Wednesday, 27 March 2019 / Published in FSMA, Industry Updates

The FDA announces extension on Produce Safety Rule

The FDA has announced that an additional 2 year extension has been made final to the Produce Safety Rule. This extension is good news for the grower community.

For those familiar with the FDA’s FSMA Produce Safety rule, you are aware that water requirements are probably the most contentious part of the rule. Due to the large amount of concern expressed by the industry, the FDA is currently in the process of considering revisions to this section. As we discuss in the FDA-recognized grower training that we offer, an additional two-year extension to compliance deadlines was proposed by FDA in 2018, to allow for additional discussion and for growers to plan how they will comply. That extension is now final.

It is strongly recommended in the interim that growers begin testing their water, prior to final compliance dates, so they can begin to understand the quality of their water sources and best usage strategies. Our laboratories and technical teams are ready to provide guidance to growers in this endeavor, and we continue to offer FDA-approved water testing methods for local growers, at our Kingsburg and Yuba City laboratories.

There are only a few opportunities left to attend the grower training at a discount this spring. Courses are offered in both English and Spanish! To enroll yourself or a team member, visit our web site.

In the coming months Safe Food Alliance will be monitoring any further developments on this subject and we will continue to keep our readers up to date.

FDA Publishes Final Rule Extending Compliance Dates for Agricultural Water Provisions

March 15, 2019

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a rule to finalize the new compliance dates for the agricultural water requirements in the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule.

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These compliance dates have been extended while the FDA considers how best to protect public health while addressing widespread concerns about the complexity of the agricultural water requirements and the practicality of implementing them across a wide variety of farms, water sources and
uses. The FDA intends to use this time to work with stakeholders to address these concerns.

While this rule extends the compliance dates for the agricultural water provisions, produce remains subject to the other provisions of the Produce Safety Rule and the adulteration provisions of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act)