Final Rule for Preventive Controls for Human Food as it Relates to Dairy Products Produced under the Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (PMO)
FDA website as of 02 December 2015.
PMO.1. Do facilities operating under the PMO meet the requirements of the final preventive controls rule?
The preventive controls provision of FSMA (section 103) does not exempt dairy facilities that are required to register with the FDA. The 2013 PMO does not address all of the FSMA requirements, such as a written hazard analysis, those relevant to food allergens, or the potential presence of environmental pathogens in the food processing environment. Such provisions in the Preventive Controls rule could help prevent food safety problems from the consumption of food produced in PMO facilities. At its biennial conference in April 2015, the National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments (NCIMS) initiated work to modify the PMO; therefore we are extending the compliance date for PMO-regulated facilities to comply with the rule in order to make use of the existing system of state regulatory oversight for Grade “A” milk and milk products provided through the NCIMS and the food safety requirements of the PMO.
PMO.2. Does the preventive controls rule apply to dairy farms?
Establishments that meet the definition of a farm are not required to register under section 415 of the Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics (FD&C) Act. However, farms, including dairy farms, that conduct manufacturing/processing activities beyond those included in the farm definition in the Preventive Controls rule are subject to registration and would be subject to requirements of the Preventive Controls Rule unless a specific exemption applies.
PMO.3. What environmental and product testing for milk and dairy products is required under FSMA and the preventive controls rule?
The Preventive Controls Rule includes requirements for environmental monitoring and finished product testing as verification activities that would be applied as appropriate to the food, the facility, and the preventive control. Such testing would be appropriate for certain ready-to-eat dairy products, e.g., environmental monitoring for Listeria spp. in facilities making soft cheeses that are exposed to the environment.
