FSMA 204 Consulting for Enhanced Food Traceability
Businesses that manufacture, process, pack, or hold foods on FDA’s Food Traceability list (FTL) must comply with FDA’s Food Traceability Final Rule FSMA 204(d) regulation. Most major retailers are requiring compliance with FSMA 204 ahead of FDA’s expectations for full compliance.
Kellerman Consulting can develop your framework for collecting traceability information, we can integrate an enhanced traceability program into existing food safety programs, and train staff on how to properly record information for trace requirements.
For businesses in major supply chains, (requiring Electronic Database Interchanges) we can provide EDI guidance and SSCC set up assistance; Assistance identifying GLN, GTINs, Check Digit retrieval, Label Placement requirements, Advanced Shipment Notices; Onsite inspection of operations and gap assessments for traceability requirements; Annual assessment, Trace exercises, and Mock recall assistance for EDI/SSCC programs.
What to Expect During Your FSMA 204 Consultation
During your free FSMA 204 consultation, you’ll learn what the requirements are for being in compliance with FSMA 204 FDA traceability rule regulations, how much it costs with no hidden fees, how long it takes, and how our process works to assure you are in full compliance with enhanced traceability requirements.
Our Food Safety Modernization Act FSMA 204 Consultants Deliver
Consistent Results
All of our Food Safety Modernization Act FSMA 204 consultants are well-versed in Kellerman Consulting’s repeatable and reliable FDA Food Traceability Final Rule consulting process. Our team’s collaborative culture gives you the benefit of our collective experience with hundreds of successful FDA compliance project outcomes. You will achieve the same 100% success rate on your project regardless of which Kellerman Consulting services provider you work with. Our traceability strategy consulting will help give you the confidence to meet current food industry requirements.
Quality Control and Accountability
You benefit from the support of FSMA 204 FDA compliance consultants who review every project as a team. The co-founders of Kellerman Consulting are involved with each project at every stage to make sure that we are delivering on our commitment to our clients and keeping to our clients’ schedule.
Responsiveness
Our FSMA 204 consultants respond immediately to all client questions, which reflects one of our core values. Kellerman Consulting team members are kept up to date on every project, so that any one of our consultants can easily step in at any moment to give you the reliability and responsiveness your FDA FSMA 204 project deserves.
Employee Training Resources
In addition to your written food safety program, every one of our clients receives access to a package of employee food safety training videos, quizzes, and training logs that are not publicly available at no additional cost that are designed to help you meet FDA training requirements.
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We’ll assess your unique process and FSMA 204 needs.
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Our team will tailor our FSMA 204 services to your operational needs.
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We’ll train you and your team on how to follow all of the FSMA 204 traceability procedures.
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Implement your FSMA 204 program with us right beside you.
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Comply with FSMA 204 regulations with support and training from our team.
Common FSMA 204 Questions:
What does FSMA 204 stand for?
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published the final rule “Requirements for Additional Traceability Records for Certain Foods” (Food Traceability Final Rule), which is Section 204(d) of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).
The Food Traceability Final Rule regulation, also known as FSMA 204(d), adds additional traceability record keeping requirements for businesses who manufacture, process, pack, or hold foods on the Food Traceability List (FTL).
What are the foods on the FSMA 204 Food Traceability List (FTL)?
The following is a summary of the types of products on the FSMA 204(d) Food Traceability List:
- Cheese (made from pasteurized milk), fresh soft or soft unripened ; Cheese (made from pasteurized milk), soft ripened or semi-soft ; Cheese (made from unpasteurized milk), other than hard cheese
- Shell eggs
- Nut butters
- Cucumbers (fresh), Herbs (fresh), Leafy greens (fresh), Melons (fresh), Peppers (fresh),| Sprouts (fresh), Tomatoes (fresh), Tropical tree fruits (fresh), Fruits (fresh-cut), Vegetables (fresh-cut)
- Finfish (fresh and frozen); Smoked finfish (refrigerated and frozen); Crustaceans (fresh and frozen); Molluscan shellfish, bivalves (fresh and frozen)
- Ready-to-eat deli salads (refrigerated)
What is an Electronic Database Interchange (EDI)?
An Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) is a method for sharing business documents electronically between organizations. It is not a requirement of FSMA 204 to utilize an EDI, however, if you want to do business with larger companies in the food industry, this may be a requirement for you. We can provide you with EDI guidance. We can provide EDI/SSCC set up assistance, and Annual assessment, trace exercises, and mock recall assistance for EDI/SSCC programs.
What is a Serial Shipping Container Code (SSCC)?
