As with the other FSMA rules, FDA is committed to developing training and technical assistance. Food industry training will be an important component of successful implementation of FSMA, as will be outreach to foreign trading partners. The agency will also use its partnerships with other Federal agencies (such as the U.S. Department of Transportation) and with state, local, and tribal entities to implement this rule.

FDA will carry out some inspections, and the Department of Transportation, under the 2005 SFTA, will also establish procedures for transportation safety inspections to be conducted by DOT or state personnel. FDA maintains its ability to take enforcement action when agency efforts to work with a company fail to achieve compliance, but promoting a strong food safety culture is FDA’s first priority.

Generally, the requirements of the Sanitary Transportation rule apply to shippers, receivers, loaders, and carriers engaged in transportation operations whether or not the food is being offered for or enters interstate commerce. (21 CFR 1.900(a))

A. Definitions

The Sanitary Transportation rule uses a number of terms in very specific ways. A full list of these terms appears in this guide in section IX. The terms defined here and in the section “Who is exempt from the requirements of the Sanitary Transportation rule?” will help you determine if your business is subject to the rule. (21 CFR 1.904)

Table 1–Key Terms Used in Part 1, Subpart O

Non-covered businesses (see definition in Table 1) are not subject to the rule and therefore do not need to comply with the rule. In addition, shippers, receivers, loaders, or carriers subject to the Sanitary Transportation rule do not need to comply with the rule when they are engaged in the following transportation operations and activities.

Table 2–Exemptions for Part 1, Subpart O

We encourage you to comply with the Sanitary Transportation rule as soon as possible. However, we are not requiring you to comply with the rule right away. As shown in the table below, the amount of time we are allowing you to comply with the Sanitary Transportation rule depends on the size of your particular business.

Table 3–Compliance Dates for the Sanitary Transportation Rule Based on Size of Business

“Transportation equipment” means equipment used in food transportation operations and includes items such as bulk and non-bulk containers, bins, totes, pallets, pumps, fittings, hoses, gaskets, loading systems, and unloading systems. Transportation equipment also includes a railcar not attached to a locomotive or a trailer not attached to a tractor. (21 CFR 1.904)

Vehicles and transportation equipment used in transportation operations must:

• Be designed and of such material and workmanship as to be suitable and adequately cleanable for their intended use to prevent the food they transport from becoming unsafe during transportation; (21 CFR 1.906(a))
• Be maintained in such a sanitary condition for their intended use as to prevent the food they transport from becoming unsafe during transportation; and (21 CFR 1.906(b))
• Be stored in a manner that prevents their harboring pests or becoming contaminated in any other manner that could result in food for which they will be used becoming unsafe during transportation. (21 CFR 1.906(d))

Yes, vehicles and transportation equipment used in the transportation of food requiring temperature control for safety must be designed, maintained, and equipped as necessary to provide adequate temperature control to prevent the food from becoming unsafe during transportation. (21 CFR 1.908(c))

You must meet the requirements for each function you perform that is subject to the rule, i.e., as a shipper, receiver, loader or carrier. Therefore if you are functioning as both the shipper and the carrier, you must meet both the shipper’s and the carrier’s requirements. (21 CFR 1.908(a)(1))

If you perform multiple functions under the rule, and are under the ownership or operational control of a single legal entity, as an alternative to meeting the rule’s specific requirements for shippers, receivers and carriers, you may operate under common, integrated written procedures that ensure the sanitary transportation of food consistent with the requirements of the Sanitary Transportation rule. Establishing these common integrated procedures may make it easier for you to comply with the rule’s requirements. These written procedures are subject to the records requirements of the rule which are discussed in Section VII. (21 CFR 1.908(a)(5))

Yes. Everyone subject to the rule must do these things in their transportation operations:

• You must take effective measures such as segregation, isolation, or the use of packaging to protect food from contamination by raw foods and nonfood items in the same load. (21 CFR 1.908(a)(3)(i))
• You must take effective measures such as segregation, isolation, or other protective measures, such as hand washing, to protect food transported in bulk vehicles or food not completely enclosed by a container from contamination and cross-contact during transportation operations. (21 CFR 1.908(a)(3)(ii))
• You must take effective measures to ensure that food that requires temperature control for safety is transported under adequate temperature control. (21 CFR 1.908(a)(3)(iii))