Read the latest news on the Food Safety Modernization Act and produce safety impacting your business and the produce industry.

• Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) opened registration for Colorado produce farms covered by the Produce Safety Rule and inspected by CDA (Dec 3, 2020)
• FDA opens for comment its proposed rule on traceability. The food traceability list identifies the foods for which the additional traceability records described in the proposed rule would be required. Comment period closes Jan 21, 2021 (Sep 21, 2020)
• FDA opens for comment its Rarely Consumed Raw produce list. Data, information, and comments may be submitted until Nov 9 (Aug 10, 2020)
• FDA announces new protocol for developing and registering preharvest ag water treatments (July 31, 2020)
• FDA provides flexibility to farms regarding eligibility for the qualified exemption under the Produce Safety Rule (May 22, 2020)
• FDA released its report “Factors Potentially Contributing to the Contamination of Romaine Lettuce Implicated in the Three Outbreaks of E. coli 0157:H7 during the Fall of 2019” (May 21, 2020)
• FDA released the Spanish language version of the Produce Safety Rule (May 13, 2020)
• FDA announced routine inspections of small farms may begin as early as January 2020 (Dec 6, 2019)
• United Fresh released guidelines on recommended food safety practices intended to minimize the microbiological hazards associated with fresh and fresh-cut tomato products (June 27, 2019)
• FDA released a proposal on food safety guidelines for sprout  seeds and will be taking public comments until late August (June 25, 2019)
• FDA released updated Frequently Asked Questions on the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) to include additional questions and answers related to the Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption (Produce Safety Rule) (June 11, 2019)
• FDA published Spanish translations of the Produce Safety Rule draft guidance “At-A-Glance” overviews (Apr 18, 2019)
• See United Fresh’s Romaine Resources and a Q&A on voluntary origin/harvest date labeling for romaine products (Dec 12, 2018)
• FDA has released  final guidance regarding the agency’s mandatory recall authority under FSMA (Nov 5, 2018)
• FDA published its environmental assessment for the multi-state outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 linked to romaine lettuce grown in Yuma, AZ, in a statement by FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb (Nov 2, 2018)
• FDA released: 1) draft guidance on Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption; and 2) draft guidance entitled “Guide to Minimize Food Safety Hazards of Fresh-cut Produce” (Oct 19, 2018). Comments accepted for 180 days
• FDA released guidance to help growers determine if a facility falls under the definition of a Qualified Facility for human food or for animal food (Sep 14, 2018)
• National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition released an updated FSMA Flowchart and a new  FSMA Diagrama de flujo Español (July 27, 2018)
• FDA updated resources for suppliers and facilities with its Data Dashboard, making available enforcement, compliance and recall information (May 17, 2018)
• FDA released inflation-adjusted values for the most recent 3 years to support calculations for Produce Safety and other rules under FSMA (Mar 29, 2018)
• The Produce Safety Alliance held a Water Summit on Feb 26-28, watch the Summit via recorded videos (Mar 27, 2018)
• New Produce Safety Rule landing page at FDA (Feb 5, 2018)
• FDA will not enforce certain provisions in four FSMA regulations –see fact sheet (Jan 4, 2018)
• FDA releases new FSMA-related surveillance sampling for fresh produce (Oct 31, 2017)
• FDA releases Guidance for Industry on Current Good Manufacturing Practice Requirements for Food for Animals (Oct 19, 2017)
• New article on mapping multi-state foodborne disease outbreaks (Oct 5, 2017)
• FDA offering one-hour training module on Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food Rule (“Sanitary Transportation Rule”) (Sept 20, 2017)
• Fact sheet on “Rarely Consumed Raw” Produce (Sept 20, 2017)
• FDA proposes extending water compliance dates (Sept 13, 2017)
• FDA Commissioner Addresses State Agriculture Commissioners; Announces New Steps to Enhance Collaboration with States and Ensure Farmers Are Prepared for FSMA (Sept 12, 2017)
• Equivalent Testing Methodologies for Agricultural Water (Sept 11, 2017)
• FDA Releases Compliance Guide for Small Businesses under FSMA Produce Safety Rule (Sept 5, 2017)
• FDA Releases 6th Chapter of Draft Guidance for the PC-Human Food Rule (Aug 30 2017)
• FDA Releases Food Safety Plan Builder (Aug 23, 2017)