A Serial Shipping Container Code (SSCC) is an 18 digit number that identifies a shipping unit. These are used for cartons, pallets, and containers. SSCCs are used to track shipments through the supply chain. We can provide SSCC set up assistance, and Annual assessment, trace exercises, and mock recall assistance for EDI/SSCC programs.
What is a Traceability Plan?
Our FSMA 204 Consulting Services
View Our Free FSMA 204 Implementation and Food Traceability Webinar Recording
In this free one-hour webinar on the subject of: “Food Traceability: New Trends & FSMA 204” Brian Kellerman, Chief Quality & Food Safety Officer of Kellerman Consulting covers:
- Unique Identifier requirements
- Lot Code Explanations Documentation
- Assigning Unique Identifiers
- Traceability and Rework
- Bulk Traceability Requirements
- FSMA 204 Implementation
- FSMA 204 Compliance
- Traceability Exercises
- Difference between Mock Recalls and Traceability Exercises
About Kellerman Consulting
Kellerman Consulting, a family-owned, food safety consulting and ISO consulting company, has achieved ISO 9001:2015 certification for our Quality Management System, and Exemplar Global Recognized Consulting Group (RCG) designation, demonstrating our deep commitment to delivering high quality services to our clients. At Kellerman Consulting, our team of food safety, quality & ISO consultants have helped 800+ clients nationwide to write and implement their food safety certification programs and ISO certification programs and pass their audits on the first try. All of our consultants are full-time employees and are well-versed in Kellerman Consulting’s repeatable and reliable process. You will achieve the same successful outcome regardless of which of our team members you work with.
Our Team Certifications
Registered SQF Consultants |BRCGS |FSSC 22000 | ISO 13485 | ISO 14001 | ISO 45001 | AS9100 | ISO 19011 | Internal Auditing | PCQI for Human Food and Animal Food |FSVP |USDA HACCP |Seafood HACCP | Juice HACCP | Better Process Control School | Registered Sanitarian | ServSafe | AFDO Process Authority
Our Team
Brian Kellerman
Chief Quality & Food Safety Officer
As the Chief Food Safety & Quality Officer of Kellerman Consulting, Brian is dedicated to assisting businesses with their food safety and quality programs and supporting all of the consultants at Kellerman Consulting to assure that each client project leads to a successful outcome.
Since 2016, Brian has written & helped implement hundreds of food safety & quality management system programs for clients nationwide. Brian stays with our clients until they pass their certification audits and compliance inspections – no matter what.
Brian has taken the lead at Kellerman Consulting with guiding and helping to implement our most technically complex client projects. He expertly creates food safety and quality programs tailored to our clients’ unique processes. Brian has helped our clients pass audits that integrate requirements from multiple certification schemes into one program, such as combined ISO 9001 programs with BRCGS or SQF and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
Brian has completed certifications and holds qualifications including: ISO 19011:2018 Auditing Module, ISO 9001:2015 Internal Auditor, FSSC 22000, BRCGS, AFDO Process Authority, Registered SQF Consultant, Preventive Controls for Human Food, Preventive Controls for Animal Food, Seafood HACCP, Juice HACCP, Better Process Control School for Low Acid, Acidified Foods, and Aseptically Processed Foods
Brian graduated with a degree in Ecological Agriculture from the University of Vermont and then became the head of the science department at a high school while teaching Biology & Chemistry. Starting in 2013, Brian worked in quality assurance and managed a BRCGS program for a facility that produced over 5 million pounds of dry spice blends, pet food, and dietary supplements until 2016, when he and his brother Mickey started Kellerman Consulting.
Mickey Kellerman
President
As President of Kellerman Consulting, Mickey gets to live his passion of helping others each and every day. He is responsible for leading sales, marketing, finance, administration and strategy for Kellerman Consulting, as well as providing support to his incredible team and to countless food safety and quality professionals and business owners nationwide.
Mickey comes from a family of entrepreneurs, and in 2016 he teamed up with his brother Brian to found Kellerman Consulting. The very first thing Brian and Mickey did when planning to start up Kellerman Consulting was to set the core values of the company to be honesty, transparency, accountability, responsiveness, supportiveness and relentlessness. Those values are the foundation of Kellerman Consulting and have remained the same since its founding.
Since 2016, Kellerman Consulting has completed over 800 successful client projects and followed through on their commitment to provide free food safety and quality training videos and educational resources for companies throughout the supply chain.
Mickey has a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from Northwestern University and has 20+ years experience in various leadership roles in the food industry, financial sector, manufacturing sector and music industry. His other passions include cooking, hiking, meditating, writing music, playing synthesizer, seeing live music and spending time with friends and family.
