On April 8, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a proposed rule to amend food facility registration requirements under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). This proposed rule includes a long-awaited clarification to the definition of “retail food establishment,” which has particular importance for farms that sell products through direct-to-consumer marketing platforms. One […]
Food Safety
Bill to Thwart GMO Labeling Effort is Back
Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-KS) has reintroduced his bill that would block federal and state efforts to require the labeling of foods containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Vermont, Maine, and Connecticut have passed laws requiring GMO labeling, and many more states are currently considering similar legislation. “Right to Know” GMO labeling ballot initiatives were narrowly defeated […]
FDA Responds to Farmer Concerns Regarding Intrusive Farm Visits
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is changing the way they do certain on-farm visits, according to a recent Q&A published to the agency’s website. FDA is authorized to do what’s called “surveillance sampling” of certain products to test for bacteria and assess whether the preventive approach to food safety is working. FDA routinely […]
Farmers, Ranchers Visit DC to Speak Out on Critical Sustainable Agriculture Programs
On March 18th, independent family farmers and ranchers from all over the country traveled to DC to meet with their Congressional members to advocate for critical sustainable agriculture programs. They discussed the importance of federal funding for programs that support working lands conservation, agricultural research, and food safety outreach. Over the course of the day, the farmers met with their Senators and Representatives to discuss their personal experiences working with sustainable agriculture programs. The farmers explained how funding for these programs is an effective investment in rural economies, local food systems, and environmental improvement…. Read More →
FDA Analyzes Environmental Impacts of Produce Safety Rule
On February 10, 2015, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) held a public listening session on the recently released Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the proposed Food Safety Modernization Act rule for produce safety (Produce Rule). NSAC presented comments at the session. Background on the Environmental Review Process When FDA originally issued the proposed […]
Funding Available to Establish a National Center for Food Safety Training
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released a request for applications (RFA) to establish a National Coordination Center as part of the Food Safety Training, Education, Extension, Outreach, and Technical Assistance Grants Program. The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), signed into law in 2011, authorized the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute for […]
Top 14 of 2014: A Look at This Year’s Key Victories for Sustainable Food and Farming
As 2014 comes to a close, we thought we would take a moment to recognize and celebrate this year’s victories for sustainable food and farming. Among the successes? From new or restored farm bill programs that are up and running, important progress on our campaign priorities, hill visits and hearings, and the release of our […]
Which Farms Have to Register with FDA?
The US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) new proposed food safety rules for food facilities apply to those facilities that are required to register with the government. Hence the question of who must register as a food facility with the FDA has been central to the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) rulemaking process since it began […]
Top 10 Fixes and Fails in FDA’s Revised Draft Food Safety Rules
Did FDA fix the issues in the re-proposed food safety rules? Or is there more work to be done?… Read More →
FDA Revises Draft Food Safety Rules for Farms
On September 19, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released revised language for two major proposed rules detailing standards for farms that grow fresh produce (fruits and vegetables) and for facilities that process food for people to eat…. Read More →
Congress Extends 2014 Funding Levels through December 11
On Thursday, September 18, the Senate passed a short-term funding extension, known as a “continuing resolution” (CR), to fund the federal government through December 11. The CR extends fiscal year (FY) 2014 funding levels as well as policy provisions known as appropriations “riders.” The House passed this temporary funding measure earlier this week, and the […]
4 Important Policy Decisions that Will Impact Farmers, Food, and the Environment in 2015
Taking a look at Congress’ work over the next few months, here are four appropriations decisions that will have a major impact on farmers, food, and the environment…. Read More →
Senate Appropriators Pass 2015 Agriculture Funding Bill
What’s in the Senate bill for beginning farmers, food safety training, sustainable agriculture research, and rural communities?… Read More →
House Subcommittee Passes 2015 Agriculture Funding Bill
The House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee passed a bill to fund USDA and FDA programs in 2015… Read More →
Busy Week Ahead for USDA Funding in 2015
Next week is a big week for agriculture appropriations. On Tuesday, May 20, both the House and the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittees will debate and almost certainly pass their respective agriculture funding bills for fiscal year (FY) 2015. The full Senate Appropriations Committee will then take up the agriculture appropriations bill on Thursday, May 22. […]
NSAC Comments on Environmental Impacts of Produce Safety Rules
Today NSAC submitted supplemental comments on the scope of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will undertake in conjunction with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) proposed rule for produce safety. FDA requested comments on the range of impacts and alternatives that it should consider in the EIS. When FDA […]
Bill Introduced to Thwart State Efforts to Require GMO Labeling
The issue of labeling products that contain genetically modified (GMO) material is contentious and has faced strong opposition from many industry groups but has been backed aggressively by consumer advocacy groups. It is estimated that 80 percent of food in the United States contains at least one genetically engineered ingredient, and polls have indicated that […]
More 2015 Funding Hearings – Food Safety, Rural Development, and Marketing Programs
This week, the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee held hearings on the Obama Administration’s FY 2015 funding requests for three USDA mission areas – Food Safety, Rural Development, and Marketing and Regulatory Programs, which includes the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA). The Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee also held […]
Big Week for Animal Food Safety
As part of the implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released proposed regulations for facilities that process animal food last fall. The draft regulations propose to establish Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) and Hazard Analysis and Risk-based Preventive Controls (HARPC) requirements for animal food facilities. The public comment […]
House and Senate Consider USDA Funding Requests
The House and Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittees held a total of four hearings this week to examine the Obama Administration’s FY 2015 Budget Request. The House Subcommittee heard testimony from the heads of two USDA mission areas—Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services (FNS), and Research, Education and Economics (REE)—as well as the Food and Drug Administration […]
NSAC, Farmers Partner to Advocate on Sustainable Agriculture Funding
This week, a dozen family farmers and sustainable agriculture advocates from eight states traveled to Washington, DC to share their stories with the members of Congress who will decide on the coming year’s agricultural budget. In meetings Wednesday and Thursday, farmers called upon their legislators to invest in a more sustainable food and farm future […]
Environmental Impacts of Produce Safety Regulations
Earlier this week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) extended the comment period on the scoping process for an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that is part of the agency’s process for developing new produce safety regulations. The original deadline for submitting comments on the environmental impact scoping process was November 15, 2013, but FDA extended the […]
NSAC Submits Coexistence Comments to USDA
Yesterday, NSAC submitted comments to USDA in response to a request for information about how farmers who raise genetically engineered (GE) crops and those who don’t can better coexist as neighbors. NSAC’s was one of the over 4,000 comments that were submitted on the topic by yesterday’s deadline. The challenges associated with coexistence have significant […]
What Does the President’s 2015 Budget Mean for Sustainable Agriculture?
President Obama sent his budget proposal for 2015 to Capitol Hill yesterday. The overall spending number in the proposed budget for the next fiscal year (FY) would match the two-year budget deal Congress reached last year, though the President also includes an aspirational $56 billion add-on, which he calls the Opportunity, Growth, and Security (OGS) […]