PCQI Certification Training (Online)
Five live half-day sessions on Zoom with an FSPCA Lead Instructor.
Next date coming soon. Ask about the next session
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Kiwa ASI's live virtual PCQI course teaches the FSPCA Preventive Controls for Human Food curriculum, Version 2.0. Ask questions in real time, build your food safety plan with an FSPCA Lead Instructor, and earn the FSPCA certificate that documents your PCQI training.
Last updated October 7, 2026
Live online · Instructor-led
$899 per seat
New live online dates are coming soon. Ask us to hold a seat.
Ask About the Next SessionSecure online checkout. Need to reschedule? Tell us at least 5 business days before the course starts and we'll move you to the next available session at no extra cost.
Training 6+ people? Ask about private training.
PCQI Training, Live OnlineOct 19–23 · $899
Enroll NowThis live virtual course delivers the FSPCA Preventive Controls for Human Food curriculum, Version 2.0, the standardized curriculum FDA recognizes for PCQI training under 21 CFR Part 117. An FSPCA Lead Instructor walks you through hazard analysis, preventive controls and building a food safety plan, with exercises you can apply to your own facility.
Every session is live on Zoom, so you can ask about your own products and processes as you go. Complete all 22 contact hours and you receive the official FSPCA certificate of successful completion, the standard way to document your PCQI training.
FDA doesn't certify PCQIs, and FSPCA doesn't certify individuals. What people call "PCQI certification" is the FSPCA certificate you earn by completing the course. See the FAQs.
The full FSPCA Version 2.0 course, which you must complete in full to receive the certificate.
Five consecutive half-day sessions with your instructor and classmates. Not recorded or self-paced.
FDA recognized Version 2.0 on October 18, 2024. Since July 1, 2025, FSPCA courses are taught only in Version 2.0.
The official FSPCA certificate of successful completion. There's no regulatory requirement to renew it.
Live online PCQI training is $899 per seat, including the FSPCA participant course materials. The next class runs October 19–23, 2026, five half-day sessions on Zoom. Prefer a classroom? The same FSPCA course runs in person in St. Louis.
Five live half-day sessions on Zoom with an FSPCA Lead Instructor.
FSPCA V2.0 · 22 contact hours · 5 half-days on Zoom · 8:30 AM–12:30 PM CT
Next date coming soon. Ask about the next session
The same FSPCA V2.0 course in the classroom, three days with lunch and materials included.
22 contact hours · 3 days, Mon–Wed · The Crossings at Northwest, St. Ann, MO
Next date coming soon. Ask about the next session
Need to train 6+ people? Ask about private on-site or virtual training.
A Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) is the person FDA's Preventive Controls for Human Food rule (21 CFR Part 117) relies on to prepare and oversee a facility's food safety plan. To qualify, a PCQI must have completed training in the development and application of risk-based preventive controls at least equivalent to an FDA-recognized standardized curriculum, or be qualified through equivalent job experience.
The FSPCA Preventive Controls for Human Food course is that standardized curriculum. FDA recognized Version 2.0 on October 18, 2024. It runs 22 contact hours and adds FDA's hazard analysis draft guidance, updated references, and improved tools for building a food safety plan. Participants who complete the course receive the official FSPCA certificate.
One or more PCQIs must prepare, or oversee preparation of, the facility's written food safety plan.
Oversee validation of preventive controls, or document why validation isn't required.
Oversee review of monitoring, corrective action, and verification records.
Lead reanalysis of the food safety plan when something changes, and at least every three years.
Source: 21 CFR 117.180.
Anyone who will prepare, oversee or maintain a food safety plan at an FDA-registered food facility.
The people who own the food safety plan, records review and reanalysis.
Leaders who need to know what the Preventive Controls rule requires of production.
Team members who run monitoring, corrective actions and verification.
Practitioners at FDA-regulated sites, where the food safety plan must meet 21 CFR Part 117.
Consultants who support food manufacturers with their food safety plans.
