Clarification and Guidance Regarding Produce Safety Rule Letter and Questionnaire Sent to Winegrape Growers. Â, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616 | 530-752-1011. Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the FSMA Proposed Rule for Produce Safety; 2013 - 2014. We help growers and industry professionals prepare for and comply with FDA’s FSMA (Food Safety Modernization Act) Produce Safety Rule. This video from Michigan State walks through the process. In an effort to clarify requirements of the Produce Safety Rule, the FDA has released “Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption: Guidance for Industry” to industry. There has been a lot of talk about the water requirements that are part of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule (PSR). “This draft guidance is a much-anticipated milestone in the implementation of the Produce Safety Rule,” explains Dr. Barbara P. Glenn, Chief … They are 5 and 10 minutes long.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCDmhCafMGU&list=PL_bTWa1uOqMFnJAkt3z4xJ... Read about how we've been reaching out to Plain growers here in Iowa.  Help growers assess their readiness for implementation of the FSMA PSR The Produce Safety Rule (80 FR 74353) established science-based minimum standards for the safe growing, harvesting, packing, and holding of produce grown for human consumption. Sign up for one here and contact us with any questions at iowafsma@iastate.edu, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach has been conducting voluntary on-farm assessments to help Iowa growers prepare for FDA farm inspections conducted under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule (PSR). Many California winegrape growers received a letter and questionnaire from the California Department of Agriculture (CDFA), dated Feb. 11, concerning forthcoming compliance activities related to the federal Produce Safety Rule (PSR). The draft Produce Safety Rule guidance, published in October 2018, provides a broad range of recommendations on how to meet the requirements for most subparts of the rule. Program Planner, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Smaranda Andrews, PhD (Certified Organic Inspector). This article is intended to help you know what is written in the PSR, the changes that have occurred since the original PSR publication, the timing of the requirements, and other key things. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) Produce Safety Program is advising produce farms of the following points relating to the guidance. While the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption, commonly known as the Produce Safety Rule (PSR), was finalized on November 27, 2015, and became effective on January 26, 2016, the FDA has been slow to release further information as guidance to the industry. The rule focuses on the growing, harvesting, packing and holding of produce and is very similar to the requirements of USDA Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certification. (IowaFSMA@iastate.edu or 515-294-6773). 1) At least one person on the farm must have been trained and received the Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training certificate; and Erin L. DiCaprio and Linda J. Harris  Provide guidance on how to get individual farms into compliance with the FSMA Produce Safety Rule.  Help growers better understand how to translate the PSR on their farm It represented their current thinking of how the produce safety rule should be enforced and provides examples and clarification about some uncertainties in the rule. Qualified Exemption from the Produce Safety Rule The FDA recently released new guidance for produce farms that had to shift their market sales in 2020 due to COVID-19 disruptions. The FDA has released draft guidance for farms which must comply with the Produce Safety Rule (Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption; 21 CFR Part 117). The FSMA Produce Safety Rule establishes two treatment levels, each with an associated microbial standard. The Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) Grower Training Course is one way to satisfy the FSMA Produce Safety Rule requirement outlined in § 112.22 (c) that requires ‘ At least one supervisor or responsible party for your farm must have successfully completed food safety training at least equivalent to that received under standardized curriculum recognized as adequate by the Food and Drug Administration.’ One of the seven major overarching rules under FSMA is the rule on Standards for the Growing Harvesting, Packing and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption, better known as the Produce Safety Rule. Participants must be able to unmute themselves to discuss questions. We help growers and industry professionals prepare for and comply with FDA’s FSMA (Food Safety Modernization Act) Produce Safety Rule. How Much: This holiday season, consider how your holiday plans can be modified to reduce the spread of COVID-19 to keep your friends, families, and communities healthy and safe. The Produce Rule applies to farms engaged in the growing, harvesting, packing, or holding of raw agricultural commodities (fruits, vegetables) for human consumption. It is possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object, including food or food … FDA recently published draft guidance to fresh produce growers and others to help inform them of how they are currently interpreting the produce safety rule. The purpose of the OFRR process is to: It is strongly recommended individuals with little to no previous Good Agricultural Practices experience or education view the Iowa GAP 1 videos prior to attendance. Legislative