FSPCA Preventive Controls for Human Food Curriculum – How is It Different from HACCP Training?

The Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance (FSPCA) was established as part of a grant from FDA to the Illinois Institute of Technology’s Institute of Food Safety and Health. FSPCA is a public/private partnership among U.S. federal and state regulatory officials, academic food safety researchers and educators, and food industry representatives. The FSPCA Preventive Controls for Human Food course is the standardized curriculum recognized by FDA. The FSPCA training materials are designed to meet the requirements for training preventive controls qualified individuals who conduct certain Food Safety Plan activities. Attending an FSPCA course is not mandatory, but it provides assurance that the course content is consistent with regulatory expectations. The FSPCA curriculum is built on established food safety principles, thus there are many similarities with HACCP. However, consistent with the preventive controls regulations, the hazard analysis process is used to identify other preventive controls that must be implemented, and may include process controls, food allergen controls, sanitation controls, supply-chain-applied controls, and other controls as appropriate to the food, the facility, and the nature of the hazard.  The FSPCA course manual and information on training for FSPCA Lead Instructors can be found on the FSPCA website.