Westminster, CO -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/05/2011 -- Under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), food manufacturers and processors who import food ingredients and raw materials will be required to implement a Foreign Supplier Verification Program, essentially mandating that foreign suppliers undergo the same rigor and scrutiny as domestic ones. This risk-based monitoring and preventive-control program shifts the burden of proof to importers who must then confirm their goods made from or with these imports are in compliance with U.S. laws and regulations.

Such a supply chain, supplier, and ingredient risk monitoring program must verify that upstream food safety practices are being adhered to, else criminal prosecution of the importer is a possibility. Verification requirements include monitoring of and detailed record keeping for shipments, lot-based certifications of compliance, presence of a HACCP plan, and a minimum two-year record-keeping retention period.

In addition, the Food Safety Modernization Act even requires that under some circumstances an entity from the country from which a food or ingredient is being imported certify that the shipment is compliant with U.S. laws and regulations.

By popular request, on Wednesday, April 6th, TraceGains will be repeating its Foreign Supplier Verification Program webinar, with added coverage on Section 301 of FSMA, and its requirements and impact on business. Joining TraceGains on this webinar will be Jessica Wasserman, President at Wasserman & Associates, a Washington, D.C.-based consultancy focused on the global food, beverage, and agriculture sector, with a specific expertise in food safety law and regulation.

Content covered in the webinar will include how to:
• Interpret Section 301 of the Food Safety Modernization Act (what you need to know).
• Perform risk-based foreign supplier verification activities.
• Monitor shipments and lot-by-lot certification of compliance.
• Automate review of inspections, hazard analysis, testing, and sampling of shipments.
• Automate records storage and maintenance for the mandated 2 year minimum.

Interested parties can register for the webinar at: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/355317766.

For additional information, email can be sent to mms@tracegains.com.

About TraceGains, Inc.
TraceGains is for quality, purchasing, and sourcing managers who are dissatisfied with the high cost and high risk of manual tracking and control of ingredients and suppliers. TraceGains is a complete compliance and risk management solution that automates data from paper or electronic filing cabinets and makes it actionable. Unlike ERP, home-grown, or manual systems, TraceGains’ system continuously controls, illuminates, and predicts risk for each ingredient shipment and supplier certification. TraceGains has customers in baking mixes, snack foods, dairy, salad dressings, herbs & seasonings, nutraceuticals, dips, glazes & marinades, beverages, cheese processing and manufacturing, frozen foods, flavor manufacturing, large restaurant chains, breakfast cereals, dietary supplements, Meals Ready to Eat (MREs), Convenience Foods, and Cheese Sauces. More information is available at http://www.tracegains.com.