Category: Education

Learn how the California Department of Agriculture is committed to educating California produce farmers on how to follow the Produce Safety Rule.

Produce Safety Program Offers Flooding Response Resources for California Produce Growers

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The 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 site regularly as new resources become available.

In Guidance for Industry: Evaluating the Safety of Flood-affected Food Crops for Human Consumption, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) defines flooding in the context of produce safety as the flowing or overflowing of water from sources outside a farmer’s control onto lands used to grow, harvest, pack, or hold produce. Flooding events can pose a public health risk as flood waters may contain sewage, chemicals, heavy metals, pathogenic microorganisms, and other contaminants.

If the edible portion of a crop is exposed to floodwaters, it is considered adulterated under section 402(a)(4) (21 U.S.C. 342(a)(4)) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and should not enter human food channels. For crops that were in or near flooded areas but whose edible portion did NOT contact flood waters, growers should evaluate the safety of the crops for human consumption on a case-by-case basis for possible adulteration.

If you are impacted by flooding or would like to receive more information on how to respond to flooding with regards to produce safety, please reach out to us at producesafety@cdfa.ca.gov. The CDFA Produce Safety Program can provide technical assistance to California produce growers and can help connect you with experts through the CDFA Technical Assistance Program.

How California produce farmers can prepare for Produce Safety Rule inspection

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Image of Sarah Standiford with the words "Interview with Produce Safety Program inspector gives tips on how to prepare for Produce Safety Rule inspection," with reference to the interview linked in the article and the CDFA Produce Safety Program logo

The 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 these inspections on behalf of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the steps that occur during an inspection, and tips for farmers preparing for an inspection.

“CDFA really values ‘soft skills’ in their inspectors and we understand that growers’ farms are their livelihoods,” Standiford says in the interview. “CDFA’s Produce Safety Program is here to help farms feel comfortable with the FSMA produce safety requirements and to foster compliance with the Produce Safety Rule. It’s a shared responsibility between growers, inspectors and farm employees – we all need to work together to keep our food safe.”

Click here to read the CAFF interview, “FSMA Inspection Case Study: CDFA FMSA PSP Inspector.” 

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

Save the Date – March 11 webinar offers discussion about proposed agricultural water requirements for Produce Safety Rule

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Western States Webinar on Proposed Agricultural Water Rule

Save 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 co-hosted by the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) and California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) for the western states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah.

FDA’s proposed revision, for which FDA developed an Agricultural Water Assessment Fact Sheet, is intended to address stakeholder concerns about the complexity and practical implementation of certain pre-harvest agricultural water requirements. The proposed revision does not change requirements for agricultural water used during and after harvest, or for sprouts. If enacted as proposed, the revision would introduce a systems-based, pre-harvest agricultural water assessment to evaluate potential hazards and guide risk management decision-making on the farm. Public comments about the FDA’s proposed revision may be submitted via the Federal Register until April 5, 2022.

During the webinar, CDFA Secretary Karen Ross will give opening remarks, then a subject matter expert from FDA will provide a brief overview of the proposed revision. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask FDA officials questions about the proposed revision. In California, the Produce Safety Rule is regulated on FDA’s behalf by the CDFA Produce Safety Program. Questions may be shared with presenters and hosts ahead of the webinar by submitting them to producesafety@cdfa.ca.gov. Visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WesternProposedAgWater to receive login instructions for the March 11 webinar. Participation is limited to 500 people on a first-come, first-served basis.

Schedule free On-Farm Readiness Review to ensure compliance with Produce Safety Rule

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Produce Safety Rule On-Farm Readiness Review

Are 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 years of $250,000 – $500,000) or “very small” farms (average annual gross produce sales within the last three years of $25,000 – $250,000).

OFRRs are designed to give farmers a better understanding of what they can expect from a routine Produce Safety Rule inspection. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), pursuant to the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), developed the Produce Safety Rule to regulate the production of nearly all fruits, nuts and vegetables. The Produce Safety Rule establishes a set of practices that farmers must follow that are designed to minimize the potential of foodborne illnesses. In California, CDFA’s Produce Safety Program conducts Produce Safety Rule inspections on behalf of the FDA.

Produce Safety Rule inspections are underway. To help ensure your “small” or “very small” farm is compliant, please contact CDFA’s Produce Safety Program at producesafety@cdfa.ca.gov or (916) 900-5322 to schedule an On-Farm Readiness Review (OFRR).

Food Safety E-Learning Series: attend sessions this week about production agricultural water, view previous sessions about biological soil amendments of animal origin

Posted in Announcements, Education, Regulation

Register now to attend three free, online courses starting this week about production agricultural water. These courses are part of the California Farm Food Safety E-Learning series created by the UC Davis Department of Food Science and Technology, funded by the California Department of Food and Agriculture Produce Safety Program. Also visit the UC Davis website to view session recordings from the initial sessions in this series about biological soil amendments of animal origin (BSAAO).

In all sessions, several speakers provide short presentations during a two-hour window with time dedicated to answering questions from participants. Pre-registration is required for the free sessions held online via Zoom.

The Production Agricultural Water Series starting May 13 will provide information on risks associated with production agricultural water, current best practices for agricultural water management, treatment options for agricultural water, and updates on agricultural water requirements in the Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule. This series is tailored to Californians, with specific agricultural water regulatory and enforcement information relevant to California growers.

  • Session 1: 1-3 p.m. May 13 – Assessing on-farm risks associated with agricultural water systems
  • Session 2: 1-3 p.m. May 20 – Introduction to options for treating agricultural water
  • Session 3: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. June 17 – Update on agricultural water requirements within the Produce Safety Rule (tentative topic, pending availability of proposed revisions)
  • Sign up for the free Production Agricultural Water Series here

The BSAAO Series provided information about the benefits and risks of BSAAO use during production. This series was tailored to Californians, with specific regulatory and enforcement information relevant to California growers.

Register now for California Farm Food Safety E-Learning Series about biological soil amendments of animal origin and production agricultural water

Posted in Announcements, EducationTagged

Register now for two tracks in the UC Davis Department of Food Science and Technology California Farm Food Safety E-Learning Series funded by the California Department of Food and Agriculture Produce Safety Program.

Several speakers will provide short presentations during the two-hour sessions and time will be dedicated to answering questions from participants. Pre-registration is required for the free sessions that will be held online via Zoom.  

The Biological Soil Amendments of Animal Origin (BSAAO) series will provide information about the benefits and risks of BSAAO during production. This series is tailored to Californians, with specific BSAAO regulatory and enforcement information relevant to California growers.

  • Session 1: 1-3 p.m. April 7 – Overview of BSAAO and the Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule
  • Session 2: 1-3 p.m. April 14 – Compost
  • Session 3: 1-3 p.m. April 21 – Soil amendments containing ingredients of animal origin
  • Sign up for the free BSAAO series here

The Production Agricultural Water series will provide information on risks associated with production agricultural water, current best practices for agricultural water management, treatment options for agricultural water and updates on the Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule agricultural water testing requirements. This series is tailored to Californians, with specific agricultural water regulatory and enforcement information relevant to California growers.

  • Session 1: 1-3 p.m. May 6 – Update on agricultural water and the Produce Safety Rule
  • Session 2: 1-3 p.m. May 13 – Assessing on-farm risks associated with agricultural water systems
  • Session 3: 1-3 p.m. May 20 – Introduction to options for treating agricultural water
  • Sign up for the free Production Agricultural Water series here

Visit the UC Davis California Farm Food Safety E-Learning Series webpage for more information.