Today, NSAC launched a campaign to improve deeply flawed federal food safety regulations that will have a huge impact on farmers and the availability of high-quality local food products.  The NSAC campaign provides farmers, concerned consumers, and farm, food, and public health organizations with information and resources to be able to effectively comment on the proposed regulations.

The deadline for public comments to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on the proposed rules is November 15 – just over six weeks away.

The regulations are part of the implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) passed by Congress in 2010.  The regulations set new standards for produce farms and new requirements for food facilities – including farms – that handle or process food for human consumption.  FDA is proposing standards that undermine sustainable and organic production practices, subject many farms to regulations designed for industrial facilities, and may well prove too costly for farmers to implement and stay in business.  Given the magnitude of the problems with the rules, NSAC is calling on FDA to issue a new, heavily revised set of proposed rules for both produce farms and preventive controls in facilities.

Information about the proposed regulations, who is affected, and what the top issues are, as well as instructions for how to submit comments to FDA are available at NSAC’s FSMA Action Center.

FDA released the proposed regulations in January of this year and has extended the public comment deadline twice.  The deadline for public comments on the proposed regulations for produce safety and for food facilities is November 15, 2013. FDA must respond to all public comments properly submitted by the deadline.