Food Safety – Page 2 – Produce Safety Rules!

CDFA Produce Safety Program Presents at City Farm San Luis Obispo Small Farmer Produce Safety Workshop

September 10, 2025November 5, 2025Posted in EducationTagged benjamin taylor, CDFA, educae before we regulate, educate before and while we regulate, education, Food Safety, Food Safety Modernization Act, FSMA, Produce Safety, Produce Safety Program, Produce Safety Rule, PSP

CDFA Produce Safety Program presents at city farm SLO small farmer produce workshop with 5 individuals standing in front of farm background

On August 8, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Produce Safety Program (PSP) attended the Small Farmer Produce Safety Workshop hosted by City Farm San Luis Obispo (SLO) in San Luis Obispo, CA.

PSP’s Supervisory Senior Environmental Scientist Benjamin Taylor met with local farmers to discuss the requirements of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule. Taylor covered on-farm food safety best practices and conducted a mock inspection to help farmers prepare for their first official regulatory inspections.

Taylor also shared information on several of CDFA’s no-cost food safety education services including Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) Grower Trainings in partnership with CDFA Farm to School Network, On-Farm Readiness Reviews (OFRRs), and technical assistance through the CDFA Technical Assistance Program (TAP).

If interested in partnering with CDFA PSP on a food safety training event or to learn more about our no-cost food safety services, 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/.

CDFA Recognizes September as National Food Safety Education Month

September 3, 2025September 3, 2025Posted in EducationTagged CDFA, Food Safety, Food Safety Modernization Act, FSMA, Produce Safety, Produce Safety Program, Produce Safety Rule, PSP

CDFA Produce Safety Program and Food Safety Education Month logos above photo collage of CDFA staff members at various food safety education events

CDFA recognizes September as National Food Safety Education Month with a continuing commitment to food safety education across California.

For example, the CDFA Produce Safety Program’s goals are to “educate before and while we regulate,” and to support California produce farmers in understanding how to comply with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule.

Earlier this year, Produce Safety Program staff engaged with multiple partners, stakeholders and conferences across California to discuss food safety topics, including the new Pre-Harvest Agricultural Water Final Rule.

Additional opportunities to engage with CDFA’s Produce Safety Program include:

An October 21 produce safety webinar hosted by the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources
Free Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training Courses, including for grantees of the CDFA California Farm to School Incubator Grant Program
Free On-Farm Readiness Reviews to help producers comply with the FSMA Produce Safety Rule
Training offered in multiple languages through the CDFA Technical Assistance Program

If interested in partnering with CDFA’s Produce Safety Program on a food safety training event, please contact producesafety@cdfa.ca.gov.

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

UCANR Hosts Free Monthly Produce Safety Webinars

July 29, 2025July 29, 2025Posted in Announcements, EducationTagged CDFA, Food Safety, Food Safety Modernization Act, free training, free webinar, FSMA, Produce Safety, Produce Safety Program, Produce Safety Rule, PSP, ucanr, university of california

The University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UCANR) is hosting a series of free monthly produce safety webinars August 19, 2025 – June 16, 2026. The lunchtime produce safety webinar series is noon to 2 p.m. Pacific Time on the third Tuesday of each month.

A guest speaker will join each webinar to provide a 1-1.5-hour presentation on food safety-related topics followed by questions from attendees and a general discussion.

These webinars will be held online via Zoom. The Zoom link will be the same each month and provided when you register. There will be no webinar in December. Webinars will be recorded and archived for on-demand access.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Produce Safety Program will be joining the UCANR team during the webinar on October 21, 2025, to present on the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule (PSR) inspection process, what to expect, and how to prepare for an inspection.

To view the full upcoming schedule and register for the webinar series, please visit the UCANR Month Produce Safety Webinars website.

Additional produce safety resources are available on the UC Small Farm Food Safety website.

CDFA Offers Food Safety Training for Farm to School Network Producers and Handlers

July 1, 2025Posted in Announcements, EducationTagged CDFA, Farm to Fork, Farm to School, Food Safety, FSMA, Grower Training, Produce, Produce Safety, Produce Safety Alliance, Produce Safety Program, Produce Safety Rule, PSA Grower Training, PSP

CDFA PSP and CDFA F2S logos above Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training Information and Produce Images

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Produce Safety Program is partnering with the CDFA Office of Farm to Fork to provide Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) Grower Training Courses at no cost to California Farm to School Network produce growers and handlers. The free training also is open to all interested California produce growers and handlers.

The PSA Grower Training Course covers Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule requirements that set food safety standards for the production of fresh fruits, vegetables and tree nuts. It also covers good agricultural practices for the enhanced safety of fresh, nutritious and wholesome produce supplied to local schools and communities across the state.

