safety Modernization Act, or FSMA (Fizz-Ma), was signed into law by President Obama on January 4, 2011. It shifts the focus of ensuring the US Food Supply is safe from responding to contamination to preventing it. See our Other FSMA & Regulatory Resources section.

By when do I need to comply with FSMA regulations?

FSMA Final Rule for Preventive Controls for Human Food: Compliance Dates

Compliance dates for businesses are staggered over several years. Follow this link for more information about the final rule, as well as updates about extensions.

Where can I find information about sanitary design of equipment and plants?

3-A Sanitary Standards Inc. e-Learning Modules

Three e-Learning interactive courses that cover principles of hygienic design of equipment, facilities, and environmental controls.

Control of Listeria Monocytogenes Guidance for the U.S. Dairy Industry

Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy publication on Listeria Control.

Where can I find information about inspections?

IDFA's newly updated guide- available as a PDF or in print. The Guide to FDA Inspections & Preparing for a Recall is intended to help dairy companies understand their rights and obligations with respect to FDA requirements and inspections, as well as those of the agency’s inspectors. The 74-page publication is arranged in two parts. Part I includes a quick guide to FDA inspections, background information and guidelines regarding requests for records, samples and post-inspection procedures. Part II covers general information on recalls, how to develop a recall plan and details on the Reportable Food Registry. Each part contains sample forms and exhibits for quick reference. To purchase the guide visit the IDFA Store.

Plant Inspections: Making a Good First Impression

Center for Dairy Research, and Marianne Smukowski. “Plant Inspections: Making a Good Impression.” Dairy Pipeline 28, no. 3 (2016): 6–7.

Where can I find the contact information for my state regulating agency?

See Other FSMA & Regulatory Resources.

This resource center is a collaboration between the following industry and trade associations:

Food Safety Questions? Contact dairyfoodsafetycoach@cornell.edu

Questions or suggestions? Contact us at questions@safeicecream.org.