Tag: Produce Safety

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.

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.

CDFA Launches Produce Safety One Health Initiatives Webpage

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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, CDFA launched the California Longitudinal Study (CALS) in 2020 and California Agricultural Neighbors (CAN) in 2021. These actions are part of a collaborative effort across government agencies (federal, state, and local), universities, industry associations, and members of the produce, viticulture, livestock, and compost industries to initiate dialogues, address knowledge gaps, and foster enhanced produce safety practices.

The research efforts taking place in California are based on the globally supported One Health approach, a multidisciplinary systems-thinking approach that recognizes the health of people is interconnected to the health of animals, plants, and our shared environments. The One Health approach is a fundamental component of the national Healthy People initiative, released every decade since 1990 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which guides health promotion and disease prevention efforts to improve the health of the nation.

The California Longitudinal Study (CALS) is a multi-year study launched in 2020 targeted towards adaptively identifying environmental factors affecting foodborne pathogens to address knowledge gaps and assist in solutions-oriented outcomes for growers and affiliates in the agriculture industry. To accomplish this, California’s leafy green industry is collaborating with state and federal agencies, the UC Davis Western Center for Food Safety, and partners across California’s cattle, viticulture, and compost industries.

California Agricultural Neighbors (CAN) is a collaborative effort led by CDFA and the Monterey County Farm Bureau (MCFB) launched in 2021 that provides a roundtable forum to foster dialogue and neighborly practices for enhanced food safety when agriculture operations are adjacent to one another. CAN efforts are supported by the California Farm Bureau Federation, California Cattlemen’s Association, Western Growers Association, and the California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement to help with facilitation services provided by Abby Dilley, RESOLVE. The full 2022 CAN Report is available for review here.  

To learn more about California’s Produce Safety One Health Initiatives, please visit https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/producesafety/onehealthinitiatives/.