LibGuides: Safe Cheesemaking Hub: FAQ

Most Frequently Used Resources

FSPCA Materials
Templates for food safety plans and recall plans, available as Word Documents or PDFs.
American Cheese Society Best Practices Guide for Cheesemakers
An easy reference for busy cheesemakers-especially small- to mid-size producers. This guide highlights the key requirements, suggestions, and practices. Condensed into an easily digestible format, and written in accessible language.
Control of Listeria Monocytogenes Guidance for the U.S. Dairy Industry
Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy publication on Listeria Control.
HACCP/Food Safety Workbook for Farmhouse Cheesemakers
Published by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland and Teagasc. This workbook is meant to assist cheesemakers in the development and implementation of a food safety management system based on the principles of HACCP.

Cheese and Microbes by Catherine Donnelly
A scientific overview of the association of microbes with cheese, through the lens of select cheese varieties that result due to surface mold ripening, internal mold ripening, rind washing, cave aging, or surface smear rind development.

Where can I find information about inspections?

American Cheese Society Best Practices Guide for Cheesemakers
An easy reference for busy cheesemakers-especially small- to mid-size producers. This guide highlights the key requirements, suggestions, and practices. Condensed into an easily digestible format, and written in accessible language.
General Information Document: FDA Artisanal Cheese Producer Inspections, Sample Collections, Analyses, Post Sampling Communications
A general information document from the FDA on cheese producer inspections from the Center for Food Safety and Nutrition.
Guide to FDA Inspections and Preparing for a Recall
IDFA's newly updated guide- available as a PDF or in print.
Plant Inspections: Making a Good First Impression
Center for Dairy Research, and Marianne Smukowski. “Plant Inspections: Making a Good Impression.” Dairy Pipeline 28, no. 3 (2016): 6–7.

I'm looking for templates and examples of how to write a Food Safety plan.

Templates and Forms
Safe Cheesemaking Hub links to templates and forms to give you a head start on food safety planning and recordkeeping.

What is the latest information about the use of wooden boards?

Ismail, Rached, Florence Aviat, Perrine Gay-Perret, Isabelle Le Bayon, Michel Federighi, and Valérie Michel. 2017. “An Assessment of L. Monocytogenes Transfer from Wooden Ripening Shelves to Cheeses: Comparison with Glass and Plastic Surfaces.” Food Control 73, Part B (March): 273–80. doi:10.1016/j.foodcont.2016.08.014.

Use of Wood In Cheese Ripening
The International Dairy Federation 2016 Factsheet on the use of wood in cheese ripening.

Where can I find the contact information for my state regulating agency?

How can I find classes and workshops to learn more?

Where can I find the Code of Federal Regulations Standards of Identity for Cheese?

Cheeses and Related Cheese Products, 21 C.F.R. § 133:
The Standards of Identity can be found in Title 21, Part 133 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

Where can I find the regulations regarding product labeling?

Food Labeling, 21 C.F.R. § 101
Federal Food Labeling regulations can be found in Title 21, Part 101 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

What is FSMA?

Learn more about FSMA
The Food Safety Modernization Act, or FSMA (Fizz-Ma), was signed into law by President Obama on January 4, 2011. It shifts the focus of ensuring the US Food Supply is safe from responding to contamination to preventing it.
HARPC.com FAQs
FAQs about HARPC from a similarly named consulting group.

By when do I need to comply with FSMA regulations?

FSMA Final Rule for Preventive Controls for Human Food: Compliance Dates
Compliance dates for businesses are staggered over several years. Follow this link for more information about the final rule, as well as updates about extensions.

Where can I find information about sanitary design of equipment and plants?

American Cheese Society Best Practices Guide for Cheesemakers
An easy reference for busy cheesemakers-especially small- to mid-size producers. This guide highlights the key requirements, suggestions, and practices. Condensed into an easily digestible format, and written in accessible language.
3-A Sanitary Standards Inc. e-Learning Modules
Three e-Learning interactive courses that cover principles of hygienic design of equipment, facilities, and environmental controls.
Control of Listeria Monocytogenes Guidance for the U.S. Dairy Industry
Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy publication on Listeria Control.