This blog was written by Connie Fisk, Ph.D. and was originally published on her blog, “Food Adventures with Connie“.* Fisk traveled to Washington State with the National Young Farmers Coalition as a part of a series of food safety workshops and trainings. She shares her experience with travel, food and and food safety education for … Read More
By Sarah Vaile, Research Attorney, Farm Commons The Technical Assistance Network , otherwise known as “TAN,” are the people over at FDA whose job it is to help you understand the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). But, what if I tell you that the guidance TAN offers is not legally-binding? You may be surprised, but it’s … Read More
By Chelsea Matzen, FSMA Project Director On June 5, FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D., and U.S Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced a joint effort to simplify produce safety requirements for farmers by aligning the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Harmonized Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) Audit Program with the requirements of the Food and Drug … Read More
By Hannah Ruth Tabler, NFU Intern Soil amendments are a common way to improve the development of produce. While they may help your plants grow and reduce soil erosion, they can also present a safety risk. By assessing soil amendments and implementing a safety plan, growers can avoid contamination of their produce. The term “soil … Read More
FSMA Resources The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is the most sweeping reform of our food safety laws in more than 70 years, was signed into law by President Obama on January 4, 2011. It aims to ensure the U.S. food supply is safe by shifting the focus from responding to contamination to preventing … Read More
By Sophie Neems, NFU Intern ‘Tis the season. . . for agricultural conferences! The harvest is done and the cows have been moved to winter pasture, which means that educational opportunities for farmers and ranchers abound. However, here at National Farmers Union, we understand that it’s not always possible to leave the farm unattended and … Read More
By Barbara Patterson, NFU Director of Government Relations, and Roger Noonan, New England Farmers Union President A few weeks ago, we shared the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Needs Assessment Survey. This week, we will cover another FSMA-related topic: what is excluded or exempt from the Produce Safety Rule, which sets regulatory standards for the … Read More
By Barbara Patterson, NFU Director of Government Relations, and Roger Noonan, New England Farmers Union President A few weeks ago, we shared the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Needs Assessment Survey here on the Beginning Farmer Forum (BFF). This week, BFF will cover another FSMA-related topic: what is excluded or exempt from the Produce Safety … Read More
April 25, 2017 By Skylar Schneider, Executive Assistant Contact: Chelsea Matzen, 202-554-1600 cmatzen@nfudc.org In September 2016, 42 states received federal funding through the State Produce Implementation Cooperative Agreement Program (CAP) to be used for development of produce safety programs that provide education, technical assistance, inspection, compliance, and oversight regarding the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). … Read More
By London Muegge, Education InternContact: Chelsea Matzen, 202-554-1600cmatzen@nfudc.orgThe Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is considering simplifying agricultural water standards under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) due to stakeholder feedback. The feedback included concern that the standards, which include numerical criteria for pre-harvest microbial water quality, would be too difficult to understand and implement by … Read More