Courses are July 22-23, 2025, and September 23-24, 2025, via Zoom with live instructors to provide statewide accessibility. Each registered course participant will receive a training manual and informational handouts. Upon course completion, participants are eligible to receive a Certificate of Course Completion from the Association of Food and Drug Officials. Completion of the PSA Grower Training Course fulfills the FSMA Produce Safety Rule requirement 21 CFR 112.22(c) that states “at least one supervisor or responsible party from your farm must have successfully completed food safety training equivalent to that received under a standardized curriculum recognized as adequate by the Food and Drug Administration.”

Additional course dates will be announced on an ongoing basis. To learn more and register for an upcoming course, please visit www.cdfa.ca.gov/producesafety/growertraining/.

CDFA’s California Farm to School Network endeavors to source school meals from regional farms and educate students about food to ensure California students have access to fresh, nutritious, locally sourced produce. This initiative is an interagency, multi-pronged effort to reimagine school meals while benefitting students, the environment, local farmers and local economies. CDFA’s Produce Safety Program (PSP) conducts on-farm inspections on behalf of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to verify FSMA Produce Safety Rule compliance. PSP’s “educate before and while we regulate” goal helps California produce growers and handlers understand enhanced produce safety practices.

CDFA Produce Safety Program Presents on FSMA Agricultural Water Final Rule Across California

June 26, 2025Posted in Education, Implementation, UncategorizedTagged agricultural water requirements, agricultural water rule, angela terrazas, california produce, CDFA, CDFA PSP, Food Safety, FSMA, fsma ag water rule, FSMA Agricultural Water Final Rule, margaret castro, outreach, Pre-Harvest Agricultural Water Rule, Produce Safety, Produce Safety Program, Produce Safety Rule, PSP, PSP Portal, training, workshop

California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Produce Safety Program (PSP) staff traveled across California this spring to present to stakeholders on the new Pre-Harvest Agricultural Water Final Rule requirements and inspection-related topics under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule (PSR).

PSP’s Produce Safety Rule and Outreach Specialist Angela Terrazas and Central Coast Field Inspector Maggie Castro attended the 2025 Western Food Safety Conference in Salinas May 6 – 7 to share with conference attendees educational resources to support compliance with the FSMA PSR. Terrazas presented on the FSMA Pre-Harvest Agricultural Water Final Rule requirements and what growers can anticipate during inspections in California to gain actionable insights into meeting compliance standards and ensuring safe agricultural water use for fresh produce.

Between April and May, CDFA PSP partnered with the Western Tree Nut Association, CDFA Technical Assistance Program and University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) to provide in-person workshops across California, spanning from Glenn County to Kern County, focusing on the FSMA Pre-Harvest Agricultural Water Final Rule for growers and handlers of California tree nuts. PSP’s Terrazas, Training and Standardization Specialist Briana Russell and Central Valley (North) Field Inspector Carolyn Chandler provided attendees guidance on how the new requirements apply to their operations and how to prepare for a FSMA PSR inspection.

On June 10, Terrazas attended a Ventura County Food Safety Association meeting to present on the FSMA Pre-Harvest Agricultural Water Fine Rule requirements. Terrazas answered water safety questions and provided attendees with educational resources to support FSMA PSR compliance.

Visit the CDFA PSP blog post and FDA webpage for more information about the FSMA Final Rule on Pre-Harvest Agricultural Water. If interested in a PSP presentation, please contact producesafety@cdfa.ca.gov.

Pictured: (Left, L-R) PSP’s Angela Terrazas and Maggie Castro host a conference booth at the 2025 Western Food Safety Conference in Salinas, CA. (Middle) Terrazas presents to 2025 Western Food Safety Conference attendees on agricultural water safety requirements. (Top Right, L-R) PSP’s Briana Russell and Terrazas present to workshop attendees in Madera, CA. (Bottom Right) Terrazas presents to Ventura County Food Safety Association attendees in Santa Paula, CA.

Are You Prepared for the Pre-Harvest Agricultural Water Requirements?

April 23, 2025Posted in Education, Implementation, RegulationTagged agricultural water requirements, agricultural water rule, CDFA, Food Safety, Food Safety Modernization Act, FSMA, fsma psr, pre-harvest agricultural water, Pre-Harvest Agricultural Water Final Rule, Pre-Harvest Agricultural Water Rule, Produce Safety Program, Produce Safety Rule, PSP, psr

CDFA Produce Safety Program Logos above Pre-Harvest Agricultural Water Rule Resources text in front of a produce field irrigated with overhead sprinklers

The compliance date for the pre-harvest agricultural water requirements of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule (PSR) has begun for Large Farms^[1] starting on April 7, 2025. Compliance dates for Small Farms^[2] and Very Small Farms^[3] will follow in 2026 and 2027, respectively.

