The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Produce Safety Program (PSP) announces the launch of a Produce Safety One Health Initiatives webpage dedicated to California’s actions for enhanced produce safety based on the One Health approach. In response to a series of E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks associated with leafy greens between 2018 to 2020, …
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Learn how the California Department of Agriculture is committed to educating California produce farmers on how to follow the Produce Safety Rule.
On May 6, 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a final rule on pre-harvest agricultural water revising certain requirements in Subpart E of the FSMA Produce Safety Rule (PSR) for covered produce (other than sprouts) for enhanced produce safety. The new rule replaces the prior pre-harvest water microbial quality criteria and testing …
Continue ReadingThe California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Produce Safety Program announces a new Flooding Response Resources section has been added to its PSP Educate webpage. As seasonal storms are underway, this new section offers several educational resources related to flooding and produce safety on farms. The California agricultural community is encouraged to visit this …
Continue ReadingThe Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) has published an interview with Sarah Standiford of CDFA’s Produce Safety Program as part of a Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) case study series. The interview highlights how California farms can prepare for a FSMA Produce Safety Rule inspection. The article’s Q&A format reviews the background of why CDFA performs …
Continue ReadingSave the date for a western states webinar 10-11 a.m. (PST) March 11 on a revision proposed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to Subpart E of its Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule that would change the pre-harvest agricultural water requirements for covered produce (other than sprouts). The webinar is …
Continue ReadingAre your farm’s food safety practices compliant with the Produce Safety Rule? A good way to find out is to schedule a free, non-regulatory On-Farm Readiness Review (OFRR) with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Produce Safety Program. OFRRs are available to “small” farms (average annual gross produce sales within the last three …
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