Anyone stepping into the PCQI role, or the backup for it.
Who needs a PCQI? Food facilities that must register with FDA and are subject to the Preventive Controls for Human Food rule need one or more PCQIs, unless they qualify for an exemption. The PCQI doesn't have to be an employee.
The course follows the 16 chapters of the FSPCA Preventive Controls for Human Food curriculum, Version 2.0, with exercises throughout.
Start with what a food safety plan is and the programs it sits on, then work through the hazards your plan has to address.
Complete the preliminary steps, identify and evaluate hazards using FDA's hazard guide, and decide which hazards need a preventive control.
Set parameters and critical limits, then build the monitoring, corrective action, verification, and recordkeeping behind each process control and your allergen controls.
Finish with sanitation and supply-chain controls, putting the plan into practice, your recall plan, and an overview of the regulation itself.
Post-training survey results from recent Kiwa ASI PCQI cohorts.
This PCQI course was exactly what our facility needed. The instructor walked us through building our food safety plan step by step. I felt completely prepared for our FDA inspection.
Great instructor! They were very personable and made the subject matter relatable by incorporating excellent real-life examples.
The instruction was highly engaging and kept the material interesting throughout. They did a fantastic job of providing real-world examples to illustrate the concepts.
The course introduced a wealth of new material. It was truly eye-opening to learn about the extensive work that goes into quality assurance, things I had never previously considered.
The most valuable part of the course was gaining a comprehensive understanding of the entire food safety plan and its specific requirements.
Everything you need to know before you enroll.
Live, instructor-led training on Zoom. It isn't recorded or self-paced.
October 19–23, 2026: five consecutive half-day sessions, 8:30 AM–12:30 PM CT.
Per seat, including the FSPCA participant course materials.
A computer with a stable internet connection, a webcam and a microphone. A headset is recommended.
The FSPCA certificate of successful completion, after the full 22 contact hours.
Reschedule at least 5 business days before the course starts and we'll move you to the next available session at no extra cost.
The same FSPCA V2.0 course over three days in St. Louis, $1,099 per seat.
Private on-site or virtual training for 6+ people, customized to your products and processes.
Harmeet brings nearly two decades of food safety consulting and training experience to every class. She has worked with companies ranging from small startups to multinational corporations, helping them navigate regulatory compliance, quality systems and audit readiness.
As a certified lead instructor and approved training partner, Harmeet combines deep technical knowledge with practical, real-world insight, from HACCP plans and FDA Food Safety Plans to internal audits and staff training.

Director of Training & Consulting Services, Kiwa ASI
FSPCA Lead Instructor · SQFI Certified Trainer & Consultant · HACCP Specialist
Round out your food safety team's skills with Kiwa ASI.
The FSPCA Foreign Supplier Verification Programs course for U.S. food importers, live online. Useful when your supply-chain program covers imported ingredients.
Live virtual · instructor-led
Dates on request. Ask about upcoming dates
IHA-accredited HACCP certification: the seven principles and building a HACCP plan, a good companion to PCQI training.
16 contact hours · 4 half-days · Live via Zoom · 8:30 AM–12:30 PM CT
Dates on request. Ask about upcoming dates
Critical tracking events, key data elements and a traceability plan for foods on FDA's Food Traceability List.
1.5 days · Live via Zoom · FSPCA curriculum
Dates on request. Ask about upcoming dates
The FDA-recognized FSPCA curriculum, taught live online by an FSPCA Lead Instructor.
The standardized Preventive Controls for Human Food curriculum FDA recognizes, Version 2.0.
The class is led by an FSPCA Lead Instructor with nearly two decades of food safety training and consulting.
Ask questions in real time and work through hazard analysis and food safety plan exercises with your instructor and classmates.
Half-day sessions on Zoom, so you can join from your office or plant.
Training is delivered by ASI Training and Consulting, LLC, separately from our accredited certification body, ASI Food Safety, LLC. Taking it has no bearing on any audit outcome.
A Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) is someone who has completed training in the development and application of risk-based preventive controls at least equivalent to an FDA-recognized standardized curriculum, or who is qualified through equivalent job experience. Under 21 CFR 117.180, one or more PCQIs must prepare or oversee the food safety plan, validation of preventive controls, records review, and reanalysis of the plan.
Food facilities that must register with FDA under section 415 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and are subject to the Preventive Controls for Human Food rule need one or more PCQIs, unless they qualify for an exemption. The PCQI may be, but does not have to be, an employee of the facility.
The rule requires a qualified PCQI, not a specific course. You qualify either through training at least equivalent to the FDA-recognized standardized curriculum or through equivalent job experience, and the training must be documented in records. The FSPCA course is the FDA-recognized standardized curriculum, so completing it is the clearest way to show you meet the requirement.
FDA does not certify PCQIs, and FSPCA does not certify individuals either. What you receive is the official FSPCA certificate of successful completion for the Preventive Controls for Human Food course. That certificate is what people usually mean by "PCQI certification," and it is the standard documentation of PCQI training.
PCQI 2.0 refers to Version 2.0 of the FSPCA Preventive Controls for Human Food curriculum, which FDA recognized as the standardized curriculum on October 18, 2024. It runs 22 contact hours and adds FDA's hazard analysis draft guidance, updated references, and improved tools for building a food safety plan. Since July 1, 2025, FSPCA courses are taught only in Version 2.0.
No. There is no regulatory requirement to renew the FSPCA certificate, and if you completed Version 1.2 you do not have to retake the course. Many PCQIs still take Version 2.0 to get current on FDA's latest guidance.
This is a fully live, instructor-led course delivered via Zoom by an FSPCA Lead Instructor. You take part in real-time discussions, ask questions, and complete hands-on food safety plan exercises with your instructor and classmates.
The course covers the full 22 contact hours FSPCA requires for Version 2.0, taught live on Zoom over five consecutive days. You must complete the entire course to receive the FSPCA certificate.
The next live online class runs October 19–23, 2026: five half-day sessions on Zoom. Enroll with the enroll box at the top of this page, or email US.Info@kiwa-asi.com or call 1 (800) 477-0778 with questions.
Registration is $899 per seat and includes all live sessions, the FSPCA participant course materials, and your official FSPCA certificate when you complete the course. Group pricing is available for organizations training six or more people: email US.Info@kiwa-asi.com or call 1 (800) 477-0778.
Anyone who will prepare, oversee, or maintain a food safety plan: food safety and quality managers, plant and operations managers, HACCP and food safety team members, SQF Practitioners at FDA-regulated sites, and consultants who support food manufacturers.
HACCP training focuses on the seven HACCP principles and building a HACCP plan. PCQI training covers FDA's Preventive Controls for Human Food rule, including hazard analysis plus process, food allergen, sanitation, and supply-chain preventive controls and a recall plan. Many food safety professionals need both, and Kiwa ASI offers live HACCP certification training as well.
You will need a computer with a stable internet connection, a webcam, and a microphone. We recommend using a headset for the best audio experience. All course materials are provided digitally.
If you need to reschedule, email US.Info@kiwa-asi.com or call 1 (800) 477-0778 at least 5 business days before your session begins. We will transfer your registration to the next available session at no additional cost.
Yes. Kiwa ASI also teaches PCQI training in person at our St. Louis training center. For teams of six or more, we offer private training on site or virtually, customized to your products and processes.
Enroll in the Oct 19–23 live online class, or train 6+ people with private on-site or virtual PCQI training customized to your products and processes.
Kiwa ASI teaches the FSPCA Preventive Controls for Human Food curriculum. Training is delivered by ASI Training and Consulting, LLC, separately from our accredited certification body, ASI Food Safety, LLC, to safeguard against conflicts of interest. For private training, email US.Info@kiwa-asi.com.