Southeastern U.S. Vegetable Crop Handbook - 2023 - 35

those proposed pre-harvest requirements and is also providing
clarifying information about the enforcement discretion policy
for the harvest and post-harvest agricultural water requirements.
The supplemental rulemaking proposes to establish the following
compliance dates for the pre-harvest agricultural water requirements
for covered produce other than sprouts:
* 2 years and 9 months after the effective date of a final rule
for very small businesses;
* 1 year and 9 months after the effective date of a final rule
for small businesses; and
* 9 months after the effective date of a final rule for all other
businesses.
More information on the FSMA PSR:
https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safety-modernization-actfsma/fsma-final-rule-produce-safety
PRODUCE
SAFETY ALLIANCE TRAINING
One important aspect of the PSR is that it establishes training
requirements. The PSR requires that at least one supervisor or
other responsible party completes a PSR food safety training.
The Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) Grower Training Course
is one way to meet this requirement. PSA training provides an
overview of GAPs and the standards set in the PSR that growers
must follow. For a list of PSA trainings visit:
Upcoming grower training:
https://producesafetyalliance.cornell.edu/training/grower-training-courses/upcoming-grower-trainings/
ON-FARM
READINESS REVIEW - NATIONAL
ASSOCIATION OF STATE DEPARTMENTS
OF AGRICULTURE
Most states are also offering a free and voluntary educational
visit called an On-Farm Readiness Review (OFRR) for farms
to assess their readiness for a PSR inspection. State contacts to
schedule an OFRR can be found on the National Association of
State Departments of Agriculture website.
Find an OFRR contact in your state:
https://www.nasda.org/nasda-foundation/about-on-farmreadiness-review/
FOOD
SAFETY AUDITS VERSUS PSR
INSPECTIONS
Food safety audits for produce growers and packers have been
around since the 1990s as an industry response to several produce
associated foodborne illness outbreaks. There are several tiers of
audits available now. USDA offers GAP/Good Handling Practice
(GHP), Harmonized GAP (aligns with PSR), and Harmonized
GAP Plus+ (aligns with both PSR and Global Food Safety Initiative
[GFSI]). These require increasing amounts of grower investment.
It is important to check with your buyers to see what they
require. By comparison, PSR inspections are another requirement
2023 Vegetable Crop Handbook for Southeastern United States
of the FSMA PSR and a relatively new concept with inspections
beginning in summer, 2019. Although the practices required for
audits and inspections are both based on GAPs, the specific practices
required, and the scope can differ. There are also some notable
differences between the two, namely:
* An audit is a way to voluntarily provide assurance to a
buyer that produce is grown to minimize food safety risks
while a PSR inspection is required by law for farms covered
by the PSR.
* Typically, an audit is conducted by an independent third
party (e.g., USDA-AMS, Quality Certification Services
(QCS), and PrimusLabs) or a produce buyer, while inspections
in the southeast are conducted by state departments of
agriculture.
* Audits tend to be expensive while there is no charge for a
PSR inspection.
* Audits require a food safety plan. While the PSR does not
require a food safety plan, a plan can be helpful in developing
a farm food safety program that will meet the PSR
requirements.
* Audits cover specific crops chosen by the grower for market
access purposes, while a PSR inspection is concerned
with PSR-covered crops and covered activities.
BUYER REQUIREMENTS
(food safety audits)
Optional
* Audit requested by grower
* Food safety plan required
* Many different options - USDA hGAP,
PrimusGFS, GlobalG.A.P., others
* Expensive - cost per hour plus
additional expenses
* Covers specific crops chosen by
growers for market access purpose
REGULATIONS
(FSMA PSR)
NOT optional
* Inspections scheduled by the State Department
of Agriculture or other officials
* NOT required; but practices and some
records are required to show inspectors
* Produce Safety Rule
* Free
* PSR-covered crops and covered
activities
FOOD SAFETY CERTIFICATION FOR
SPECIALTY CROPS PROGRAM
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) currently has a program called
Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops to provide financial
assistance for produce growers with on-farm food safety
costs on obtaining and renewing a farm food safety certification.
Since this is a reimbursement program, the expenses must have
been paid or incurred before the application date.
To be eligible for the program, fresh produce growers based
in the United States or territories must meet the definition of a
small business or very small business, which means they must
have sold less than $500,000 in the average value of specialty
crops in the past 3 years. Also, they must have obtained or renewed
their 2022 or 2023 food safety certification issued after
June 21, 2022.
Eligible expenses covered by the program include:
* Maintenance of food safety plan (75% up to $375)
35
https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safety-modernization-act-fsma/fsma-final-rule-produce-safety https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safety-modernization-act-fsma/fsma-final-rule-produce-safety https://cals.cornell.edu/produce-safety-alliance https://cals.cornell.edu/produce-safety-alliance https://www.nasda.org/nasda-foundation/about-on-farm
Southeastern U.S. Vegetable Crop Handbook - 2023

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