Posted January 22, 2014
Farmers are concerned about new FDA regulations under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and the effects of the regulations on their businesses, according to a North Country Public Radio article available here.
Congress passed the FSMA in 2010 after several food borne illness outbreaks involving foods such as spinach and peanuts. The FDA has been drafting rules to implement the law and meeting with farmers and other stakeholders.
Many farmers, however, are concerned that the proposed rules are too rigid. Richard Ball, a farmer in New York is particularly worried about the standards for water quality, saying that the new testing rules would cost $10,000 per year.
Some are worried about finding funding for inspection fees, according to an article by the Oregonian available here.
Katy Coba, director of Oregon’s Department of Agriculture, said that the new rules require more inspections but no funding to pay for them. Coba said, “We don’t have extra resources.”
In response to these concerns, the FDA is revising the rules on produce and regulation of water quality. The revised proposed rules are expected to be released this summer, according to a Food Safety News article available here.
For more information on food safety, please visit the National Agricultural Law Center’s website here.
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