On September 9, 2024, Congress will be back in session in Washington, DC for the first time since early August. Yet, their return will be short lived. In an election year, Members of Congress spend all of October and early November in their states and Congressional districts. In total, Congress will be in session for […]
FDA
Summer in Saint Paul: NSAC Members Meet, Reenergize in Minnesota
NSAC members gathered once again for our annual summer Coalition meeting, this time on the banks of the Mississippi River in Saint Paul, Minnesota on August 5-8, 2024. Over the course of the meeting, NSAC members and staff strategized collectively about current campaigns and future Coalition activities. NSAC members also had the chance to hear […]
Agriculture Spending Bills Must Address Broad Demand for Research and Conservation Programs
The post highlights the critical need for increased funding in the FY2025 Agriculture Appropriations Act to support research and conservation programs vital for addressing climate challenges and supporting diverse farming operations. The post emphasizes the critical need for funding to support Conservation Technical Assistance, Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE), and the Office of Urban Agriculture to enhance resilience, profitability, and equitable access across agricultural sectors…. Read More →
Release: NSAC Welcomes FDA’s Risk Based Approach to the Final Rule on Pre-Harvest Agricultural Water
The FDA released the Final Rule on Pre-Harvest Agricultural Water, which finalizes a series of updates to Subpart E of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule. This final rule represents an impressive shift from the original one-size-fits-all approach to one that can be adapted to farms of varying types and sizes. NSAC has been actively engaged in this process, and welcomes this risk-based final rule, which reflects years of listening and learning on behalf of FDA and the broader stakeholder community…. Read More →
Everything You Need to Know About FY2024 Agriculture Appropriations
On March 8, 2024, Congress finally approved a final FY2024 Agriculture Appropriations bill. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024 funds USDA and FDA – alongside numerous other departments and agencies – through September 30, 2024. This blog post examines the food and agriculture components of the CAA and its significance amidst Congress’s delayed appropriations process. … Read More →
Comment: NSAC Responds to House Passage of FY 2023 Agriculture Spending Bill
“The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) applauds the House Appropriations Committee members for voting to support robust funding for Conservation Operations and a significant increase in Conservation Technical Assistance that farmers and ranchers need to adopt new conservation practices that improve the sustainability and profitability of their family farms.”… Read More →
COMMENT: NSAC Responds to the FDA’s Proposed Rule Regarding the Agricultural Water Provisions of the Food Safety Modernization Act
NSAC issued a comment in response to the FDA’s proposed rule published today that would revise the Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule to change certain pre-harvest agricultural water requirements for covered produce other than sprouts… Read More →
WHAT THE NEW FDA RULE MEANS FOR FARMS: PART 2
Photo shows a harvest of baby-lettuce leaves. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung…. Read More →
What the New FDA Rule Means for Farms: Part 1
Almost a decade ago, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC), along with thousands of farmers, asked Congress to make sure the new food safety measures in the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) worked for sustainable and organic farmers. Farmers were particularly concerned with the FSMA provisions around extensive traceability and recordkeeping. Fortunately, Congress listened to […]
FDA’s Draft Guidance: How to Comply with the FSMA Produce Safety Rule
The Food Safety Modernization Act’s Produce Safety Rule is complex. There are still questions about how it will be enforced for the first time and the required actions and tools farms need to comply. Some of these questions might be answered by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Draft Guidance on the Produce Safety […]
The FSMA Produce Safety Rule: An Inspection Preview
Food safety inspections on produce farms are beginning this month, but there are still questions as to what the first round of Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule inspections will look like. The fact that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will be regulating farms for the first time is concerning for many […]
Is My Operation a “Qualified Facility” Under FDA’s Preventive Controls Rules?
Are you a small food business owner interested in a partial exemption from some of the new Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) rules? Under the Preventive Controls Rules for Human and Animal Food, a “qualified facility” is exempt from the Hazard Analysis and Risk-based Preventive Controls (HARPC) and the Supply Chain Program requirements. Recently, the […]
Update: Food Safety Modernization Act Exemptions
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has published updated information for producers and small businesses trying to determine whether and to what extent they may be impacted by FDA’s new food safety rules. Exemptions to the Food Safety Modernization Act If you recall from our previous posts about FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) rules, […]
FDA Helps Businesses Assess FSMA Coverage Based on Sales
For farms and small businesses trying to determine whether and to what extent they may be impacted by the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) new food safety rules, FDA has recently published an informative website where producers can get some added assistance. If you recall from our previous posts about FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act […]
Food and Drug Administration to Simplify FSMA Water Standard
Easily the most confusing aspect of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) new food safety regulations for produce farms are the requirements relating to agricultural water use. Even with the extra time that FDA has given for producers to come into compliance with the new standards, farmers and educators alike continue to struggle with understanding […]
Does my farm have to register with FDA? 2017 Update
Over two years ago, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) reported on a proposed rule by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that would impact whether local food businesses and value-added producers had to register with FDA as “food facilities.” Since that time, FDA has finalized two rules under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) […]
GAO Reports on FSMA Implementation; Plans Needed for Evaluating Impacts on Farmers
With the new Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) regulations now finalized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the process of implementation is underway. As part of the implementation process, FDA has the responsibility to field and respond to concerns from farmers and food businesses, and to evaluate the impact of the rules on farmers […]
Additional Guidance On the FSMA Farm Definition: Farm vs. Facility Activities
Under the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), not all farms are created equal. Some farms are just farms, and fall under one set of new rules, while other farms (farm mixed-type facilities to be exact) are also deemed to be facilities and fall under an additional set of rules. As of […]
States Receive $22 Million for FSMA Produce Rule Implementation
With FDA’s new food safety rules finalized and compliance clocks ticking, one of most common questions we hear is: who is going to be enforcing these new rules on farms, and how? While many of the details surrounding how exactly the rules will be implemented remain uncertain, last week FDA took a step toward answering […]
FDA Extends Compliance Deadlines for New Food Safety Rules
This fall, many food and farm operations subject to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Food Safety Modernization Act (FMA) Preventive Controls Rule were expected to be coming into compliance with the new food safety requirements for food facilities. However, with significant confusion persisting, particularly over whether a farm is or is not a facility […]
FSMA Facility Registration Requirements Clarified for Local Food Producers
After years of ambiguity and confusion, farmers and small food enterprises primarily selling value-added products directly to consumers finally have some much-needed clarity on the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) requirements for food facility registration. On July 14, 2016, FDA finally finalized its Preventive Controls Rule, clarifying that small farms […]
FDA Final Rule Provides Needed Clarity for Local Food Producers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Sophia Kruszewski, 810-441-9947 Ferd Hoefner, 202-547-5754 FDA Final Rule Provides Needed Clarity for Local Food Producers Washington, D.C., July 13, 2016 – The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) welcomes the issuance of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) final rule amending the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) requirements for food […]
Comprehensive verification toolkit is needed domestically, too
Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared as an Op-Ed piece in Food Safety News (FSN) on June 11, 2016. The piece was written by NSAC Policy Staffer, Sophia Kruszewski in response to a June 6, 2016 piece by FSN Editor, Dan Flynn. Dan Flynn’s June 6 article in Food Safety News, “Third-party auditor certification: Not the only tool […]
Seven Major FSMA Rules Now Final
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently finalized two of the remaining major rules required by the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA): one governing shippers, carriers, and any other entity involved in transporting food (the “Transport Rule”), and another overseeing intentional acts of adulteration in the food supply (the “Intentional Adulteration Rule”). These […]