The FDA announced that the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) rule on Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food is now final.  The goal of this rule is to prevent practices during transportation that create food safety risks, such as failure to properly refrigerate food, inadequate cleaning of vehicles between loads, and failure to properly protect food.  The rule establishes requirements for all participants in the motor and rail transportation of human and animal food, requiring the use of sanitary practices to ensure the safety of that food. The comprehensive rules govern the transportation equipment, as well as the operations, records, and training of the shippers, receivers, loaders and carriers who transport food in the United States, whether or not the food is offered for or enters interstate commerce.  The requirements do not apply to transportation by ship or air because of limitations in the law.  The earliest compliance dates for some companies begin one year after publication of the final rule in the Federal Register. Click here for ruling.  ​​