Pretty Controlled Quark Implosion? Pastel Colored Quinoa Ingredients? Prepared Colleagues Quarantine Indefinitely (aka, “2020-21”)?
While our new PCQI Online course is unique, it’s none of these quirky acronyms. It will though efficiently and effectively train and prepare your employee to become a Preventive Controls Qualified Individual, overseeing the development and implementation of the food safety plan for your facility, among other critical responsibilities.
As you may know, FDA’s FSMA mandates that all food manufacturing facilities conduct Hazard analysis and risk based preventive controls (HARPC) and shall implement science-based preventive control measures to reduce the potential risk of food product adulteration. Further, FSMA regulations require at least one PCQI to supervise the development and implementation of the food safety plan, validation of the preventive controls, review of records and re-analysis of the food safety plan. The goal is to prevent foodborne illness. Therefore, it is critical for food and beverage manufacturers to have a trained PCQI on staff to oversee these responsibilities.
How Is Our PCQI Online Unique?
Our PCQI Online is comprised of material equivalent to that which FDA considers standard and covers this curriculum in 15 interactive modules. The course offers additional expertise into complex food manufacturing processes and common food safety errors, as well as in-depth knowledge on implementing effective validation, verification, training and even record keeping.
Each training module prompts participants to think through real-world scenarios, preparing them to identify the best practices to achieve food safety. Putting theory into practice throughout the course helps strengthen retention of the materials being covered.
With allergens being the leading cause of recalls in the U.S., accounting for approximately 47 percent of recalls as of the last FDA reportable food registry annual report, FDA has placed “an emphasis on preventing allergen contamination, protecting consumers, and reducing the need for food recalls.” So, when FDA makes allergen control a priority, we help you make it a priority with extensive content on the topic. The course details possible ways allergens are stored, controlled, labeled, and cleaned and prompts you to consider and understand traffic patterns in the facility, all to prevent allergen cross-contact issues.
Another topic not fully explained elsewhere is the Sanitary Transport and Foreign Supplier Verification requirements. This is important because the number one reason (514 times) for FDA issuance of a 483 in 2020 (and 298 times in 2019) was because those facilities that were required to comply with FSVP did not have an established program. In many cases, the PCQI is the person responsible for developing and managing these requirements, so including this topic in this course will provide beneficial understanding.
This new course also features consistently updated information, so you can be assured that what you are being trained on is current and accurate. For instance, when the U.S. Congress passed and President Biden signed the FASTER Act into law in April of this year, including sesame as an allergen of concern, we made sure to include it in the course. As new information becomes available, this course will be continuously updated so it remains timely and accurate, and your training experience is relevant.
The Benefits
Our PCQI Online was developed by a team of experienced food safety experts, who contributed their broad knowledge to benefit participants. This team included experienced food safety auditors, a food defense coordinator, HACCP and HARPC certified experts, an experienced food safety scientist, a microbiologist, a process authority, and PCQI lead instructors.
Whether you are already an experienced food safety expert and this is a refresher, or this is the first PCQI course you have taken, it will provide you with an interactive, efficient, effective, and self-paced experience that was developed by a team of the best in the business.
In fact, our new PCQI Online offers so many unique benefits, maybe we’ll go ahead and name it Playful Cats Quarrel Illogically after all.