2017/2018 Farm Food Safety Certificate Trainings
Registration required!

2017
November 29 and 30
FSMA-Produce Rule Training and Third Party Audits, Rutgers Snyder Research Farm, 140 Locust Grove Rd, Pittstown, NJ 08867. $50.00 for day 1 or $75.00 for both days, 9am-4pm. Lunch included.

December 13 and 14
FSMA-Produce Rule Training and Third Party Audits, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Cumberland County, 291 Morton Avenue, Millville, NJ 08332. $50.00 for day 1 or $75.00 for both days,9am-4pm. Lunch included.

2018
February 8th
FSMA- Produce Rule Training ,NJ Agricultural Convention & Trade Show, 777 Harrahs Blvd, Atlantic City, NJ 08401. $35.00 per person, register online or at the door. 9am-4pm. Lunch not included

February 20 and 21
FSMA- Produce Rule Training and Third Party Audits, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Mercer County, 930 Spruce Street, Trenton, NJ 08648. $50.00 for day 1 or $75.00 for both days,9am-4pm. Lunch included.

February 28 and March 1
FSMA- Produce Rule Training and Third Party Audits, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Cumberland County, 291 Morton Avenue, Millville, NJ 08332 . $50.00 for day 1 or $75.00 for both days,9am- 4pm. Lunch included.

March 14th
FSMA- Produce Rule Training for Blueberry Growers, Philip E. Marucci Center for Blueberry and Cranberry Research, 125a Lake Oswego, Chatsworth, NJ 08019. $50.00 per person, 9am-4pm. Lunch included.

Register online at rutgersonfarmfoodsafety.eventbrite.com or call Tammy Commander at (856) 451-2800, ext. 1 or email commander@njaes.rutgers.edu

The FDA released several documents specific to the FSMA Produce Safety Rule. Large farming operations will still be expected to meet all produce safety requirements set by the rule for produce other than sprouts, except those related to agricultural water, by the original January 26, 2018 compliance date. However, FDA Commissioner Dr. Gottlieb announced that inspections to assess compliance with the non-water requirements of the Produce Safety Rule for produce other than sprouts will not begin until 2019.

The FDA released a proposed rule regarding the extension of compliance dates for the water portion of the Produce Safety Rule. If finalized, this rule would extend the compliance dates for the agricultural water requirements by an additional two to four years (for produce other than sprouts). The proposed extension will give the agency time to take another look at the water standards to ensure that they are feasible for farmers in all regions of the country, while protecting public health. The new agricultural water compliance date the FDA is proposing for the largest farms is January 26, 2022. Small farms and very small farms would have until January 26, 2023 and January 26, 2024, respectively. The proposed rule is open for public comment for 60 days on the FDA Public Inspection website.

Additionally the FDA has released a list of equivalent testing methods that growers may use to test their agricultural water for generic E. coli.

Gretchen Wall of the Produce Safety Alliance talked with growers at the NJ Agricultural Convention and Trade show about agricultural water and produce safety under the FSMA Produce Safety Rule.  This recorded talk is now available at the Rutgers NJAES YouTube channel.