The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is the most sweeping reform of food safety laws in over 70 years. Signed January 4, 2011 by President Obama, FSMA aims to create an integrated food safety system and improve the quality of food products to the public by reducing foodborne illness.

On January 4, 2013, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) issued two major proposed FSMA rules:
• The proposed rule to establish standards for the growing, harvesting, packing, and holding of produce for human consumption (the produce safety proposed rule); and
• The current good manufacturing practice and hazard analysis and risk-based preventive controls for human food (the preventive controls proposed rule).

In the Federal Register of January 16, 2013 (78 FR 3503 and 78 FR 3646), FDA announced the establishment of two dockets so that the public can review the produce safety proposed rule and the preventive controls proposed rule and submit comments to the Agency. In the Federal Register of August 8, 2013, the Agency extended the comment period for an additional 60 days until November 15, 2013. This is the second and final extension of the comment period for these two rules.

There are two ways to comment:

Comment electronically at:
• Preventive Controls Rule

• Produce Rule 

Written comments may be faxed to the FDA at 301-827-6870 or you may mail them to:
Division of Dockets Management (HFA-305)
Food and Drug Administration
5630 Fishers Lane, Room 1061
Rockville, MD 20852

FSMA Informational Meeting

October 22, 2013
Rutgers EcoComplex
10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon
Free of Charge
Sponsored by:  New Jersey Department of Agriculture and New Jersey Farm Burea

For more details click the highlighted link.

Proposed Rule: Good Manufacturing Practices and Hazard Analysis and Risk Based Preventive Controls for Human Food.

This is another proposed rule of the Food Safety Modernization Act which will affect some packinghouses, specifically operations that qualified for the FDA Food Facility Registration.  Farms are exempt from this rule IF they grow and harvest produce in one general location, do not pack product from other farms and do not cut into the consumable portion of the product.

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Food Safety Modernization Act Question and Answer Session on Health, Hygiene and Training, subpart D.

This FDA Proposed Produce Food Safety Rule Q & A conference call, coordinated by the Produce Safety Alliance, discussed health, hygiene and training focus areas of the impending Food Safety Modernization Act produce rule.
Questions asked during this conference call were:

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