FSPCA Milestones

December 2013

The FSPCA Steering Committee and Working Group Chairs and Vice Chairs met in Washington, DC. Details to come.

July 2013

Over 35 people attended the FSPCA presentation, “Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance (FSPCA) Education and Outreach" at the 2013 IFT Annual Meeting Sunrise Session. Speakers included Purnendu Vasavada, Jenny Scott, Robert Brackett and Katherine Swanson..

The FSPCA hosted a Special Session at the IAFP Annual Meeting to discuss curriculum development, outreach activities, and FDA expectations. Speakers included Purnendu Vasavada, Jenny Scott, Robert Brackett, Katherine Swanson, and Glenn Black.

June 2013

The Steering Committee met in Washington D.C. and engaged in a detailed discussion of Chapters 1, 2, and 3 of the curriculum. The Food Safety Plan was discussed as well. It was decided that volunteers will be selected as part of the Peer Review process for each chapter. The Committee indicated that possible future outreach activities may involve the creation of a technical document depository managed by IFSH. Lastly, the capabilities of IFSH's distance learning room were outlined, and the number of potential trainees were estimated.

March 2013

The Working Group Chairs and Vice Chairs met face-to-face at IFSH to discuss detailed contents for the Hazard Analysis section of the core curriculum. The materials developed from these groups were collated by the Editorial Subcommittee, which is charged with synchronizing the input from the Working Groups for consistency. In addition, the Working Groups reviewed the curriculum's Table of Contents, and Chapters 1 and 2.

January 2013

In response to the release by the FDA of the proposed rules on food safety preventive controls, FSPCA leadership activities were divided into two separate tracks. Dr. Katie Swanson of KMJ Swanson Food Safety Inc. has been appointed as the Curriculum Development Project Manager for the FSPCA. Dr. Purnendu C. Vasavada will continue in his leadership role with FSPCA as the Outreach Project Manager.

December 2012

Eighteen members of the Steering Committee, as well as 5 invited guests, met for 2 days in Washington D.C. to review the draft chapters of the food safety preventive controls curriculum written by the Working Groups.

September 2012

Over 30 active members of the FSPCA Steering Committee and Working Group leadership met in Chicago to refine topics and content for the preventive controls curriculum.

June 2012

The FSPCA Working groups consisting of over 150 volunteers began discussing and developing the preventive controls course curriculum.

May 2012

FSPCA Working Groups, WG leadership and FSPCA Steering Committee liaisons to the WG organized.

April 2012

FSPCA website is launched.

March 2012

A call for volunteers to work on the FSPCA Working Groups is issued.

February 2012

FSPCA Steering Committee membership is expanded to include representation of additional professional organizations. The Steering Committee initiates discussion on course design and development, communications and website development and establishes the Working Group structure.

December 2011

The FSPCA Organizing Committee meets in Washington, DC to finalize governance and structure of the Alliance and to form the Steering Committee and Executive Committee. Press releases announcing the formation of the FSPCA are published by the FDA and IIT IFSH.

October 2011

The FSPCA Organizing Committee begins deliberating mission, objectives, governance and structure of the FSPCA.

September 2011

FDA funding is provided to initiate an alliance to develop industry training on preventive controls for hazards in foods. Organizing Committee of the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance is established.