Posted October 22, 2013
Growers in the Pacific Northwest are concerned about upcoming food safety regulations under the Food Safety Modernization Act, according to a Yakima Herald article available here.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is working to implement the 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), which calls for broad upgrades to sanitation affecting everything from irrigation water to birds. The FDA has drafted proposed rules and is accepting public comment until November 15. FDA has also held meetings on the proposed rules with growers, as a larger effort to hear concerns and explain the implementation of the FSMA. A recent blog post on the meetings is available here.
Tree-fruit growers are concerned about water purity standards that would be roughly equivalent to the federal government’s standard for clean recreation water. The proposed rules also define standards for keeping animals and birds away from food.
Most tree-fruit and vegetable growers in the Northwest already participate in market-driven food safety programs demanded by retailers, said Dustin Cook, a carrot and alfalfa grower and president of the Pacific Northwest Vegetable Association. An example of market driven food safety standards of the Global G.A.P. (Good Agricultural Practices).
Jones Farms, a diversified orchard and vegetable ranch, signed on to Global G.A.P. about three years ago. Owner Dennis Johnson says the standards are “pretty intense,” according to another Yakima Herald article available here.
The biggest complaint about the proposed rules is that they are not crop-specific. Growers in the Washington want the FDA to revise the proposed rules to be more crop-specific and start the public comment period over again.
For more information on food safety, please visit the National Agricultural Law Center’s website here.
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