The Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food Rule

The rule establishes requirements for shippers, loaders, carriers by motor or rail vehicle, and receivers involved in transporting human and animal food to use sanitary practices to ensure the safety of that food.

The requirements of the rule do not apply to transportation by ship or air because of limitations in the law.

The goal of this rule is to prevent practices during transportation that create food safety risks, such as failure to properly refrigerate food, inadequate cleaning of vehicles between loads, and failure to properly protect the food products.

With some exceptions, the final rule applies to shippers, receivers, loaders and carriers who transport food in the United States by motor or rail vehicle, whether or not the food is offered for or enters interstate commerce.

It also applies to: Persons, for example, shippers, in other countries who ship food to the United States directly by motor or rail vehicle (from Canada or Mexico), or by ship or air, and arrange for the transfer of the intact container onto a motor or rail vehicle for transportation within the U.S., if that food will be consumed or distributed in the United States.

Specifically, the Sanitary Transportation rule would establish requirements for: Vehicles and transportation equipment. The design and maintenance of vehicles and transportation equipment to ensure that it does not cause the food that it transports to become unsafe.

For example, they must be suitable and adequately cleanable for their intended use and capable of maintaining temperatures necessary for the safe transport of food.

Transportation operations. The measures taken during transportation to ensure food safety such as adequate temperature controls, preventing contamination of ready to eat food from touching raw food, protection of food from contamination by non-food items in the same load or previous load, and protection of food from cross-contact, for example, the unintentional incorporation of a food allergen.

Training. Training of carrier personnel in sanitary transportation practices and documentation of the training.

Records. Maintenance of records of written procedures, agreements and training.

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