BIRMINGHAM, AL – Manager of the Uniform Food Safety Transportation Protocol (UFSTP), TransComply, is endorsing an online awareness training program being offered by the University of Tennessee’s Center for Agriculture and Food Security and Preparedness (CAFSP) that addresses the safe transportation of perishable food.

Expected to be available by March 20, the training is designed to aid carriers in complying with the training requirements of the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) rule on sanitary transportation of both human and animal food.

Two versions of training will be offered by the CAFSP.

One version will be a standard awareness training module to comply with the FDA’s mandate, while a second version will incorporate both the CAFSP awareness training and TransComply education in best practices for compliance with the FDA rule and the handling of perishable food.

In cases where the shipper and carrier agree that the carrier is responsible for sanitary conditions during transportation, the FDA rule requires carrier employees involved in the transportation of food receive awareness training.

According the CAFSP, the course addresses priority areas covered by the FDA rule, including sanitizing cargo compartments, preventing cross-contamination, insect infestation, temperature control, and other environmental factors.

By April 6, 2017, carriers with an annual revenue of more than $27.5 million must comply, while smaller carriers with more than $500,000 in annual revenue will have until April 6, 2018 to comply.

The CAFSP course was adapted from CAFSP FDA- approved content, and can be sent to truck drivers and other carrier employees online at their convenience.

The training allows individuals to review material at their own pace, and simplified testing occurs throughout the training process ensuring comprehension of key information.

Once the training is completed, the training certificate is automatically issued. Carriers can then obtain the certificate from the driver and add it to a driver’s qualification file.