March 27, 2013
www.gfb.org
Vol. 31 No. 13
FDA LISTENING SESSION COVERS PROPOSED FOOD SAFETY RULES A listening session at the Georgia Department of Agriculture on March 20 provided growers with an overview of the FDA’s proposed food safety rules, which were mandated by the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). The proposed rules follow mandates of the FMSA, which was signed into law in January 2011. Two rules were published in January. The first outlines steps to be taken in produce safety and the second is a set of preventative controls for human food. The FDA is accepting comments on those rules until May 16. To comment, visit http://tinyurl.com/cl4owce (produce safety) or http://tinyurl.com/d6jkqdm (human consumption). “What we’re asking you to do is put on one more hat,” said FDA Senior Food Safety Advisor Dr. Jim Gorny, who presented a summary of the rules during the listening session. “That one more hat is managing food safety on your farm.” The produce safety rule addresses identified routes for microbial Gorny contamination, including contact with animals and farm equipment, worker hygiene, agricultural water, growing, packing and holding activities, soil amendments and specific requirements for sprouts. Covered farms are those with annual sales of more than $25,000 per year that grow, harvest or pack most produce that is usually consumed raw. Gorny said the proposed rules would be phased in based on farm size. Farms with between $25,000 and $250,000 would have four years after the effective date to comply. Farms with annual sales between $250,000 and $500,000 would have three years to comply. Other covered farms would have two years to comply. Additional time is allotted in each category for some water requirements. Another key part of the rule exempts farms with less than $500,000 in annual food sales whose majority of sales are within 275 miles of the farm from the rule. The only requirement would be for these farms to provide labels stating the farm and location. Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary Black spoke briefly, saying that the Georgia Department of Agriculture would be heavily involved in educating growers about steps necessary for compliance. Georgia Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall emphasized that as the rule is refined, it should be done so in a way that allows Georgia and Southeastern farmers the same chances for business success as farmers around the U.S. and the world. The FDA is working toward publishing three additional rules for foreign supplier verification, preventive controls for animal food and accrediting for third-party certification.