Category: Announcements

CDFA Produce Safety Program Releases New PSP Portal Training Resources

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The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Produce Safety Program (PSP) announces the release of several new PSP Portal training resources including training videos, a written user guide, and an informational flyer. These resources are available on the PSP Portal Information Website. The training videos and written user guide provide step-by-step instructions on how to navigate the PSP Portal and complete key functions including creating new user accounts, verifying farm account information, and accessing CDFA inspection-related documents.

New Training Resources

PSP Portal Training Videos

PSP Portal Written User Guide

PSP Portal Flyer

What is the PSP Portal? The PSP Portal is a cloud-based farm data repository platform that allows California produce farmers and growers to view their own farm information and have on-demand access to their digital produce safety inspection reports related to their own farms. In addition, the PSP Portal provides resources to support on-farm compliance with the requirements of the federal Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule and provide a convenient way for California growers to connect with PSP staff. The new technology also allows the Produce Safety Program to focus inspection efforts based on food safety risk factors to help ensure a safe and quality food supply for all consumers of California fresh produce in the state, nationally and beyond.

California Agricultural Neighbors report highlights next steps for building proactive food safety culture in Salinas Valley

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CDFA and the Monterey County Farm Bureau are announcing the joint release of the report “California Agricultural Neighbors: Building a Proactive Food Safety Culture.”

California Agricultural Neighbors (CAN) was formed in January 2021 to bring together members of the Salinas Valley agriculture community to review what could be done to help reduce outbreaks of pathogenic Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 associated with leafy greens.

CAN initially facilitated discussions to enhance food safety practices between neighboring farms when various agricultural operations are adjacent to one another. An Action Report released in 2022 touched on neighbor-to-neighbor best practices.

Four work groups then focused on those practices to develop the new report, which offers next steps to continue to build a proactive food safety culture:

  • Communication to broaden engagement that is supportive of a proactive food safety culture
  • Expanded research partnerships and leveraging data science to fill information gaps essential for more effective action
  • Engagement of additional partners and collaborators, including the California Longitudinal Study, a joint effort between CDFA and the FDA, to accelerate translation of new information to action.
  • Investing in the future expertise and capacity to enhance transfer of knowledge from research into applied practice

Click here to view “California Agricultural Neighbors: Building a Proactive Food Safety Culture.”

Click here to view a flyer about the report and its Next Steps.

Click here to view this original CDFA Planting Seeds blog post.

CDFA Produce Safety Program to Host PSP Portal Training Workshops

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The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Produce Safety Program (PSP) will host a series of PSP Portal Training Workshops during November and December. Five in-person workshops will be held across the State of California between November 18 – December 17, 2024. A virtual workshop will be held on November 19, 2024.

Workshops will include a presentation that provides an overview of the CDFA Produce Safety Program, PSP Portal, and live training tutorials on how to navigate the website. All in-person workshops will have the first hour reserved for the training presentation and the remaining time dedicated for attendees that wish to receive one-on-one technical support with the PSP Portal. The virtual webinar will have the first hour reserved for the training presentation followed by a Q&A session.

Virtual Workshop | Click here to register!

November 19 | 9am – 11am | via Zoom

In-Person Workshops | Open to the Public

November 18 | 1pm – 4pm | Sacramento County

  • CDFA Auditorium: 1220 N St, Sacramento, CA 95814

November 20 | 9am – 12pm | Tehama County

  • County of Tehama Agricultural Commissioner’s Office: 1834 Walnut St, Red Bluff, CA 96080

December 4 | 9am – 12pm | Monterey County

  • County of Monterey Agricultural Commissioner’s Office: 1428 Abbott St, Salinas, CA 93901

December 5 | 9am – 12pm | Tulare County

  • County of Tulare Agricultural Commissioner’s Office: 4437 S Laspina St, Tulare, CA 93274

December 17 | 1pm – 4pm | Imperial County

  • El Centro Library with County of Imperial Agricultural Commissioner’s Office: 1198 N Imperial Ave, El Centro, CA 92243

What is the PSP Portal? The PSP Portal is a cloud-based farm data repository platform that allows California produce farmers and growers to view their own farm information and have on-demand access to their digital produce safety inspection reports related to their own farms. In addition, the PSP Portal will provide resources to support on-farm compliance with the requirements of the federal Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule and provide a convenient way for California growers to connect with PSP staff. The new technology will also allow the Produce Safety Program to focus inspection efforts based on food safety risk factors to help ensure a safe and quality food supply for all consumers of California fresh produce in the state, nationally and beyond.

CDFA Produce Safety Program Debuts New PSP Portal Website

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The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Produce Safety Program (PSP) announces the official launch of its new Farm Data Repository website for California farms and farm inspections to support statewide compliance with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule. Also known as the PSP Portal, this new digital resource provides California produce growers and handlers the ability to:

  • View their own inspection reports related to their own farms online.
  • Engage and respond to inspection-related action items digitally, including document uploads.
  • Communicate conveniently with CDFA PSP staff members.

PSP Portal welcome log-in emails were sent to California produce farms on rolling basis this year through August 2024. California produce growers and handlers that have received a welcome email are encouraged to log into the PSP Portal in a timely manner to verify the accuracy of their farm information that is on file with the State of California. The PSP Portal Login Instructions in 3 Easy Steps Flyer is included in each welcome log-in email and also available on the PSP Portal website.

