The 2022 FDA Food Code and The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)

This course explores the requirements of the US Food and Drug Administration 2022 Food Code and the provisions of the 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and includes the FDA’s interactive training video Decoding the Food Code which provides an overview of the 2017 Food Code structure and contents.

Course Learning Objectives

By the end of this course you should be able to:

  • Identify the provisions of the FDA Food Code and its annexes.
  • Describe how the FDA Food Code is utilized as a compliance and enforcement tool.
  • Recognize how the uniform provisions of the FDA Food Code address issues applicable to the maintenance of a safe food supply.
  • Recognize the provisions of the FSMA and how they beneficially impact the food safety system.
  • Describe the seven (7) major rules of the FSMA and how they contribute to global food chain safety.

Course Overview and Introduction

This brief PowerPoint provides a basic overview of the course structure and content.

Course Materials

1. 2022 FDA Food Code. U.S. Food and drug Administration
The USFDA publishes the Food Code, a model designed to assists food control jurisdictions at all levels of government, providing them with a scientifically sound technical and legal basis for regulating the retail and food service segment of the industry. Local, state, tribal, and federal regulators use the FDA Food Code as a model to develop or update their own food safety rules and to be consistent with national food regulatory policy.

Review Website

Originally posted December 28, 2022. The most recent version is the January 18, 2023 version. The version date is displayed in the top left corner of page i.

2. Decoding the Food Code. (00:45:00)

This interactive training video provides a detailed overview of the FDA Food Code structure and contents.

Decoding the Food Code course image

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3. FDA's New Food Safety Law. (00:03:46)

"FDA's New Food Safety Law" video explains how the 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) makes prevention from farm to table the basis of food safety, and how preventing problems before they occur is critical given today's complex, global food supply and the emerging pathogens.

4. What is FSMA?. (00:03:19)

This brief video provides an overview of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and identifies the seven major rules of FSMA and compliance requirements.

5The 7 Major Rules of the FDA's Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). (De Cooman, 2021). Proxyclick.

This blog post from a for-profit company offering access control integration services and products, provides a nicely detailed summary of the seven major FSMA rules established by the 2011 FSMA: safe standards for fruits and vegetables, mitigation strategies against international adulteration, preventive controls and best practices, sanitary transportation, accredited third-party certifications, foreign supplier verification program, and voluntary qualified importer program.

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6The Food Safety Modernization Act in a Nutshell (Thatte, 2019). NIST

This National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) blog post summarizes the seven major rules included in FSMA, and its scope, timeline and compliance issues.  a nicely detailed summary of the seven major FSMA rules established by the 2011 FSMA: safe standards for fruits and vegetables, mitigation strategies against international adulteration, preventive controls and best practices, sanitary transportation, accredited third-party certifications, foreign supplier verification program.

Read Blog Post

7. Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). USFDA.

This website describes the FSMA, providing links to the Act itself as well as: rules and related programs, guidance documents, training and technical assistance, compliance and implementation tools, FSMA background, and FSMA’s impact on public health.

Review Website

 8. Check your Knowledge Quiz

This 10-item multiple choice quiz samples content from the assigned readings.  A passing score of 7/10 and completion of the brief three-item survey will generate a personalized confirmatory email from the Kent State University College of Public Health. Multiple quiz attempts are permitted.

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