Food safety is important for everybody who grows produce. However, if you sell more than $25,000/year (in 2015 dollars), on average, over three years, then you should be aware of a new rule that may apply to you.

(Backyard market gardeners and school gardeners--we've got info for you, too!)




Field of leafy greens. Photo: Annalisa Hultberg

It’s called the Produce
Safety Rule, and it is one part of
the new Food Safety
Modernization Act, or FSMA.

FSMA is the first major overhaul to the US food system since 1938, and it is intended to prevent, rather than just react to food-borne illness outbreaks.

Raw produce can make us sick

Food-borne illness outbreaks can occur when foods such as raw
produce are contaminated with microbial pathogens. Microbial pathogens are organisms
that can make people sick. Examples of food-borne illness pathogens include Salmonella bacteria or norovirus. 


A
recent example of a food-borne illness outbreak in produce occurred in the
summer of 2018, when romaine lettuce grown near Yuma, Arizona, was contaminated with
toxic E. coli bacteria. At least 210
people in 36 states were sickened and five people died, including two deaths in
Minnesota.



Cooking and some other forms of food processing can kill microbial
pathogens. 

Because produce is often consumed raw, the Produce Safety Rule is
intended to help growers prevent
outbreaks by incorporating Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), or actions that growers
can take to minimize the risk of contamination from sources such as dirty
irrigation water, animals, or sick workers.




Manure from livestock can be a source of contamination in fresh produce.




Who does the Produce Safety Rule apply to?
The FSMA Produce Safety Rule regulation only applies to some farms; many small farms may be
excluded or exempt from the FSMA Produce Safety Rule. Exclusions and exemptions
are based on the types of produce grown, total annual sales of produce, and
where and to whom the food is sold. Follow this
link to learn more about
whether or not you may be covered by the Produce Safety Rule.





For example, growers who sell the majority of their produce
directly to customers at a farmers’ market or to a food co-op are likely not
covered by the rule, but those who sell most of their produce to food hubs or
other food distributors may be. However, you may still need to retain sales
records even if you are not fully covered by the rule based on your sales outlets. 




Leafy greens with drip irrigation. Photo: Anne Sawyer


I might be covered by the Produce Safety Rule.
Now what?

University of Minnesota Extension, the Minnesota Department of
Agriculture Produce
Safety Program and other partners
have been working hard to develop a statewide program to help Minnesota farmers
and growers understand and comply with the FSMA Produce Safety Rule.



In the winter of 2017-18 we held five FSMA Produce Safety Rule
training workshops, and this winter we have scheduled 14 trainings around the
state. You can learn more about these trainings as well as register for one
near you by clicking here.



If your farm is covered by the FSMA Produce Safety Rule, attending
one of these trainings satisfies the FSMA Produce Safety Rule requirement. The requirement states that
at least one supervisor or responsible party for your farm must attend a food
safety training recognized as adequate by the Food and Drug Administration. 

 

Extension educators work with growers to minimize food safety risks. Photo: Anne Sawyer



 Everyone who grows fruits and veggies can learn more about growing safe food!

All growers of fresh fruits and vegetables are welcome and
encouraged to take a Produce Safety Rule Training. For example, do you wash your hand thoroughly before you pick your fruit and vegetables? 

While these trainings focus
heavily on the Produce Safety Rule, they also provide a great overview of
critical topics that are becoming even more important to the fresh produce
industry.



However, Extension’s On-Farm
Food Safety Team
also provides other opportunities for growers of all sizes, from backyard
market growers and school gardens to large commercial growers, to learn
more about produce safety.



We offer GAPs education assistance and training (separate from
the Produce Safety Rule training) and we can help you develop a Food Safety
Plan or prepare for a third-party GAP audit (GAP audits are voluntary,
market-driven food safety audits that can allow growers to sell into larger
markets such as to food distributors or into schools).



If you have questions or would like to learn more about FSMA,
GAPs, Produce Safety, or food safety plans and audits, you can reach us at
[email protected] or visit:  https://extension.umn.edu/safety/growing-safe-food.



Author: Anne Sawyer, Extension Educator in On-Farm Food Safety

Ver todos los episodios