The U.S. FDA recently published a new final rule on the Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food, which is designed to meet the agency’s objective of protecting the U.S. food system by limiting the risk of food contamination during transport. The rule governs “any movement of food in commerce by motor vehicle or rail vehicle” and includes “all activities associated with food transportation that may affect the sanitary condition of food including cleaning, inspection, maintenance, loading and unloading, and operation of vehicles and transportation equipment.”

The rule went into effect on June 6, 2016 and requires businesses, other than small businesses, to comply with the rule’s requirements by April 6, 2017; small businesses (those with fewer than 500 employees and less than $27.5 million in receipts) must comply by April 6, 2018. Companies involved in any stage of food transportation within the U.S. are well advised to study the rule.

Highlights of the new rule are included in the article.