PCQI 2.0 - Preventive Controls for Human Food (FSPCA)

Course details

Virtual Instructor-Led

October 19-23, 2026

Certificate of Completion

The course curriculum is based on the guidelines from the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance (FSPCA) in conjunction with the FDA.

Overview

This is a virtual, instructor-led course spanning 5 days. Provisions have been made to allow group work & discussions through the use of virtual breakout rooms. These activities will reinforce knowledge and allow students to share experiences. Participant attendance and engagement will be monitored during the course. Certification after the courses requires that participants be present for all FSPCA modules. Individuals who complete the course will receive a certificate of completion accredited by FSPCA and AFDO.

Under the current FDA preventive controls for human food rule domestic and foreign facilities producing human food must develop and implement a food safety plan based on conducting a hazard analysis and identifying appropriate risk-based preventive controls. The written food safety plan must be prepared, or its preparation overseen, by one or more PCQIs (preventive controls qualified individuals). The rule (current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-based Preventive Controls for Human Food regulation § 117.3) defines the PCQI as: “A qualified individual who has 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 FDA or is otherwise qualified through job experience to develop and apply a food safety system.”

To become a PCQI, an individual must complete 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 FDA (or have acquired equivalent knowledge through job experience).

Benefits and Learning Objectives

Understanding the similarities and differences between HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) and FSP (Food Safety Plan) under FSMA, including shift from critical control points to risk-based preventive controls.
Learning how to conduct hazard analysis to identify known or reasonably foreseeable biological, chemical, and physical hazards.
Learning how to identify and implement appropriate preventive controls (PCs), including process, allergen, sanitation, supply-chain, and other controls, and establishing appropriate parameters, values, and management components. and specifying critical limits that will control identified hazards
Learning about the monitoring of critical limits and PC parameters and values to ensure that the process stays in control
Understanding pre-requisite programs, including sanitation programs, environmental monitoring, supplier approval and verification activities, allergen management, and recall plans, and how they integrate into the Food Safety Plan
Understanding what verification and validation are, and how they are applied to show that PCs are being applied and working as intended
Developing corrective action and correction procedures to address deviations and prevent recurrence
Understanding how to develop and implement documents and records to demonstrate that the food safety plan is operating effectively
Receiving training using an FDA-recognized standardized curriculum
Meeting the training requirements to qualify as a Preventive Control Qualified Individual (PCQI)
Provide an official FSPCA certificate of training issued in collaboration with the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO)

Date and Time

Date:

October 19-23, 2026 (Monday-Friday)

Time:

Day 1: 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM PT/ 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM PT (4 hours)

Day 2: 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM PT/ 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM ET (5 hours)

Day 3: 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM PT/ 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM ET (5 hours)

Day 4: 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM PT/ 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM PT (4 hours)

Day 5: 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM PT/ 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM PT(4 hours)

Registration Fee

Registration Fee: $895.00

The registration fee includes:

Live, virtual instructor-led training
Course material

Course Location

Zoom, virtual instructor-led format

Agenda

Students will progress through a series of modules that address the following subject matters:

Overview of applicable food regulations
Elements of a food safety plan
Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) and Prerequisite Programs (PRPs)
Biological food safety hazards
Chemical food safety hazards
Physical food safety hazards
Economically motivated food safety hazards
Available resources for preparing food safety plans
First steps in developing a food safety plan
Performing a hazard analysis
Determining which preventive controls are appropriate: (Process preventive controls, Sanitation preventive controls, Food allergen preventive controls, Supply-chain preventive controls)
Preventive control verification and validation procedures
Record-keeping practices
Recall plan overview

Who Should Take This Course?

This course is for the person(s) at a food facility who will be responsible for developing, implementing, and modifying the facility’s food safety plan in the role of being a PCQI, or for anyone else at the facility who wishes to know more about the preventive controls for human food final rule and the elements that a Food Safety Plan must-have. Individuals who believe that they are qualified to be a PCQI based on work experience, or who have other food safety certifications (e.g. HACCP, SQF, etc.), may still consider taking this course to ensure that their knowledge is equivalent to that received under a standardized curriculum recognized as adequate by FDA, and to demonstrate equivalency by receiving a training certificate.

