Prepare for New Food & Beverage Inspection Regulations

Will your food and beverage processing facility stand up to new inspection laws?

Investigations by health authorities into E. coli, salmonella, virus norovirus and other highly infectious outbreaks at popular big name restaurant chains are making big headlines these days, resulting in everything from gravely ill people to shutdowns, facility clean-ups, lawsuits and worse. These high-profile outbreaks related to various foods from spinach to peanut products, have underscored the need to make continuous improvements in food safety.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in six Americans (48 million people) are sickened by contaminated food each year, with 125,000 requiring hospitalization. Over 3,000 of these cases result in death. As one would expect, the food and beverage industry is seriously impacted by foodborne illnesses to the tune of an estimated $75+ billion a year.

Effort to Reduce Statistics

In 2011, President Obama signed into law the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), the first significant update to food safety regulations in 70 years. (See the full text of the law here). Among the many new changes that have been enacted since then is a statute that gives the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) authority to require more frequent inspections at food and beverage processing facilities.

In November, the FDA released food safety rules for produce farms and imported food to modernize our food safety system and prevent foodborne illness. For the first time, these rules establish enforceable safety standards for produce farms and make importers accountable for verifying that imported food meets U.S. safety standards through food safety audits of foreign food facilities.

The FDA has finalized five of the seven major rules that implement the core of FSMA. Known as the Produce Safety rule, the Foreign Supplier Verification Programs rule and the Accredited Third-Party Certification rule, these historic rules build on the preventive controls rules the FDA finalized in September 2015, which mandate modern preventive practices in food processing and storage facilities.

Will Your Facility Pass Inspection?

In addition to state and local schedules and changing regulations, the new U.S. legislation will require inspections at domestic food and beverage processing plants to double over the first 12 months of implementation. Never before have the flooring systems of food and beverage processing plants been under such scrutiny. Flooring and wall surfaces already require that they support the industry’s germ and mold-fighting efforts by adhering to strict guidelines set forth by the USDA and other governmental agencies.

How will your facility stand up under the microscope?

Antimicrobial and USDA-approved flooring with contamination-fighting additives inhibits the growth of potentially dangerous bacteria across the surface as well as throughout the flooring material. The seamless, non-porous surface stands up to chemicals used in rigorous cleaning, abrasion from heavy traffic and thermal shock from hot water wash downs can cause concrete and other types of flooring to crack, potentially harboring harmful bacteria. The active ingredients in Antimicrobial and USDA-approved flooring are safe for food and beverage work areas as well as environments like restrooms, locker rooms and high-traffic spaces while remaining skid-resistant, and does not contribute strong odors during installation.

Free Quote

If you are unsure that you can meet these new inspections, get a free quote from Surface Solutions today.

Surface Solutions can give you a custom quote for your next food and beverage flooring project within 24 hours. Simply submit your information, and we will be in touch with you to address your specific needs and optimum budget goals. Our resinous flooring products and systems cover a wide spectrum of flooring needs for the food and beverage industry, Antimicrobial, USDA-approved, UCRETE, Flow Resin, epoxy and seamless application perfectly tailored to withstand your facility’s environment and work-related conditions and protect your employees and valuable equipment.

About Surface Solutions

Recognized as a top UCRETE® Master Contractor since 2012, Surface Solutions is an independent industrial floor contractor specializing in seamless, polymer flooring systems utilizing the most trusted brands in the industry. From testing to consultation and complete installation services, Surface Solutions is your premier source of non-toxic, safe and environmentally friendly flooring systems, offering turnkey installations using only in-house personnel. All installations come with a complete single-source warranty.