June 18, 2024 , and

Getting Ready for Your Food Safety Audits

Scheduling USDA audits GAP, Harmonized or Harmonized Plus

Anyone who has not scheduled their audit needs to be aware of the documentation needed to be sent to the New Jersey Department of Agriculture prior to the audit.  They will want to see a copy of your food safety plan, proof of your food safety training, any current water tests, training records of all personnel, ten days of supporting records (for example – cleaning and sanitizing equipment, monitoring for wildlife, approved supplier list, etc.), mock recall and a self-audit.  Why do they want the records prior to the audit?  It saves time on their end plus it will save the grower money by them spending less time on the farm.

The audits can be scheduled in two ways either call the NJDA office at 856-839-3388 or go to fvinspection@ag.nj.gov .  There is a new request form so if you have an old form contact them for the new one.  The request should be at least two weeks prior to the audit.

Need for multiple audits.

Crops may be grouped together on the initial request to be included in the audit.  The audit needs to be scheduled so the auditor can see the distinct types of harvest activities.  For an asparagus and tomatoes example, if the asparagus is being harvested during the initial audit while the tomatoes are growing but won’t be ready for harvest until a later date, the initial audit can cover both commodities but an unannounced audit would be used by the auditor to observe the harvest of the tomatoes.  Also, the auditor will want to see all crops listed on the audit request form.

It is an option for the auditee to ask for commodities to be split on different audits.   To certify two audits that occur at separate times for different commodities the auditee would need to let the auditor know the intention for two audits in the season.  There would be a separate audit done, a certificate for each audit and a website posting for each audit.  The certification dates would be separate for each audit done.

USDA Audit Rates Increasing October 1, 2024

Anyone who is getting a GAP, Harmonized or Harmonized Plus Audit through the New Jersey Department of Agriculture will see the rates increase in October.  The basic hourly rate will increase from $155.00 to $163.00.  Those that are getting a Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) certification will have an additional $250.00 for each audit.

Filed Under: Food Safety, Fruit, Organic Production, vegetable, Vegetable Crops
May 8, 2024 and

Webinar on the FSMA Final Rule on Pre-Harvest Agricultural Water – MAY 20, 2024 – Time: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM ET

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) invites the public to registerExternal Link Disclaimer for a webinar on the Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption Relating to Agricultural Water (Agricultural Water Final Rule). The purpose of this webinar is to provide an overview of the final rule and answer pre-submitted and live questions.

Background

The final rule replaces certain pre-harvest agricultural water requirements for covered produce (other than sprouts) in the 2015 Produce Safety Rule with requirements for systems-based agricultural water assessments to determine and guide appropriate measures to minimize potential risks associated with pre-harvest agricultural water. Specifically, this rule:

  • Establishes requirements for agricultural water assessments that evaluate a variety of factors that are key determinants of contamination risks associated with pre-harvest agricultural water; this includes an evaluation of the water system, water use practices, crop characteristics, environmental conditions, potential impacts on water from adjacent and nearby land, and other relevant factors;

 

  • Includes testing pre-harvest agricultural water as part of an assessment in certain circumstances;

 

  • Requires farms to implement effective mitigation measures within specific timeframes based on findings from their assessments. Hazards related to certain activities associated with adjacent and nearby land uses are subject to expedited mitigation; and

 

  • Adds new options for mitigation measures, providing farms with additional flexibility in responding to findings from their pre-harvest agricultural water assessments.

The rule also finalizes the dates for compliance with the pre-harvest agricultural water requirements for non-sprout covered produce as follows:

  • For very small farms: 2 years, 9 months (April 5, 2007)
  • For small farms: 1 year, 9 months (April 6, 2026)
  • For all other farms: 9 months (April 7, 2025)

 Registration

The May 20 webinar is a virtual event. Registration is free and will be open through the day of the webinar. Persons interested in attending the public meeting must register at: FSMA Final Rule on Pre-Harvest Agricultural Water Webinar

If you have questions about the final rule that you wish to submit for possible discussion during the webinar, please note them during registration. All questions must be received by May 15, 2024, to be considered for discussion.

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Food Safety, Fruit, vegetable, Vegetable Crops