- By way of background, the Produce Safety Rule under FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act establishes two sets of criteria for microbial water quality based on the presence of generic coli, which can indicate the presence of fecal contamination. The first does not allow any detectable generic E. coli in agricultural water for certain uses, such as water used to wash hands and water used on food-contact surfaces. The second is for agricultural water that is applied directly to growing produce other than sprouts.
- FDA has received feedback from stakeholder pointing out that some of these standards may be too complex to understand, translate and implement. As a result, the Agency announced on March 20, 2017, that it is considering how to simplify the water standards. FDA will work with stakeholders during this process. A copy of the announcement can be found here.
- Previously, FDA clarified how it interprets the compliance dates for certain provisions related to agricultural water testing in the Produce Safety Rule in an August 24, 2016, Federal Register notice.