FSMA Produce Safety Rule: Compliance Deadline is January 27th, 2020

ATTENTION PRODUCE GROWERS:

If you have average gross sales of fresh produce of $25,000 or above over the last three years, your FSMA Produce Safety Rule compliance deadline is JANUARY 27TH, 2020!

The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is a new national rule from the FDA that includes requirements for certain training and best practices for handling produce on farms. This rule went into effect in 2016, and was phased in over the last few years requiring the biggest farms to come into compliance first.

Is my operation subject to FSMA'S Produce Safety Rule?

Certain types of products or distribution streams make the operation exempt from FSMA. If your sales of fresh produce are above $25,000 per year, check out thishandy toolfrom ODA to see if you need to comply. All farms with sales under $25,000 are exempt from this rule.

My operation needs to comply. What do I do now?

FSMA requires that at least one senior person from each farm business successfully completes a Grower Training. Right now, the only ones available are through OSU and the Produce Safety Alliance. For dates and registration in your area, checkthis website.The trainings cover:

• Introduction to produce safety
• Worker health, hygiene, and training
• Soil amendments
• Wildlife, domesticated animals, and land use
• Agricultural water testing and analysis
• Post-harvest handling and sanitation
• How to develop a farm food safety plan

This training will give you a clear picture of how you can put systems in place on your farm to adhere to the new rules.

Does this mean my farm is now subject to inspection?

Yes. This does mean your farm could be inspected for FSMA Produce Safety Rule Compliance by ODA. However, there are steps you can take after the training to make sure you are ready for those visits. ODA offers a couple of free options to help you get into compliance and pass the inspection without incurring any penalties:

• On Farm Readiness Reviews:This is a walk through with folks from ODA and Extension to see where you are and give feedback on improvements before an inspection.Request an OFRR here.
• Technical Assistance:OSU Extension will provide all the information and resources you need to understand FSMA and the Produce Safety Rule. Contact them at [phone] or [e-mail]

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