The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Produce Safety Program and Western Agricultural Processors Association recently collaborated to host workshops about On-Farm Readiness Reviews (OFRRs) in four locations.
With total attendance of 92, the workshops were hosted in Live Oak, Woodland, Oakdale and Hanford. At each workshop, attendees were able to observe an OFRR on the host farm. This provided an opportunity for growers, hullers and processors in the walnut and pistachio industries to learn more about how to comply with the requirements of the Produce Safety Rule (PSR) under the Food Safety Modernization Act. Each OFRR was conducted in a question-and-answer format to help attending California farmers anticipate what they will be asked during a PSR inspection conducted by CDFA’s Produce Safety Program on behalf of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
An OFRR helps farmers assess if they are ready for a PSR inspection for their own farm, provides a personalized discussion about their farm’s food safety activities to meet regulatory requirements, and asks questions in an educational environment. CDFA’s role is to educate California produce farmers and then regulate to ensure they are following the PSR and are in compliance. Visit the Produce Safety Program’s Educate webpage if interested in learning more or scheduling an OFRR.
The Produce Safety Program is part of CDFA’s Division of Inspection Services.
One Response to Produce Safety Program offers On-Farm Readiness Review workshops to help farmers prepare for inspection