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:
Does this Rule apply to you? What You Need to Know About Proposed Rule3
Does the Preventive Controls Rule affect me as a farmer? COMING SOON
Why doesn’t this Rule only target fruits and vegetables that are known to have caused outbreaks of foodborne
illness?
FSMA 101 and Rulemaking 101 (video tutorials)
Presentations by FDA (Zip, 2.1MB compressed)8
Comment Now on the Proposed Rule9
Comments due September 16, 2013
Additional resources can be found on the Produce Safety Alliance webpage. As always Wes Kline and Meredith Melendez are here to answer questions you may have about farm food safety, third party audits and the Food Safety Modernization Act.
