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NSAC News

FSMA

COMMENT: NSAC Responds to the FDA’s Proposed Rule Regarding the Agricultural Water Provisions of the Food Safety Modernization Act

December 2, 2021

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 →

Filed Under: Food Safety, Press Releases

FSMA: It’s Back! And Farmer Comments are Needed

February 9, 2021

We need your help to ensure farms that are not facilities are removed from the Traceability Proposed Rule, and that the rule ensures inexpensive and practical traceability for small food businesses. … Read More →

Filed Under: Carousel, Food Safety, Local & Regional Food Systems

WHAT THE NEW FDA RULE MEANS FOR FARMS: PART 2

December 10, 2020

Photo shows a harvest of baby-lettuce leaves. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung…. Read More →

Filed Under: Carousel, Food Safety

What the New FDA Rule Means for Farms: Part 1

December 1, 2020

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 […]

Filed Under: Carousel, Food Safety, Local & Regional Food Systems

Will More Produce Items Soon be Exempt from FSMA?

August 20, 2020

Over the last year and a half, many produce farmers across the country have been preparing for and going through first time produce safety rule inspections. However, not all produce farms, and not every produce item on inspected farms is subject to the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) regulations. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) […]

Filed Under: Carousel, Food Safety

Food Safety Outreach Program to Provide Additional Trainings in 2020

February 27, 2020

This is the first year small farms will be inspected if they fall under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule. Fortunately, there are a number of exceptional FSMA training programs that were recently funded by the Food Safety Outreach Program (FSOP) that will assist farmers trying to navigate the complex rules. The […]

Filed Under: Food Safety, Grants and Programs, Research, Education & Extension

A Decade After FSMA, Additional Rules Still Rolling Out

February 6, 2020

Nearly ten years after the passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is still issuing new rules. With the temporary lull in FSMA-related policy activity coming to an end, there will be renewed need for public action on FSMA rulemakings once they are issued later this year. In […]

Filed Under: Food Safety, Implementation & Rule-making

Over $7.5 Million Available for Food Safety Training and Outreach Grants

April 26, 2019

As implementation begins for the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) new Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) rules, farmers and food businesses are increasingly looking to Food Safety Outreach Program (FSOP)-funded programs for resources and training to help them come into compliance. FSOP is a federal grants program that funds community-based organizations, non-governmental organizations, cooperative extension, […]

Filed Under: Food Safety, Grants and Programs

The FSMA Produce Safety Rule: An Inspection Preview

March 5, 2019

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 […]

Filed Under: Food Safety

Stories from the Field: From Food Safety Training to Audit Day

December 6, 2018

An audit or inspection can be a nerve-racking experience for any business owner. Farmers in North and South Carolina, however, have greatly benefited from having a trusted ally – the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association (CFSA) – to help them through the process. Through their Local Produce Food Safety Initiative, CFSA, an NSAC Member, provides farmers […]

Filed Under: Food Safety

FSOP Grantees Provide Essential Trainings on Food Safety Compliance

October 23, 2018

Deadlines and inspection dates are coming up soon for many producers and business owners who need to comply with new requirements under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). Even for farmers who are exempt from FSMA requirements, private buyers often require some form of third-party food safety certification. The Food Safety Outreach Program (FSOP) helps […]

Filed Under: Food Safety, Grants and Programs

Is My Operation a “Qualified Facility” Under FDA’s Preventive Controls Rules?

September 21, 2018

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 […]

Filed Under: Food Safety, General Interest

Food Facility Registration Q&A Adds Clarity to Food Safety Requirements

September 7, 2018

The first step for most farms trying to navigate the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is to determine whether or not a specific rule applies to their farm operation. When it comes to the Preventive Controls for Human Food (“Preventive Controls”) rule, farmers now have some additional clarity on whether or not they are exempt. […]

Filed Under: Food Safety

Smaller Farms Likely to Face Higher Food Safety Compliance Costs

August 31, 2018

American producers operating smaller farms will have a higher price to pay when it comes to complying with the Food Safety Modernization Act’s (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule (“Produce Rule”), according to a recent United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research Service (ERS) report. Compliance costs for the smallest farms are estimated to be as […]

Filed Under: Food Safety

Updated Resources: Food Safety Modernization Act Flow Chart

July 27, 2018

With inspections on the Food Safety Modernization Act’s (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule slated to begin in 2019 and compliance dates for qualified food facilities coming up this September, time is of the essence for farmers and food enterprises to make sure they know whether and to what extent they are affected by the latest FSMA […]

Filed Under: Food Safety

Top Ten Reasons to Reject the House Farm Bill

April 30, 2018

1. Helps the big get bigger and rich get richer Over the last three decades, American agriculture has become increasingly consolidated. As of 2015, a majority of our food (51 percent) came from farms with over $1 million in annual sales – up 20 percent since 1991. Federal policy has historically contributed to this consolidation […]

Filed Under: Beginning and Minority Farmers, Commodity, Crop Insurance & Credit Programs, Conservation, Energy & Environment, Farm Bill, Food Safety, Grants and Programs, Local & Regional Food Systems, Nutrition & Food Access, Organic, Research, Education & Extension, Rural Development

Nearly $7 Million Available for Farmer Food Safety Training

April 19, 2018

Now that the new federal food safety requirements have finally been finalized for produce farmers and food processors, there is a critical need for targeted food safety training and outreach to get American producers and processors prepared for compliance with these new regulations. As part of its passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), […]

Filed Under: Food Safety, Grants and Programs

Update: Food Safety Modernization Act Exemptions

April 3, 2018

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, […]

Filed Under: Food Safety

Briefing Underscores Need for Farm Bill Investments in Food Safety

February 13, 2018

Food safety is always on farmers’ minds, but this year – with the Farm Bill on the horizon and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) implementing its new Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) regulations – farmers will be closely following federal food safety policy debates. Last week, farmers and food safety advocates came to Washington […]

Filed Under: Farm Bill, Food Safety

“Enforcement Discretion” Policy to Enhance Flexibility While FDA Fixes Food Safety Rules

January 8, 2018

As we enter the first year of compliance under Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) new Produce Safety Rule, introduced as part of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), producers continue to experience frustration and confusion regarding FDA’s distinction between a “farm” and a “facility.” Since the Produce Safety Rule was first introduced, this seemingly innocuous […]

Filed Under: Food Safety

Increased State Funding for FSMA Produce Rule

July 24, 2017

Now that the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) new food safety rules have been finalized and the compliance clocks have begun ticking, one of most common questions we hear at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) is: Who is going to be enforcing these new rules on farms, and how? While many of the details […]

Filed Under: Food Safety, Grants and Programs

$7 Million Available to Increase Competitiveness of Specialty Crops

June 28, 2017

The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) recently released a Request for Applications (RFA) for the Specialty Crop Multistate Program (SCMP), a component of the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. Approximately $7 million will be available to fund projects from state departments of agriculture on a competitive basis, which will in […]

Filed Under: Food Safety, Grants and Programs, Local & Regional Food Systems, Marketing and Labeling

The Challenge of Assessing Food Safety Compliance Costs

June 22, 2017

In 2006, an E. coli outbreak linked to spinach grown and packed in California resulted in the infection of nearly 200 people across the country; the outbreak was so serious that in some cases the infections resulted in deaths. This serious food safety lapse was one of the key catalysts for introducing stricter requirements for […]

Filed Under: Food Safety

FDA Helps Businesses Assess FSMA Coverage Based on Sales

May 10, 2017

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 […]

Filed Under: Food Safety, Grants and Programs

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