Colorado Produce Safety Rule Newsletter
July 2019
Welcome to the Colorado Produce Safety Rule Newsletter. As part of our continued effort to keep growers up to date on the Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule, we want to share updates and resources with you to help you better understand the regulations.
|
|
|
The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was signed into effect in 2011. The Produce Safety Rule (PSR) is one of 7 rules under FSMA that establishes science-based minimum standards for the safe growing, harvesting, packing, and holding of fruits and vegetables grown for human consumption.
|
|
Let's Dig into the Produce Safety Rule
Monthly PSR Highlight
|
|
|
Produce Safety Rule Exemptions
Not every farm is subject to the all parts of the Produce Safety. Learn more about exemptions to the Rule so that you can comply with the parts that apply to your operation.
Exemptions and modified exemptions to the PSR are based on:
- gross produce sales;
- type(s) of produce grown, harvested, packed and/or held (covered produce versus not covered);
- any commercial processing of covered produce that involves a “kill step”; and
- destination of covered produce (for personal consumption versus for sale into commerce).
Therefore, you are exempt from the requirements of the PSR if your farm meets any of the following criteria:
- Your farm has an average annual value of produce sold during the previous three-year period of $25,000 or less (for 2019 this value is $27,528).
- The produce you grow, harvest, handle and/or pack is NOT raw agricultural commodity, as defined by the FDA. This includes produce that receives commercial processing that adequately reduces the presence of microorganisms of public health significance, under certain conditions.
- All the produce you grow is rarely consumed raw as identified by FDA.
- The following produce commodities that FDA has identified as rarely consumed raw: asparagus; black beans, great Northern beans, kidney beans, lima beans, navy beans, and pinto beans; garden beets (roots and tops) and sugar beets; cashews; sour cherries; chickpeas; cocoa beans; coffee beans; collards; sweet corn; cranberries; dates; dill (seeds and weed); eggplants; figs; ginger; horseradish; hazelnuts; lentils; okra; peanuts; pecans; peppermint; potatoes; pumpkins; winter squash; sweet potatoes; and water chestnuts
- You grow food grains, including barley, dent- or flint-corn, sorghum, oats, rice, rye, wheat, amaranth, quinoa, buckwheat, and oilseeds (e.g. cotton seed, flax seed, rapeseed, soybean, and sunflower seed).
- Your produce is used exclusively for personal or on-farm consumption.
Note that, even if you are exempt from the Produce Safety Rule, you must keep records that support your exemption (i.e., that show your average annual sales of all produce fall below the $25,000 threshold, you do not grow covered produce, all produce is commercially processed, etc.).
The Rule also provides a qualified exemption and modified requirements for certain farms, which means the farm will need to comply with a modified version of the PSR. To be eligible for a qualified exemption, the farm must meet two requirements:
- The farm must have food sales (all food, not produce alone) averaging less than $500,000 per year during the previous three years; AND
- The farm’s sales to qualified end-users must exceed sales to all others combined during the previous three years. A qualified end-user is either (a) the consumer of the food or (b) a restaurant or retail food establishment that is located in the same state or the same Indian reservation as the farm or not more than 275 miles away.
A farm with a qualified exemption will not need to comply with all parts of the PSR, but they must still meet the following modified requirements:
- Record keeping:
- Keep records demonstrating sales and customer base — 3 years for rolling average calculation; and
- Review records annually to demonstrate qualification for exemption.
- Labeling
- Products that require a label must include complete business name and address; and
- If a label is not required, complete business address must be prominently displayed.
For more information please visit: www.coproducesafety.org
|
|
The link below will take you to step-by-step document to assist you in determining the degree to which you are covered under the PSR.
|
|
|
Use the Produce Safety Rule Exemption Tool for a more in depth explanation of Exemptions.
|
|
|
In October 2018, FDA released draft guidance for covered farms on how to meet the requirements for most subparts of the Produce Safety Rule. Although this guidance is not yet finalized, you can still access it at the link below for recommendations on practices and clarification of some terms and calculations used in the Federal Register text of the PSR.
|
|
Cleaning and Sanitizing Informational Video
The following video, created by North Carolina State Extension, covers training on cleaning and sanitation practices. This video can be used to train your workers about the importance of cleaning and sanitation of food contact surfaces, and developing consistent best practices to reduce risks of microbiological contamination of fresh produce (available in English and Spanish).
|
|
|
|
NC Fresh Produce Safety Trainings- Video 5: Cleaning and Sanitation Practices Training (English)
|
|
Looking for a good listen while working in the field???
|
|
|
Growers have a new educational resource to help with Produce Safety Rule compliance. The Farmers Union Produce Safety Podcast is an educational series for fruit and vegetable farmers that takes the PSA (Produce Safety Alliance) classroom learning into the field. The Podcasts are free and available for download on iTunes or online.
|
|
CSU has a new Produce Safety Specialist!
|
|
|
Cristy Dice has transitioned to be the Produce Safety Specialist for Colorado State University Extension. Cristy will focus on delivering outreach and education to producers around the state, and create resources for farmers to help them comply with the Produce Safety Rule. She will also continue to do On-Farm Readiness Reviews and coordinate with the Colorado Department of Agriculture so that education and outreach around produce safety remain a priority for Colorado growers. Her new contact information is: Cristy.L.Dice@colostate.edu or 970-491-2942.
The Colorado Department of Agriculture is in the process of hiring a new Produce Safety Program Manager. In the meantime, if you have regulatory questions about the Produce Safety Rule, please contact Mark Gallegos at 303-869-9093 or marka.gallegos@state.co.us.
|
|
Be sure to review Produce Safety Rule Compliance Dates!
|
|
|
FDA News Corner
|
|
Outbreak Investigation of Salmonella Uganda Likely Linked to Whole, Fresh Papayas, June 2019
Keep reading
Draft Guidance for Industry: Reducing Microbial Food Safety Hazards in the Production of Seed for Sprouting
Keep reading
Frequently Asked Questions on FSMA
Keep reading
Outbreak Investigation of Salmonella Infantis Linked to Del Monte Vegetable Trays, Spring 2019
Keep reading
|
|
|
**Before the compliance date, every covered farm that does not qualify for an exemption must have a supervisor (such as a farm owner/operator) complete the Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training. The training is a one time requirement for growers, you do not need attend multiple years.
|
|
Additional Opportunities
Click here for a calendar of trainings and workshops of interest to Colorado produce growers and produce safety professionals.
|
|
Produce Safety Rule Toolbox
|
|
Have a question, please contact us.
Cristy Dice
970-491-2942
Cristy.L.Dice@colostate.edu
Danielle Duni
303-869-9046
danielle.duni@state.co.us
Martha Sullins
970-491-3330
martha.sullins@colostate.edu
|
|
|
|
Funding for this newsletter was made possible, in part, by the Food and Drug Administration through grant PAR-16-137. The views expressed in written materials do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Food and Drug Administration; nor does any mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organization imply endorsement by the United States Government.
|
|
|
|
|
|