Laura Swanson
Food Safety & Quality Consultant
Registered SQF Consultant
Laura Swanson joined the Kellerman Consulting team in 2022 as a Food Safety Consultant. With nearly two decades of experience and over a decade of working with GFSI systems specifically, Laura has a passion to help our clients navigate the world of food safety. Laura obtained her Masters in Food Science and Technology from Oregon State University in 2007.
Laura currently holds the following certifications and qualifications:
- Seafood HACCP
- Juice HACCP
- FSPCA Preventive Controls for Human Food
- FSPCA Foreign Supplier Verification Programs
- Pathogen Environmental Monitoring Programs
- FSPCA Food Defense Awareness
- SQF Implementation
Throughout her career, Laura has had the opportunity to work with multiple facilities to achieve their first SQF certifications. Other audit standards she has worked with include BRC, USDA Organic, Non-GMO Project, Marine Stewardship Council, Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference, and Gluten Free certifications. Laura also has the unique experience of project managing food safety facility builds. She went through the process from start to finish including designing and overseeing the building of a vegetable packing room for wild mushrooms and a fish smokehouse!
When Laura is not serving our clients, she spends her time adventuring with her husband and two sons riding bikes, hiking, camping, and exploring.
Alvaro Falquez
Food Safety & Quality Consultant
Alvaro Falquez is an accomplished bilingual (English/Spanish) Food Safety and Quality professional with a Bachelor’s Degree in Food Science & Technology and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration. Since 1997, Alvaro joined the Food Industry, starting with developing HACCP Programs for seafood packaging companies and later for a Bulk Coffee Exporting Company.
With a solid foundation in operational roles, Alvaro returned to his core expertise in Food Safety & Quality in 2006. His career has since been marked by his management of USDA- Quality Assurance Programs (QAP), BRC Certifications, FSSC 22000 Systems, Integrated ISO schemes (including ISO:2015, 14001:2015, & 45001:2018), and other standards. Alvaro has also helped businesses achieve SQF and Organic Plant Certifications from inception.
Alvaro’s expertise in problem-solving and value stream design has significantly impacted cultural and operational transformations at leading Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) companies. His broad experience across multiple sites includes improving Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), ensuring regulatory compliance, conducting CIP assessments and validations, overseeing microbiology lab operations, and leading line expansion projects, among other responsibilities, in both startup and high-speed environments.
He believes in three core principles for organizational success; goal alignment, high ambition, and capability building. Alvaro is committed to ensuring that these principles guide his approach; fostering sustainable results and continuous improvement.
He holds several certifications that reflect his expertise and commitment to excellence in the field:
- SQF Certification
- Juice HACCP Certification
- PCQI Certification
- FSSC 22000 Certification
- ISO 19011:2018 Internal Auditor Certification
Outside of his professional endeavors, Alvaro is passionate about cycling, playing tennis, watching international soccer leagues, and traveling with his family.
Tim Grady
Food Safety & Quality Consultant
Registered SQF Consultant
After obtaining a B.S. in Environmental Science and a B.S. in Regional Planning in 2015, Tim gained food safety compliance experience as a health inspector. Tim joined the Kellerman Consulting team in 2019 to pursue a career in food safety and ISO technical writing and consulting.
While at Kellerman Consulting, Tim has been the lead consultant assigned to write and implement food safety and quality management system programs for over 60 clients of diverse types.
In recent years, Tim has taken a special interest in becoming an expert on ISO and helping our clients to write and implement ISO programs for their businesses including Printing, Packaging, Part Fabrication, Engineered Parts Sourcing, and more.
Tim has also completed the following qualifications and certifications: Registered SQF Consultant, PCQI, Seafood HACCP, Internal Auditing, ISO:2015 Certified Lead Auditor, Registered Environmental Health Specialist (Ohio), Registered Environmental Health Specialist (NEHA)
Tim has expertise in the following:
- Repackaging of Products not Manufactured on Site
- Storage and Distribution
- Manufacture of Food Packaging
- Manufacture of Dietary Supplements
- ISO Quality Management Systems
- Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
- FSVP
- FSMA
- HACCP
- Food Ingredient Manufacturing
- Recipe Meals Manufacturing
- Processing of Cereal Grains
- Slaughtering, Boning and Butchery
- Manufactured Meats and Poultry
- Seafood Processing
- Dairy Food Processing
- Bakery and Snack Food Processing
- Fruit, Vegetable, and Nut Processing, and Fruit Juices
- Ice, Drink and Beverage Processing
- Confectionery Manufacturing
- Preserved Foods Manufacturing
- Food Catering and Foodservice
- Food Retailing
When not at work, Tim enjoys playing disc golf, collecting comic books and passionately rooting for all New England sports teams.
