Are you familiar with produce safety regulatory inspection requirements? Are you wondering how the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule (PSR) applies to your farm and food safety practices?
Get answers to these questions and more by scheduling a free On-Farm Readiness Review!
Produce farms nationwide that are required to comply with the federal FSMA Produce Safety Rule are subject to mandatory regulatory inspections as required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In California, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Produce Safety Program (PSP) inspectors are authorized to conduct on-farm produce safety regulatory inspections on behalf of the FDA.
CDFA PSP provides the opportunity for producers to request an On-Farm Readiness Review (OFRR) to prepare for their initial produce safety inspection. An OFRR is a free, voluntary, customized assessment conducted before an initial regulatory inspection. An OFRR includes a farm walk-around and one-on-one conversations with CDFA PSP staff to discuss how the Produce Safety Rule applies to your operation.
An OFRR aims to help prepare you for your upcoming produce safety inspection and discuss enhanced food safety practices tailored to your unique farm needs. Farms that request an OFRR will receive a free OFRR produce safety manual, FSMA Produce Safety Rule regulatory pocket handbook, and recordkeeping templates. “Small”[1] and “Very Small”[2] farms that have not yet undergone an initial FSMA Produce Safety Rule regulatory inspection can especially benefit from an OFRR to aid in the preparation plan for the subsequent initial inspection.
Farm operators are encouraged to request a free OFRR assessment after completing the Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) Grower Training Course. Scheduling an OFRR is easy! Simply email producesafety@cdfa.ca.gov or call us at 916-654-0466. When requesting an OFRR, please be prepared to provide the following information to support a seamless scheduling process:
- Farm name and location
- A contact person and how to contact you
- What produce do you grow, harvest, pack, or hold?
- When are you harvesting?
- Have you completed the PSA Grower Training?
The CDFA Produce Safety Program is a unit operating under the CDFA Inspection Services Division with a mission to ensure California produce farmers understand how to comply with the requirements of the FSMA Produce Safety Rule, resulting in a safer food supply for the people of California and beyond.
If you have questions about the Produce Safety Rule, please contact producesafety@cdfa.ca.gov. To stay up to date with news related to CDFA’s Produce Safety Program, sign up for the Produce Safety Program Mailing List by checking the Inspection Services Division (ISD) / Inspection and Compliance Branch / Produce Safety Program box. To learn more about CDFA’s Produce Safety Program, please visit https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/producesafety/.
Under the FSMA Produce Safety Rule, farms sizes are classified by the average annual gross produce sales adjusted for inflation over a three-year period. Click here to learn more about the FSMA Inflation Adjusted Cut Offs. “Large” farms have average annual produce sales above $500,000 adjusted for inflation.
[1] “Small” farms have average annual produce sales above $250,000 and up to $500,000 adjusted for inflation.
[2] “Very Small” farms have average annual produce sales above $25,000 adjusted for inflation and up to$250,000.