FSMA Requirements

The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) places new requirements on food manufacturers, processors, growers and importers. To assist organizations, NSF developed a free online tool to determine compliance readiness, and indentify areas needing improvement.

Backed by 70 years of food safety experience, NSF International's food safety programs can help you understand, prepare for and comply with the anticipated FSMA regulations via auditing, certification, training, analysis and consultation services.

To learn more about FSMA and how NSF may be able to help you, call 1.877.893.1325 or email fsma@nsf.org.

Food Safety Modernization Act Background

President Obama signed the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) into law in 2011 and the administration began publishing the proposed new rules in January 2013. The act makes sweeping changes to U.S. food safety laws, most notably shifting focus to preventing food safety problems rather than reacting to them after they occur.

While only some of the proposed FSMA rules have been published to date, the basic elements of effective food safety plans are well established science-based and risk-based preventive controls. FSMA's focus areas include:

  • Preventive controls
  • Produce safety
  • Imported food safety
  • More frequent mandated inspections
  • Third-party laboratory testing
  • Farm-to-table responsibility
  • Ability to require mandatory third-party certification for high-risk foods