National Grain and Feed urges FDA clarification of exemption
November 27, 2013 | 05:54 PM
The National Grain and Feed Association has urged the Food and Drug Administration to clarify and improve a proposed exemption for grain elevators and other facilities that store, handle and ship raw grains and oilseeds from the agency's new preventive control and current good manufacturing practice regulations that will apply to human food.
FDA proposed to exempt from the rule’s requirements those facilities that are “solely engaged in the storage” of raw agricultural commodities, other than fruits and vegetables, intended for further distribution and processing.
However, the NGFA stated that the exemption language was drafted in such a way that virtually no grain elevators would qualify because the exemption would be removed if such facilities also performed other common activities associated with the safe and effective storage of raw agricultural commodities, such as screening, cleaning, conditioning and fumigating.
FDA proposed to exempt from the rule’s requirements those facilities that are “solely engaged in the storage” of raw agricultural commodities, other than fruits and vegetables, intended for further distribution and processing.
However, the NGFA stated that the exemption language was drafted in such a way that virtually no grain elevators would qualify because the exemption would be removed if such facilities also performed other common activities associated with the safe and effective storage of raw agricultural commodities, such as screening, cleaning, conditioning and fumigating.