Pre-Harvest Agricultural Final Rule Compliance Dates

Large Farms: April 7, 2025
Small Farms: April 6, 2026
Very Small Farms: April 5, 2027

Resources including educational materials, Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) Grower Trainings, On-Farm Readiness Reviews and the California Department of Agriculture (CDFA) Technical Assistance Program are available to assist you with preparing for the pre-harvest agricultural water requirements.

Educational Resource Materials

TEMPLATE: PSA Recordkeeping Templates (PDF Version) | (Editable Word Version)
TEMPLATE: FDA Agricultural Water Assessment Builder, Web-Based
TEMPLATE: FDA Agricultural Water Assessment Builder, Paper-Based
WEBSITE: FDA Final Rule on Pre-Harvest Agricultural Water
WEBINAR: FDA Webinar on the FSMA Final Rule on Pre-Harvest Agricultural Water
FDA FACT SHEET: Agricultural Water Assessment (English)
FDA FACT SHEET: Expanded Table on Factors for Agricultural Water Assessment to Consider
FDA FACT SHEET: Annual Agricultural Water Assessments and Risk-Based Outcomes
FDA FACT SHEET: Corrective and Mitigation Measures for Pre-harvest Agricultural Water for Non-Sprout Covered Produce
Electronic Code of Federal Regulations: Subpart E Agricultural Water

Produce Safety Alliance Grower Trainings

The current PSA Grower Training Course curriculum includes the new pre-harvest agricultural water rule requirements.

The CDFA Produce Safety Program (PSP) offers PSA Grower Training courses at no cost for all California residents. If you have not yet completed a PSA Grower Training course or would like to receive a refresher, please visit https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/producesafety/growertraining/ for course dates.

PSA is also hosting update webinars at no cost for past course participants to understand the new pre-harvest agricultural water requirements. A certificate of completion will be emailed to webinar participants who attend one full session (only one session needs to be attended). Registration is required and participants must join the webinar within 15 minutes of the start time to receive a certificate. Participants can download handouts (English) | (Spanish) to take notes. If you have any questions on these webinars, please contact the PSA team at psatrainers@cornell.edu.

Upcoming live webinars in English:

May 8, 2025, 9AM – 11AM PT. Register Here.
July 10, 2025, 11AM – 1PM PT. Register Here.

Upcoming live webinars in Spanish:

June 5, 2025, 9AM – 11AM PT. Register Here.
Aug 13, 2025, 8AM – 10AM PT. Register Here.

Pre-recorded PSA webinars:

On-Farm Readiness Reviews

Produce growers and handlers that have not yet undergone their initial PSR inspections are encouraged to request an On-Farm Readiness Review (OFRR) to aid in their preparation process.

An OFRR is a free, voluntary, customized assessment conducted before an initial regulatory inspection that includes a farm walk-around and one-on-one conversations with CDFA PSP staff to discuss how the PSR applies to your operation in a confidential, educational format.

OFRRs can be requested by emailing producesafety@cdfa.ca.gov. Additional information on OFRRs can be found on our OFRR Blog Post.

CDFA Technical Assistance Program

Produce growers and handlers can receive one-on-one technical assistance at no cost by requesting to be connected to the CDFA Technical Assistance Program (TAP). CDFA TAP is a service that offers educational resources and food safety support for produce operators in California.

CDFA TAP participants will be connected to a Technical Assistance Provider from the University of California Cooperative Extension team who can provide customized support on pre-harvest agricultural water rule compliance and inspection preparation.

Request CDFA TAP support by emailing producesafety@cdfa.ca.gov and learn more at https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/is/technicalassistance/.

What is Pre-Harvest Agricultural Water?

Pre-Harvest Agricultural Water refers to water used during growing activities where water is intended to, or is likely to, contact covered produce or food contact surfaces.

Examples of growing activities can include irrigation, crop sprays, fertigation, cooling, frost protection, dust abatement and any other uses where water directly contacts produce or food contact surfaces.

Covered produce means produce that is subject to the requirements of the Produce Safety Rule including the harvestable or harvested part of the crop.

Background on the Pre-Harvest Agricultural Water Final Rule

On May 6, 2024, 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 moves from an emphasis on testing pre-harvest water to performing an agricultural water assessment. It does not change existing agricultural water requirements for sprouts or harvest and post-harvest water uses. The final rule went into effect on July 5, 2024.

If you have questions about the Produce Safety Rule, please contact producesafety@cdfa.ca.gov.
To stay up to date with news related to the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Produce Safety Program, sign up for the Produce Safety Program Mailing List by checking the Inspection Services Division (ISD) / Produce Safety box
To learn more about CDFA’s Produce Safety Program, please visit https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/producesafety/

^[1]Under the FSMA Produce Safety Rule, farms sizes are classified by the average annual gross produce sales adjusted for inflation over a 3-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.

^[2] “Small” farms have average annual produce sales above $250,000 and up to $500,000 adjusted for inflation.

^[3] “Very Small” farms have average annual produce sales above $25,000 and up to $250,000 adjusted for inflation.