Produce Safety Rule Implementation Nearing

The Produce Safety Rule, part of the Food Safety Modernization Act, will go into effect Jan. 26 for farms with $500,000 or more in revenue. The Food and Drug Administration has emphasized the first year will focus less on regulation and compliance and more on education and readiness. Regardless, AFBF Economist Veronica Nigh explained in a recent Newsline that produce growers need to be ready for implementation of the complex rule.

“The Produce Safety Rule sets new rules for how growers of produce have to comply in certain areas like biological soil amendments, domesticated and wild animals, worker training and health and hygiene standards, equipment, tools and buildings, and agricultural water,” said Nigh. “For those largest farms, they’re going to need to start being in compliance with all of those rules, with the exception of ag water, on Jan. 26.”