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 This program provides an opportunity for farmers to discuss
areas of their operation and will assist growers recognize areas
for improvement. The program in Illinois is being offered, free
of charge, to any farmer that has completed or plans to attend a
Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training workshop (or equivalent)
https:// producesafetyalliance.cornell.edu/
training/grower-training-courses/
The Produce Safety Rule became effective on January 26, 2016.
The initial compliance dates are: January 26, 2018 for large
farms; January 28, 2019 for small farms; and January 27, 2020
for very small farms. FDA farm inspections will begin with the
large farms in Spring 2019. In Illinois, the Food and Drug
Administration will be responsible for farm inspections under
the FSMA Produce Safety Rule. To understand what this means, you
need to become familiar with the differences between a
third-party audit and a FDA inspection:
Third-Party Market Access Audit:
Third party market access audits are generally audits conducted
to assess whether or not a producer meets the food safety
requirements of a specific buyer(s). These requirements can be
above and beyond what is required by the FSMA Produce Safety
Rule.
Many audits are points based, meaning the farm either
passes/fails depending on the number of points received during
the farm inspection by the third-party auditor; some audits are
based on a farm-specific risk assessment
Audits are voluntary, upon request of the farmer and are usually
done annually
The audit “scope” is determined by the farmer and can be limited
to specific crops or specific parts of the operation
The consequences of failure to pass an audit are potential loss
of sales/markets
FDA Inspections:
Are mandated by Federal Regulation
Are not point-based
Inspections are intermittent
An inspection covers the whole farm, not just specific crop(s)
Non-compliance with the Produce Safety Rule may be followed by
enforcement actions.
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While some farms may be familiar with the Produce Safety Rule and
how it impacts their farm, others may be less familiar. The On-Farm
Readiness Review provides an opportunity for farmers, at any level
of preparedness, to get individual feedback on their readiness for
compliance with the Produce Safety Rule before they receive their
first inspection. This tool is consistent with FDA’s “Educate Before
and While We Regulate” approach. On-farm reviews will cover farm
practices that may include growing, harvesting, and postharvest
activities on the farm. FDA farm inspections will begin in 2019.
Farmers who have interest in having an OFRR of their farm should
contact the Food and Drug Administration at
RequestAnOFRR@fda.hhs.gov
or by mail:
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
c/o Produce Safety Network
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
Fresh Produce Safety Branch (HFS 317)
5001 Campus Drive
College Park, MD 20740
Or by contacting Laurie George at
ljgeorge@illinois.edu
or calling (618) 242-0780.
Additional information concerning the Produce Safety Rule and OFRR
can be found at:
https://www.ncrfsma.org/
https://www.farmcrediteast.com/
knowledge-exchange/Blog/todays-harvest/fsma-update---wall
[Terri Miller, MPA
County Extension Director - Unit 16]
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