and Policy Research We are a team of produce and food safety experts, from within Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) and Iow… All rights reserved. If you are a fruit or vegetable processor, please click here for more information about the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance trainings. Angela Shaw, PhD The FSMA Produce Safety Rule definitions do not include, for example, human waste and pre-consumer vegetative waste as a BSAAO. You can access the draft guidance at https://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/GuidanceDocumentsRegulatoryInformation/ucm606284.htm. There were two open comment periods during which the FDA solicited feedback from produce growers, industry members, academics, and the general public. Assistant professor of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Dan Fillius The Western Center for Food Safety was asked by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to facilitate the development of research protocols for scientific studies that evaluate the persistence of foodborne pathogens in the environment and on the edible portions of fresh produce following: The Agricultural Water and Soil Amendment framework documents were developed by two committees through a series of webinars, e-mail communication and a workshop that was held in Davis, CA in October 2011. Gatherings during the upcoming holidays can be an opportunity to reconnect with family and friends. It represented their current thinking of how the produce safety rule should be enforced and provides examples and clarification about some uncertainties in the rule. FDA recently published draft guidance to fresh produce growers and others to help inform them of how they are currently interpreting the produce safety rule. Responsibility for Produce Rule on the Farm: The Rule stipulates that “At least one supervisor or responsible party on the farm must have successfully completed food safety training at least equivalent to that received under standardized curriculum recognized as adequate by the Food … $20 for Iowa growers. The FDA had been developing and drafting the Produce Safety Rule since FSMA was passed in 2011. UC Davis Department of Food Science and Technology This draft guidance represents the current thinking of the FDA on how they will interpret the rule. The PSA … FDA and its state partners will use this time to provide more … The last significant action on the Produce Safety Rule occurred a year ago when FDA decided to extend the compliance dates for the agricultural water … All rights reserved. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or we) is announcing the availability of an immediately in effect guidance for industry entitled ``Produce Safety Rule: Enforcement Policy for Entities Growing, Harvesting, Packing, or Holding Hops, … $120 for out of state growers. Broadband (>25 Mbps download, >3 Mbps upload) is recommended. View our PSA fact sheet to learn more about our program. Participants must be present during all course modules and have their computer camera turned on to receive the PSA/AFDO Certificate of Course Completion. State Horticulturist, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Anirudh Rajagopal Naig, PhD On-Farm Readiness Reviews 3. It would also be helpful to be familiar with the content of #1 and #3 in this series. Future guidance from FDA on the topic may lead to different or better understanding, but at this time the following bullets summarize the information that the PSA team thinks may be valuable to produce growers. The Produce Safety Alliance is a collaboration between Cornell University, FDA, and USDA to prepare fresh produce growers to meet the regulatory requirements included in the United States Food and Drug Administration’s proposed Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule. Iowa State University Extension, Local Foods Coordinator, John Krzton-Presson Copyright © The Regents of the University of California, Davis campus. All pictures used on site with permissions and courtesy of Unsplash, Shutterstock, CDC Public Images, Almond Board of California, and UC Davis Robert Mondavi Institute.  Extension Program Specialist, Food Science and Human Nutrition, Joe Hannan The videos can be accessed free of charge. The BSAAO treatment level determines how and when growers can apply the BSAAO to produce fields (§ 112.56). The Produce Safety Rule addresses concerns about the potential for grazing animals (e.g., livestock and dairy cattle), working animals used in fields for various purposes (e.g., mules or horses), and intrusion by wild animals (e.g., birds, deer, or feral swine) into fields. In an effort to clarify requirements of the Produce Safety Rule, the FDA has released “Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption: Guidance for Industry” to industry. We offer the following services: We are a team of produce and food safety experts, from within Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) and Iowa State University (see members below). The Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) is a collaboration between Cornell University, FDA, and USDA to prepare fresh produce growers to meet the regulatory requirements included in the United States Food and Drug Administration’s Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule. Associate professor of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Paul Ovrom 2) On-Farm Readiness Reviews are done when produce is being grown, harvested, and/or post-harvest handled. What is the training: All participants must have functioning video cameras, speakers, and microphones and/or headsets that are used during the entire course. Currently, there is no evidence to suggest that handling food or consuming food is associated with COVID-19. in a Statement on the new draft guidance documents. Guidance for Industry: Policy Regarding Certain Entities Subject to the Current Good … Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule. Attendance and engagement will be monitored throughout the course. Our goal is to conduct needs assessments and develop trainings, extension programs, and a farm inventory that align with state programs and activities for FDA’s Produce Safety Rule. January 19, 2017: FDA Announces Draft Guidance to Help Sprout Operations Comply with Produce Safety Rule, Content managed by Drs. