What is a PCQI Certificate?

PCQI Certificate Training

The PCQI’s Role in Ensuring Food Safety and FSMA Compliance

  • Spearhead and oversee the creation, management, and monitoring of the FSMA-compliant food safety plan

  • Prevent food borne illness by correctly identifying, reducing, and preventing food safety risks as determined by the PCQI certification standard curriculum

  • Ensure compliance with the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Hazard Analysis and Risk-based Preventive Controls (HARPC) rule

Freshield Food Safety’s PCQI certification training develops essential food safety knowledge, skills, and comprehension of the Preventive Control Qualified Individuals (PCQI) certification standard curriculum to ensure they can maintain compliance and are educated on the latest regulations.

In order to ensure compliance with 21 CFR 117.180, one way to become a Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) is to obtain a PCQI certificate by participating in the FSPCA’s Preventive Controls for Human Food course (“PCQI Training”). This PCQI certificate course uses the standardized FSPCA curriculum recognized by the FDA. Each facility’s Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) along with their entire food safety team are responsible for ensuring food safety for the general public. Is it very important for food companies to make sure that their food safety and quality professionals have proper PCQI training and industry experience.

PCQI certification may be required for salsa makers

Our PCQI Training course is taught by PCQI Lead Instructors who are experienced food safety professionals with real-world knowledge and expertise working in the food safety industry in a variety of roles. The PCQI training course uses standardized FSPCA curriculum recognized by the FDA which is required by the regulation. Taking this PCQI certificate course ensures learners will gain the necessary tools and food safety skills to develop and implement a food safety plan that complies with the FDA regulation, and to prove they have the appropriate training to performs the PCQI’s duties.

The PCQI training course offers:

  • Interactive learning experiences for PCQI training that strengthen a knowledge of developing, overseeing, and maintaining food safety plans

  • Access to downloadable resources to support your Food Safety Plan development

  • A printable and downloadable certificate to prove your successful completion of PCQI training

PCQI Training That Uses Standardized FSPCA Curriculum Recognized by the FDA

Hands holding red tomatoes trying to earn PCQI certification

Core Topics for PCQI Certification

    1. FSMA Overview

    2. cGMPs

    3. Preliminary Steps and Food Safety Plan

    4. Food Safety Hazards (B, C, P, R, and EMA)

    5. Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls

    6. Process and Allergen PCs

    7. Sanitation and Supply Chain PCs

    8. Monitoring Corrections, Corrective Actions

    9. Validation, Verification, and Resources

    10. Environmental Monitoring Program (EMP)

    11. Training and Record Keeping

    12. Recall Program

    13. PCQI Regulation Overview

    14. Sanitary Transport

    15. Foreign Supplier Verification Program

  • -Internet access

    -Email account

    -Zoom

    -The latest version of Chrome or Firefox

    *Please contact us with any questions regarding technical requirements or if you have any learning needs that you would like to discuss for PCQI certification training

About FSMA’s Preventive Controls for Human Food Rule

FSMA’s Preventive Controls for Human Food Rule states that a PCQI is a qualified individual who has successfully completed training in the development and application of risk-based preventive controls at least equivalent to that received under a standardized curriculum recognized as adequate by the FDA or be otherwise qualified through job experience.

The regulation does not require any specific PCQI certification or training. Typically, the FDA will assess requirements for Preventive Control Qualified Individuals (PCQI) and Qualified Individuals (QI) based on the results of the completed and documented Food Safety Plan and implementation of the Food Safety Plan. This would also include observing operations, reviewing completed documentation, and interviewing personnel to determine if they meet the requirements of a PCQI and/or QI. Based on the adequacy of the review, gaps identified may indicate that training and/or experience listed for qualified individuals (QI) was not adequate regardless of the courses taken or experience listed.

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