07.13.17
The United Natural Products Alliance (UNPA) has announced a second “Preventive Controls Workshop for Dietary Supplements: PCQI Training for Food and Dietary Supplement Companies,” to be held Aug. 16-18, in Boulder, CO.
This 2.5-day Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) training joins UNPA’s Salt Lake City PCQI training, to be held July 17-19. Both trainings will be taught by former FDA Investigator Larisa Pavlick, UNPA’s VP, Global Regulatory & Compliance.
Successfully completing this course is one way to meet the requirements for a “preventive controls qualified individual” as required by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as part of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). Most companies producing organic and natural foods, dietary supplements and dietary ingredients face a September 2017 compliance date to have a PCQI on staff. PCQI graduates receive a certificate of training, which is specific to the PCQI, not the company.
A PCQI is a professional that can oversee or perform the preparation of a Food Safety Plan, validation of the preventive controls, records review, reanalysis of the Food Safety Plan and other activities as appropriate to the product. This person should have successfully completed training in the development and application of risk-based preventive controls.
The PCQI trainings provide exercises specific to food and dietary supplements and dietary ingredients. The Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance (FSPCA) developed the course, which is the “standardized curriculum” recognized by FDA.
“As part of UNPA’s educational outreach, we have added the Boulder, CO, training, given the large number of natural and organic food companies based there, all of which are required to have a PCQI on staff,” said Loren Israelsen, UNPA president. “These trainings are designed to encourage compliance with federal regulations and specifically, to provide education to help companies meet the stringent requirements of FSMA.”
Based on attendance—class size is limited to 15 attendees per instructor—Ms. Pavlick will be joined by Kathy Gombas, formerly FDA’s senior advisor for FSMA implementation, who is a member of the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance Steering Committee and co-chair for the International Subcommittee working on industry training, outreach, and technical assistance programs for food companies worldwide. A third instructor, Eric Zhang, is a Lead Instructor for FSPCA, as well as for the International HACCP Alliance.
At the end of this training program, participants will:
UNPA has created an article, “An introduction to PCQI,” as well as a PCQI FAQ, both of which answer key questions about who needs PCQI training.
For more information and to register visit www.unpa.com/events.
This 2.5-day Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) training joins UNPA’s Salt Lake City PCQI training, to be held July 17-19. Both trainings will be taught by former FDA Investigator Larisa Pavlick, UNPA’s VP, Global Regulatory & Compliance.
Successfully completing this course is one way to meet the requirements for a “preventive controls qualified individual” as required by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as part of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). Most companies producing organic and natural foods, dietary supplements and dietary ingredients face a September 2017 compliance date to have a PCQI on staff. PCQI graduates receive a certificate of training, which is specific to the PCQI, not the company.
A PCQI is a professional that can oversee or perform the preparation of a Food Safety Plan, validation of the preventive controls, records review, reanalysis of the Food Safety Plan and other activities as appropriate to the product. This person should have successfully completed training in the development and application of risk-based preventive controls.
The PCQI trainings provide exercises specific to food and dietary supplements and dietary ingredients. The Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance (FSPCA) developed the course, which is the “standardized curriculum” recognized by FDA.
“As part of UNPA’s educational outreach, we have added the Boulder, CO, training, given the large number of natural and organic food companies based there, all of which are required to have a PCQI on staff,” said Loren Israelsen, UNPA president. “These trainings are designed to encourage compliance with federal regulations and specifically, to provide education to help companies meet the stringent requirements of FSMA.”
Based on attendance—class size is limited to 15 attendees per instructor—Ms. Pavlick will be joined by Kathy Gombas, formerly FDA’s senior advisor for FSMA implementation, who is a member of the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance Steering Committee and co-chair for the International Subcommittee working on industry training, outreach, and technical assistance programs for food companies worldwide. A third instructor, Eric Zhang, is a Lead Instructor for FSPCA, as well as for the International HACCP Alliance.
At the end of this training program, participants will:
- Receive a PCQI certificate of training
- Understand Good Manufacturing Practices and Prerequisite Programs
- Conduct hazard analysis and determine preventive controls
- Implement process, allergen, sanitation and supply-chain preventive controls
- Implement verification, validation, recall and recordkeeping requirements
- Develop and implement a Food Safety Plan for their production facility.
UNPA has created an article, “An introduction to PCQI,” as well as a PCQI FAQ, both of which answer key questions about who needs PCQI training.
For more information and to register visit www.unpa.com/events.
