The FDA published a new guidance document today focusing on the Preventive Controls portion of the Food Safety Modernization Act. The document can be read at the FDA FSMA website.
August 16, 2013 Meredith Melendez
I Have A Farm – Does the Proposed Preventive Controls Rule Affect Me?
August 15, 2013 Meredith Melendez
How Will FSMA Affect Your Business?
NOTE – The comment period for the Produce Rule has been extended for the final time, comments are due to the FDA by November 15, 2013. Comments can be made here.
United Fresh held a webinar featuring David Gombus on Tuesday August 13, 2013 focusing on what we know about the Food Safety Modernization Act and how it may affect businesses. The webinar was recorded and is available online at United Fresh.
[Read more…]
July 18, 2013 Meredith Melendez
FDA Releases FSMA Factsheets for Farmers
FDA is expanding its outreach to small- and medium-size growers to address questions that have arisen since the proposed rule was issued in January 2013. According to Michael Taylor, Deputy Commissioner for Foods and Veterinary Medicine, FDA expects and welcomes questions that arise during the rulemaking process. In a new interview, he emphasizes that FDA is committed to developing, with input, a final rule that prevents illnesses but that also is practical and adaptable to a wide diversity of growing conditions and practices.
Resources available on the newly updated FDA FSMA site are: [Read more…]
July 3, 2013 Meredith Melendez
FSMA Comment Period Ends September 16th
The comment period for both the Proposed Produce Rule and the Proposed Preventive Controls Rule ends on September 16th. Both of these rules have the potential to impact many farms across NJ. Your comments are important and can be made online for both the Produce Rule and the Preventive Controls Rule. (Click on the highlighted rule name to access the comment page.)
Here are a few proposed regulations will be of interest to growers:
Proposed Produce Safety Rule
– How are annual farm sales calculated?
– How often will ag water need to be tested?
– What is the acceptable timing for animal based compost, and why is it not the same as the NOP standards? [Read more…]
June 19, 2013 Wes Kline and Meredith Melendez
Farm Food Safety: FDA Q&A Printable Summary
The Food Safety Modernization Act will impact most growers in New Jersey.
Over the past weeks, we have posted the Questions and Answers for each of the conference calls focusing on subparts of the proposed Produce Safety Rule of the Food Safety Modernization Act on the PPA Food Safety section. For your convenience, the Q&A’s have been collected into a single PDF.
May 28, 2013 Wes Kline and Meredith Melendez
Will The FDA Preventive Control Rules Affect Your Farm?
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.