Carissa Marzouk
Food Safety & Quality Consultant
Registered SQF Consultant
Carissa has a strong passion for food safety and quality. She has experience working in startup
environments and has helped these teams build their food safety programs from the ground up.
She has worked with teams to achieve their first ever food safety and SQF certifications and knows what it takes to maintain those certifications. She has served as a PCQI in her previous roles and enjoys working cross-functionally to build and improve food safety programs and foster a positive food safety culture.
Carissa obtained a B.S. in Biology from Saint Mary’s College of California and has completed the
following food safety certifications: FSPCA Preventive Controls for Human Food, Implementing SQF Systems, Advanced HACCP, and Juice HACCP.
In her free time, Carissa enjoys cooking and spending time with her husband and pets.
Shannon Wilson
Food Safety & Quality Consultant
Registered SQF Consultant
Shannon joined the Kellerman Consulting team in 2024 with a desire to promote continuous improvement and positive food safety culture throughout the food industry. Previously in her career, she has had the opportunity to work at several different CPG facilities in a variety of food categories, including: produce, deli, confectionery, snacks, and beverage.
Shannon obtained a Bachelors in Food Science and a Minor in Communication from the University of Florida and holds the following certifications:
- Registered SQF Consultant
- FSPCA Preventive Controls for Human Food – PCQI
- Implementing SQF System: Food Safety for Manufacturing
- Implementing SQF System: Quality
- Certified Professional Food Manager
Shannon prides herself on having a hands-on approach and loves to work hard, collaborate, and deliver results. She loves to be part of a team that takes pride in their work and values their efforts having a meaningful impact on the business and its community.
When Shannon is not working with clients, she spends her time adventuring, cooking and baking, and planning her next trip!
Phoebe Kellerman
Business Support Manager
As a Business Support Manager for Kellerman Consulting, Phoebe Kellerman is responsible for many of the behind-the-scenes activities that allow our consulting team to focus their time and energy on solving our clients’ toughest food safety problems. Coming from a family of professional chefs and bakers, Phoebe learned the importance of food safety and quality assurance at a young age.
Before joining Kellerman Consulting, Phoebe spent thirteen years as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Supervisor. In her position, she managed a team of interdisciplinary team members as well as provided administrative support and professional development as necessary for the success and growth of her team. Since her previous position also included networking with community agencies to ensure coordination of care and quality assurance, Phoebe sees this as a flawless transition to the world of food safety and quality.
Phoebe chose to join the Kellerman Consulting team because her core values align exactly with the values of our firm. She shares a passion for honesty, accountability and relentlessness. She strives to be transparent and supportive in all her interactions.
During Phoebe’s free time, she enjoys traveling to new places, painting, cooking, gardening and spending time with her family. She also happens to be fluent in French!
Zoe Kellerman
Food Safety & Quality Associate
As a Food Safety and Quality Associate, Zoe’s primary role at Kellerman Consulting is assisting the Food Safety & Quality Consultants with the creation of food safety and quality programs and providing additional support on client projects. Zoe helps our food safety & quality consulting team deliver client documents to meet agreed upon timelines.
Graduating from Rollins College with a B.A. in Environmental Studies, her interest in the complexities of the food system blossomed. Zoe has a particular interest in the environmental factors influencing our supply chain and the diverse regulatory and certification requirements shaping manufacturing, processing and distribution.
A foodie at heart, Zoe enjoys baking, cooking, and trying new foods. She also enjoys yoga and running in her free time.
Learn From Our Clients’ Experiences
Patty Wagon Express Complies with FSMA to Grow Their Wholesale Business
Omakase Restaurant Group Receives Support for HACCP Plans & FSMA Program
FSQA Manager is Trained in Four Months to Pass Their First BRCGS Audit
Clarendon Flavors’ New SQF Practitioner is Trained in Three Months for SQF Success
Lomo Cold Storage Receives 99.37% on Their GDP Audit
Caprock Pecans Obtains 99% on their PrimusGFS Audit After Working with Kellerman Consulting
Strong Spas Passes Their Costco Non-Foods GMP Certification Audit
Beach Cooperative Grain Achieves Excellence on Their SQF Audit
Folding-Carton Company, Everett Graphics, Obtains a Nearly Perfect Score on Their SQF Audit
Apex Outdoor LLC Receives Approvals From USDA Regional Manager for Their HACCP Plans
Roka Akor gets ROP HACCP Plan Approved
Outer Aisle Gourmet Achieves SQF Certification for Three Sites
Premier Printing Corp Receives an Excellent SQF Audit Score on Their First Try
Joe Granato Produce has Their BRCGS Program Converted to an SQF Program to Keep Key Business
Questions about costs, timelines and requirements?
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