Individuals who may wish to take this course include:

Directors/Vice Presidents/Managers of Food Safety
Plant Managers
Production Managers/Leads
Training Managers
Quality Assurance Managers and staff
Sanitation Managers
Ingredient Suppliers
Supply Chain Managers
Operations & Maintenance Managers

Cancellation & Refund Policy

The full payment is required upon registration.

If you need to pay by check, please refrain from proceeding with online registration and contact our office at (206) 522-5432 to complete your registration.

Cancellation policy are as follows:

On or before October 12^th: No fee
October 13^th and beyond: No refunds provided

Refunds will only be issued to the credit card used for payment. Cash or check refunds will not be given.

IEH Academy reserves the right to cancel or reschedule any event due to inadequate enrollment or unexpected circumstances. In such cases, registration fees will be refunded, but IEH Academy is not held liable for additional costs, charges, or expenses, including textbook cancellation or change fees imposed by the Consumer Brand Association.

Interested in registering 10 or more participants for this course? Contact us for pricing and details

Also available is IEH customer service at (206)522-5432 or iehacademy@iehinc.com.
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Meet the Instructors

Dr. Peyman Fatemi

Dr. Peyman Fatemi joined IEH as the Vice President of Technical and Regulatory Services in 2019. He received his Ph.D. in Food Science and Technology from Penn State University, and his MS in Food Science and BS in Microbiology from the University of Georgia. Dr. Fatemi has helped develop food safety programs and held leading roles within multiple food categories.

Prior to joining IEH, he was the Vice President of Scientific Affairs at The Acheson Group, where he was responsible for their strategic growth and development and provided nuanced expertise to the company’s clients on key food safety and testing topics. From 2004 to 2008, as a Senior Microbiologist at Unilever Foods NA, he supported food safety programs for multiple product categories such as Peanut Butter, beverages, sauces, snack bars, frozen and refrigerated foods.

Dr. Fatemi has served as the head of the corporate laboratory group at Smithfield Foods and as director of food safety at Earthbound Farms. Within the biotech sector, he helped Life Technologies launch their food safety testing platforms to meet the specific needs of food testing customers. He also served as the Technical Director of AEMTEK, Inc.

Dr. Fatemi is also an active member of multiple industry groups and serves on the Expert Review Panel for the AOAC Official Methods Board and on the editorial board of Food Protection Trends and Journal of AOAC International. He is the past Chair of Pre-harvest PDG at the IAFP and has been an invited speaker within a number of national and international groups such as the FDA, USDA/FSIS, IFT, IAFP and multiple industry groups

Dr. Robert Brackett

Dr. Robert Brackett leads the industry training team under the IEH Academy. He received his Ph.D. in Food Microbiology, his M.S. in Food Microbiology, and his B.S. in Bacteriology from the University of Wisconsin. Prior to joining IEH, Dr. Brackett served as IIT Vice President and Executive Director of the Institute of Food Safety and Health at Illinois Institute of Technology, and Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific and Regulatory Officer for the Washington, DC based Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) now under the name, Consumer Brands Association. Prior to serving at GMA, Dr. Brackett worked for the U.S. FDA as the Director of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, as well as several other executive positions within FDA. Earlier in his career, Dr. Brackett spent 19 years in academia at North Carolina State University where he served as Food Safety Specialist and as Professor at the University of Georgia, where he conducted research on foodborne pathogens.

At IEH, he is focused on developing and executing training programs that will enable the food industry to produce safer and higher quality products. Dr. Brackett is an expert on the microbiological and chemical safety of processed foods and fresh produce. He has over 40 years of experience on factors that affect the growth and survival of foodborne pathogens in both fresh and processed foods and ingredients. In addition, he has extensive experience in developing and providing training for both regulatory and private sector personnel, both internationally and in the U.S.