If you did not receive a PSP Portal welcome log-in email, you can request one through the PSP Portal Log-in webpage or by emailing producesafety@cdfa.ca.gov.

Inspection reports and related documents dated prior to August 26, 2024, will continue to be added to the system on a rolling basis. If you require immediate access to your inspection report, please click the “Contact the Produce Safety Program Staff” link located at the bottom of the PSP Portal webpages or email producesafety@cdfa.ca.gov to submit a request and a staff member will assist you.

In January 2024, CDFA PSP announced the development of this new, digital data repository system. Additional announcements on the PSP Portal development progress were released in April 2024 and July 2024. Training workshops to assist produce growers and handlers on how to use the PSP Portal are planned for Fall 2024. More details about these workshops will be shared in the future.

What is the PSP Portal? The PSP Portal is a cloud-based farm data repository platform that allows California produce farmers and growers to view their own farm information and have on-demand access to their digital produce safety inspection reports related to their own farms. In addition, the PSP Portal will provide resources to support on-farm compliance with the requirements of the federal FSMA Produce Safety Rule and provide a convenient way for California growers to connect with PSP staff. The new technology will also allow the Produce Safety Program to focus inspection efforts based on food safety risk factors to help ensure a safe and quality food supply for all consumers of California fresh produce in the state, nationally and beyond.

CDFA Produce Safety Program Announces Phase 2 Development of Online PSP Portal with Final Website Launch Anticipated Later This Year

Posted in Announcements

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Produce Safety Program (PSP) announces the development of Phase 2 of its Farm Data Repository website, also known as the PSP Portal. The final launch of the PSP Portal with full functionality is anticipated later this year.  

Phase 2 of the PSP Portal release will provide California farmers and growers the ability to view online their own inspection reports related to their own farms, respond to inspection-related action requests, upload documents, and communicate directly with PSP staff members.

In April 2024, stakeholders were notified that Phase 1 of the PSP Portal was launched. Phase 1 included the addition of California produce farms into the system on an ongoing, rolling basis. Once added, growers could anticipate receiving a welcome email with instructions on how to create an online account and verify their account information.

Growers who have not yet received a welcome email should anticipate receiving an advance notification via email a week prior to receiving their official PSP Portal welcome email with login instructions. The PSP Portal Login Instructions in 3 Easy Steps Flyer will be included in the advance notification email and in the official PSP Portal welcome email. 

Once a welcome email is received, growers are encouraged to login to the PSP Portal in a timely manner to verify the accuracy of their farm information that is on file with the State of California.

Questions and technical support requests regarding the PSP Portal can be submitted to producesafety@cdfa.ca.gov.

Additionally, the PSP Portal website was recently updated to include the PSP Portal Login button for notified growers, an Announcements Section, and a Quick Links section with the PSP Portal Login Instructions in 3 Easy Steps Flyer.

What is the PSP Portal? In January 2024, CDFA PSP announced the development of a new, digital data repository system for California farms and farm inspections to support statewide compliance with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule. The PSP Portal is a cloud-based farm data repository platform that allows California produce farmers and growers to view their own farm information and have on-demand access to their digital produce safety inspection reports related to their own farms. In addition, the PSP Portal will provide resources to support on-farm compliance with the requirements of the federal FSMA Produce Safety Rule and provide a convenient way for California growers to connect with PSP staff. The new technology will also allow the Produce Safety Program to focus inspection efforts based on food safety risk factors to help ensure a safe and quality food supply for all consumers of California fresh produce in the state, nationally and beyond.

FDA and Partners in Southwest Growing Region Share Findings from Multi-Year Environmental Study

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This study was initiated following a 2018 E. coli O157:H7 outbreak linked to romaine lettuce from the Southwest growing region and represents one of the largest environmental microbiology research efforts to date. Multi-year environmental studies are designed to shed light on environmental conditions that could impact food safety. Having this kind of study helps reinforce the shared commitment to public health through research, science and continuous improvement to promote science-informed food safety practices.

California continues to remain engaged in food safety discussions through the diverse stakeholders represented by the California Agricultural Neighbors (CAN) efforts and by way of the California Longitudinal Study. While the study mentioned below is unique to the Southwest growing region, a One Health approach recognizes the health of people, animals and the environment are intertwined with the goal of achieving holistic health outcomes. You can learn more about California’s One Health efforts related to produce safety on the CDFA Produce Safety One Health Initiatives webpage.

From the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Constituent Update
June 5, 2024

Today the U.S. Food and Drug Administration updated its website to share preliminary findings from a multi-year environmental study of a specific growing region within the Southwest growing region conducted in partnership with the Arizona Department of Agriculture, and in conjunction with the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, the Wellton-Mohawk Irrigation and Drainage District (WMIDD), and members of the leafy greens industry. The study sought to better understand the ecology of human pathogens in the environment in the Southwest agricultural region, particularly how pathogens survive, move, and possibly contaminate produce prior to harvest, so that the agricultural community can work together to identify best practices to enhance food safety.

For More Information

Southwest Agricultural Region Environmental Microbiology Study

Click here to view the CDFA Inspection Services Blog with more details about the study and sign up for their mailing list by checking Inspection Service Blog – Latest News from Across the Division.