ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA, US — Registration is now open for the new online course AFIA 600: Designing, Implementing and Documenting an Animal Food Safety Program that will run from Nov. 12 to Dec. 17.

The new American Feed Industry Association self-guided course is tailored for industry professionals who want to deepen their understanding of animal food safety standards, regulations and the Safe Feed/Safe Food certification program.  

“This course is a great resource for professionals committed to ensuring the safety and quality of their animal food products and bolstering a food safety culture within their facilities,” said Paul Davis, PhD, director of quality, animal food safety and education at the AFIA. “We developed this program to meet the demand for a foundational course that equips professionals with the tools to design effective safety programs, ensuring they are well-prepared to pursue certifications like Preventive Controls Qualified Individual and SF/SF certification.”

The AFIA 600 course will cover essential topics for manufacturing safe, high-quality animal food, including the Food Safety Modernization Act’s (FSMA) current good manufacturing practices, management commitment and responsibilities, quality and food safety management systems, personnel and training, infrastructure, new product development, product realization, purchasing processes and controls, and verifying a comprehensive animal food safety plan. The AFIA 600 course is ideal for feed and pet food employees who are interested in better understanding FSMA rules and regulations and/or becoming a designated preventive controls qualified individual (PCQI) or joining a PCQI team.

The course consists of nine webinar-style modules that participants can watch at their own pace during the five-week period. Participants may request a certificate of participation upon completion of the modules.