The FDA recently announced that routine inspections to verify compliance with the Intentional Adulteration (IA) rule will begin in March 2020.

This FSMA rule is designed to address hazards that may be intentionally introduced with the intent to cause harm to the public. Unlike other FSMA rules that address specific foods or hazards, the rule requires the food industry to implement risk-reducing strategies for processes in food facilities that are significantly vulnerable to intentional adulteration.

Food facilities will be required to develop and implement a food defense plan that identifies vulnerabilities and mitigation strategies for those vulnerabilities and be required to ensure that the mitigation strategies are working. The first date of compliance will be in July 2019.

Starting inspections in March 2020 is actually later than was previously planned, and was pushed back to give manufacturers more time to develop strategies and comply with the FSMA “Intentional Adulteration” rule.