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) Produce Safety Program is advising produce farms of the following points relating to the guidance. The Training is Designed For: Education, Outreach and Technical Assistance 5. Additional academic, government and industry food safety experts reviewed the draft documents prior to submission to the Journal of Food Protection. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCDmhCafMGU&list=PL_bTWa1uOqMFnJAkt3z4xJ... Assistance in crafting Farm Food Safety Plans, Education, Outreach and Technical Assistance. Davis, CA 95616, (530) 752-1465 (FDA, March 28, 2019). If you have more than one person attending from the same farm/company AND you want to share one PSA manual, you can register two people for the price of one. Extension Field Specialist, Agriculture, Teresa Wiemerslage Guidance for Industry: Questions and Answers Regarding Food Facility Registration (Sixth Edition) Extension Program Specialist, Food Science and Human Nutrition 2 FDA’s draft guidance for … * Request can be made for a special course for more than ten farm participants. Author: Kristie A. Grzywinski (SQFI) Created Date: 2/24/2017 5:05:39 PM While the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption, commonly known as the Produce Safety Rule (PSR), was finalized on November 27, 2015, and became effective on January 26, 2016, the FDA has been slow to release further information as guidance to the industry. Ames, Iowa 50011, (515) 294-4111, Contact Us. The On-Farm Readiness reviews are free of charge and are done on a voluntary basis and take less than 2 hours to complete. January 19, 2017: FDA Announces Draft Guidance to Help Sprout Operations Comply with Produce Safety Rule Draft Guidance for Industry: Compliance with and Recommendations for Implementation of the Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption for Sprout Operations (PDF 1 MB) This is the first time there have been federal governmental regulations in this area. The COVID-19 pandemic has been stressful and isolating for many people. Participants must be present for the entire eight-hour course to get credit for attending. Qualified Exemption from the Produce Safety Rule The FDA recently released new guidance for produce farms that had to shift their market sales in 2020 due to COVID-19 disruptions. Extension Program Coordinator, Local Foods Team, Morgan Hoenig In 2019, the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach On-Farm Produce Safety Team offered reviews to Iowa farms that grow, harvest, pack and hold vegetable and fruit for human consumption and use diverse production practices. 595 Hilgard Lane In the Produce Safety Rule, FDA only regulates the safety of pre- and postharvest “agricultural water," a term FDA has defined as water that is intended to, or likely to, contact the harvestable part of the growing crop, the harvested produce, or surfaces that can come into contact with the product. It represented their current thinking of how the produce safety rule should be enforced and provides examples and clarification about some uncertainties in the rule. FDA recently published draft guidance to fresh produce growers and others to help inform them of how they are currently interpreting the produce safety rule. Bihn *This publication has not been approved by the FDA and should not be considered legal guidance. of Agriculture Produce Safety Program, Factsheet Series on the Intersection of Organic (USDA NOP) and Food Safety (FDA FSMA) Regulations, Farmers Guide to Food Safety and Conservation, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, Recordings, PDFs and Webinars for Growers, Agricultural Water and Soil Amendment Framework Documents, Biological Soil Amendments of Animal Origin, Produce Safety (Part 112) Compliance Dates for Small, Very Small, and Not Small BusinessÂ, Produce Safety Alliance - Clarification of Compliance Dates, FDA Announces Produce Safety Rule Enforcement Discretion Policy for Certain Commodities, FDA announces enforcement discretion to accommodate unique circumstances faced by producers of hops, wine grapes, pulse crops and almonds while continuing to protect the public health,  Enforcement Policy for Entities Growing, Harvesting, Packing, or Holding Hops, Wine Grapes, Pulse Crops, and Almonds, Standards for Produce Safety - Coverage and Exemptions/Exclusions for 21 PART 112, Decision Trees:  Farm Food Safety Decision Making Made Easy, Farm Food Safety Plan Writing Resources (, Factsheets and Food Safety Plan Templates, Food Safety Materials (UC Small Farm Program), Factsheets and Food Safety Plan Templates, Tools for Writing a Farm Food Safety Plan, Grower Training Manual References and Links, FDA Announces Draft Guidance to Help Sprout Operations Comply with Produce Safety Rule, Draft Guidance for Industry: Compliance with and Recommendations for Implementation of the Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption for Sprout Operations, Drs. 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