What is FSMA?

FSMA is the Food Safety Modernization Act, the 2011 federal law that shifted US food safety toward prevention. Its rules include sanitary transportation requirements that can apply to pallets used to move food.

Detailed Definition

The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), signed in January 2011, shifted US food safety toward preventing problems rather than reacting to them. FDA implements it through several rules. The Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food rule (21 CFR Part 1, Subpart O) covers transportation equipment, which can include pallets: equipment must be adequately cleanable, must not cause food to become unsafe, and must be kept in sanitary condition. The preventive controls rule (21 CFR Part 117) applies inside food facilities.

The FSMA rules that matter for pallets

• Preventive controls for human food (21 CFR Part 117): sanitation, pest control and hazard analysis in food facilities that must register with FDA.
• Sanitary transportation (Part 1, Subpart O): vehicle and equipment condition, temperature control and training for food moved by motor or rail vehicle.
• Food traceability (Part 1, Subpart S): records for foods on FDA's Food Traceability List.
• Foreign supplier verification and produce safety rules, which mostly affect pallets indirectly.

Turning FSMA into a pallet program

FSMA does not give a pallet specification. Each company decides in its food safety plan how pallets could contaminate food and which controls fit. Common controls include written pallet acceptance criteria, inspection at receiving, separate storage for clean pallets, removal of damaged or wet units, and supplier agreements that spell out condition and treatment. Documented procedures help during FDA inspections and customer audits.

Who the sanitary transportation rule covers

The rule applies to shippers, loaders, carriers and receivers involved in moving human and animal food by motor or rail vehicle in the US. There are exemptions, for example for certain small businesses and for food that is fully enclosed in a container, unless it needs temperature control. Check FDA's text for the full list of exemptions before deciding the rule does not apply.

Authoritative Sources

• FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA): FDA's information hub for the Food Safety Modernization Act and its rules, including the Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food rule and the food traceability rule.
• National Wooden Pallet & Container Association (NWPCA): the US trade association representing wood pallet manufacturers, recyclers, and component producers, founded in 1947.

Related Glossary Terms

• FDA - FDA (Food and Drug Administration) administers FSMA, whose sanitary transportation and preventive controls rules can apply to pallets used with food.
• Food-Grade Pallet - Food-grade pallets are designed for use in food manufacturing, distribution, and storage.
• Sanitary Pallet - A sanitary pallet is a clean, dry, undamaged pallet suitable for carrying food, in line with the FSMA Sanitary Transportation rule's requirement that transportation equipment be kept in sanitary condition.
• FSMA Section 204 - FSMA Section 204 directs FDA to require additional traceability records for higher-risk foods on the Food Traceability List, implemented in 21 CFR Part 1, Subpart S.
• 21 CFR Part 1 - 21 CFR Part 1 is the FDA's General Enforcement Regulations, a broad part covering topics such as food facility registration, prior notice of imported food, and FSMA Sanitary Transportation in Subpart O.
• 21 CFR Part 117 - 21 CFR Part 117 is the FDA rule on Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food.
• HACCP - Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points: a preventive food safety system that identifies hazards and controls them at critical points; pallets are considered as a possible source of contamination.
• Browse all glossary terms

Frequently Asked Questions