FDA Releases Food Safety Plan Software

In a blog posting that cited the agency’s goal of educating while regulating, FDA released the Food Safety Plan Builder (FSPB) – a software program “designed to assist owners/operators of food facilities with the development of food safety plans that are specific to their facilities and meet the requirements of the Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food regulation (21 CFR Part 117).”  The FSPB web page makes clear that use of the FSPB is voluntary and does not necessarily ensure compliant food safety procedures.  Nonetheless, the FSPB can be expected to find an audience, especially among smaller manufacturers that are subject to extended compliance dates and might not have yet invested substantial resources in developing a food safety plan.  Even larger manufacturers who have already developed their plans may be tempted to delve into the FSPB as a point of reference.

In conjunction with the software, FDA released 16 (!) training videos on YouTube that address various aspects of FSPB.  FDA also released a user guide with more detailed information.  Perhaps not surprising in light of the subject matter, the user guide includes a lengthy legal disclaimer putting users on notice that FDA makes no warranties of any kind and admits of no liability for any damages, and that “[r]esponsibility for the interpretation and use of the [FSPB] and of the accompanying documentation lies solely with users.”