Sanitation & Transportation Guidance Documents & Regulatory Information

The Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) and the Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) are working together (see the 2010 Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking) to implement the Sanitary Food Transportation Act of 2005. The Sanitary Food Transportation Act of 2005 requires that FDA prescribe sanitary transportation practices to ensure that food (including animal feed) transported by motor vehicle or rail is not transported under conditions that may adulterate the food. This section also contains links to existing regulations and guidance documents that address food transportation.

Fruits, Vegetables & Juices

• Guidance for Industry: Guide to Minimize Microbial Food Safety Hazards of Fresh-cut Fruits and Vegetables (February 2008)

• Guidance for Industry: Guide to Minimize Microbial Food Safety Hazards for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (October 2008)

• Guidance for Industry: Bulk Transport of Juice Concentrates and Certain Shelf Stable Juices (April 2003)

Eggs & Dairy Foods

• Guidance for Industry: Questions and Answers Regarding the Final Rule on Prevention of Salmonella Enteritidis in Shell Eggs During Production, Storage, and Transportation (Layers with Access to Areas Outside the Poultry House) (August 2022)

• Guidance for Industry: Questions and Answers Regarding the Final Rule, Prevention of Salmonella Enteritidis in Shell Eggs During Production, Storage, and Transportation (July 2015)

• Guidance for Industry: Prevention of Salmonella Enteritidis in Shell Eggs During Production, Storage, and Transportation (December 2011)

• Small Entity Compliance Guide: Prevention of Salmonella Enteritidis in Shell Eggs During Production, Transportation, and Storage (April 2010)

• Guidance for Industry: Production, Storage, and Transportation of Shell Eggs (July 2009) 

• Guidance for Industry: Bulk Milk Transporters Bulk Milk Transfer Stations and Fluid Milk Processors: Food Security Preventative Measures Guidance (October 2007)

General, Vehicles & Security

• Guidance for Industry: Returning Refrigerated Transport Vehicles and Refrigerated Storage Units to Food Uses After Using Them to Preserve Human Remains (September 2023)

• Guidance for Industry: Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food: What You Need to Know About the FDA Regulation - Small Entity Compliance Guide (November 2017)

• Guidance for Industry: Clarification on Food Establishment Waiver from Requirements of the Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food Rule (August 2017)

• FSMA Final Rule on Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food (April 2016)

• Guidance for Industry: Sanitary Transportation of Food (April 2010)

• Guidance for Industry: Notice from FDA to Growers, Food Manufacturers, Food Warehouse Managers, and Transporters of Food Products on Decontamination of Transport Vehicles (August 2006)

• Guidance for Industry: Bulk Milk Transporters Bulk Milk Transfer Stations and Fluid Milk Processors: Food Security Preventative Measures Guidance (October 2007)

• Guidance for Industry: Food Producers, Processors, and Transporters: Food Security Preventive Measures Guidance (Revised October 2007) 

• Action Levels for Poisonous or Deleterious Substances in Human Food and Feed (2000)

• Defect Action Levels (DALS) (May 1998)

Good Manufacturing Practices

• Warehousing and Distribution

• Current Good Manufacturing Practice for Medicated Feeds; Equipment Cleanout Procedures (Revised April 2009)

Establishment, Maintenance & Availability of Records

• What information must transporters establish and maintain?

• What are the record retention requirements?

• What are the record availability requirements?

• What records are excluded from this subpart?

• What are the consequences of failing to establish or maintain records or make them available to FDA?

• Small Entity Compliance Guide What You Need to Know About Establishment and Maintenance of Records

Animal Food & Feed

• FDA's Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy Page
• CVM Guidance for Industry 68. Small Entities Compliance Guide for Protein Blenders, Feed Manufacturers, and Distributors (February 1998)
• CVM Guidance for Industry 122. Manufacture And Labeling Of Raw Meat Foods For Companion And Captive Noncompanion Carnivores And Omnivores  (November 2004)
• Substances Prohibited from use in Animal Food and Feed (April 2009)
• Cattle Materials Prohibited in Animal Food or Feed to Prevent the Transmission of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy - see section (C) (April 2009)