Tag: PSP

CDFA Produce Safety Program Debuts New PSP Portal Website

Posted in AnnouncementsTagged , , , , , , ,

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 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/.

How California produce farmers can prepare for Produce Safety Rule inspection

Posted in EducationTagged , ,
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.