Tag Archives: PRODUCE SAFETY

FDA Provides States Flexibility to Start Routine Inspections on Small Farms As Early As January 1

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As previously reported, both states’ departments of agriculture and FDA have begun visits to produce farms to conduct inspections for compliance with the Produce Safety Rule. The FSMA final Produce Safety Rule was published on November 27, 2015 (80 FR 74353) and establishes science-based minimum standards for the safe growing, harvesting, packing, and holding of … Continue Reading

Senator Gillibrand Announces Bill to Expand FDA’s Investigative Authorities

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As our readers know, this blog has previously covered the romaine lettuce E. coli outbreaks that occurred in the spring and fall of 2018. Ultimately, FDA determined that the outbreak that occurred in the spring of 2018 may have been caused by Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) in the Yuma, Arizona area, and the outbreak that … Continue Reading

FDA Works to Find Source of Multi-State Outbreak of E. coli Infections

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On November 20, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in conjunction with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and several state agencies, announced that it is currently investigating an outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) O157:H7 infections that has so far impacted at least 17 people across 8 states. The first reported … Continue Reading

FDA Partners With Leafy Greens Stakeholders in Arizona to Enhance Food Safety

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The FDA has partnered with the University of Arizona, the Wellton-Mohawk Irrigation and Drainage District (WMIDD), and members of the Yuma area leafy greens industry, with support from the Arizona Department of Agriculture, to better understand the ecology of human pathogens in the Yuma agricultural region.  The Yuma agricultural region encompasses Yuma County in Arizona … Continue Reading

FDA Announces Cooperative Agreement to Implement Produce Safety Rule

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As previously reported, both states’ departments of agriculture and FDA have begun visits to produce farms to conduct inspections for compliance with the Produce Safety Rule. The FSMA final Produce Safety Rule was published on November 27, 2015 (80 FR 74353) and establishes science-based minimum standards for the safe growing, harvesting, packing, and holding of … Continue Reading

FDA Publishes Draft Guidance to Assist in Developing Alternate Curricula to Satisfy Produce Safety Rule Requirements

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FDA published a draft guidance to help farmers and educators develop or select alternate curricula to meet the training requirements of the Produce Safety Rule mandated by the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). As our readers may know, the Produce Safety Rule establishes science-based minimum standards for the safe growing, harvesting, packing, and holding of … Continue Reading

FDA Publishes Findings from Investigation of Romaine Lettuce E. coli Outbreak

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As previously reported on this blog, in November 2018 FDA, in conjunction with the CDC, state officials, and Canadian food and public health officials, investigated an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections in multiple US states and Canadian provinces. The investigation determined the cause of the outbreak was the consumption of contaminated romaine lettuce. Indeed, … Continue Reading

FDA and USDA Announce Collaborative Effort to Align Produce Safety Requirements

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On June 5, 2018, FDA and USDA announced a new collaborative effort to streamline produce safety requirements for farmers by aligning the USDA Harmonized Good Agricultural Practices Audit Program (USDA H-GAP) with the requirements of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act’s (FSMA’s) Produce Safety Rule. This effort follows the signing of a formal agreement in … Continue Reading

Consumer Groups Urge FDA to Establish Traceability Requirements for High-Risk Foods and Designate Leafy Greens as High-Risk

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A May 24 letter from nine consumer and food safety groups urges the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) “to designate produce, including leafy greens, as a high-risk food category and propose regulations that will enhance product tracing for produce in the event of an outbreak.”  The six-page letter was signed by the Center for … Continue Reading

FSMA Funds 2017: More Green for Greens

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FDA announces FSMA funds to support states’ continued implementation of the produce safety rule. The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was designed to update and strengthen FDA’s risk-based approach to the oversight of food safety.  The produce safety rule – which establishes science-based minimum standards for the safe growing, harvesting, packing and holding of fruits … Continue Reading

GAP Analysis

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USDA launches program to facilitate GAP certification for small and mid-sized entities in the produce sector. Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) are a voluntary set of recommendations originally developed by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 1998.  USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) currently operates an audit/certification … Continue Reading

FSMA Funds: More Green for Greens

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FDA announces FSMA funding opportunity for states to implement produce safety rule. With the rollout of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act well underway, questions continue to arise regarding the adequacy of funding support for the sweeping reforms that the law requires. FDA recently announced a funding opportunity for all states and U.S. territories, specifically … Continue Reading

Fertile Grounds

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FDA seeks input on risk assessment regarding use of raw manure as produce fertilizer. Among the issues addressed in FDA’s final rule related to produce safety under the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is the use of untreated biological soil amendments of animal origin (BSAAO).  Untreated BSAAO are essentially raw manure from cattle and … Continue Reading

FSMA Final Rule Follow-Up

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K&H publishes summaries of FSMA final rules related to produce safety standards, foreign supplier verification program, and third-party certification program. As promised, Keller and Heckman LLP has prepared summaries of FDA’s final rules to implement the produce safety standards, the foreign supplier verification program (FSVP), and the third-party certification program under the FDA Food Safety Modernization … Continue Reading

FSMA Friday

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FDA issues three long-awaited final rules to implement FSMA provisions. FDA has issued final rules to implement three major provisions of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).  The rules are scheduled for publication in the Federal Register on November 27, 2015. Click here for FDA’s overview of the final rule to implement the produce safety … Continue Reading

FSMA Final Rule Watch

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FDA finalizes three additional FSMA rules; publication imminent. Although FDA’s implementation of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is well underway, the Agency has yet to issue several final rules to implement major provisions of the law.  In 2012, two advocacy groups — the Center for Food Safety and the Center for Environmental Health … Continue Reading
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