Produce Safety Rule – Page 2 – Produce Safety Rules!

National Food Safety Education Month: Celebrating the Success of CDFA’s Produce Safety Program

September 17, 2025September 18, 2025Posted in EducationTagged CDFA, Food Safety, Food Safety Modernization Act, FSMA, National Food Safety Education Month, Produce Safety, Produce Safety Program, Produce Safety Rule, PSP

National Food Safety Education Month and CDFA Produce Safety Program Logos in the center of image. Three CDFA inspectors to the left of the logos. Farmer holding box of strawberries to the right of the logos.

CDFA joins the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in recognizing September as National Food Safety Education Month, with a continued commitment to supporting produce safety and education across California.

Produce safety is a high priority in California. The Golden State’s hardworking farmers produce nearly half of the country’s vegetables and over three-quarters of the country’s fruits and nuts.

In 2018, the CDFA Produce Safety Program was created in response to the groundbreaking Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule, which established science-based federal minimum standards for the safe growing, harvesting, packing, and holding of fresh produce for human consumption.

The Produce Safety Program has grown from four initial inspectors in 2018 to 12 inspectors and specialists today, resulting in the inspection of 3,045 farms or ranches and more than 300 produce commodities to date.

The Produce Safety Program also provides free food safety education, ranging from Produce Safety Alliance Grower Trainings to On-Farm Readiness Reviews to help producers with compliance. Much-needed technical support offered in multiple languages through the CDFA Technical Assistance Program.

To learn more about CDFA’s Produce Safety Program, please visit the program webpage or contact producesafety@cdfa.ca.gov.

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

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.