How to Get a Fresh Take on the Food Safety Modernization Act

Posted by Christina Herrick|June 22, 2019

The U.S. FDA has updated its Frequently Asked Questions on the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) to include additional questions and answers related to the standards for the growing, harvesting, packing, and holding of produce for human consumption (aka, Produce Safety Rule).

The Produce Safety Rule was finalized in 2015, establishing for the first-time science-and risk-based minimum standards for the safe growing, harvesting, packing and holding of fruits and vegetables. Since that date, the FDA has been working to provide farms with information and training to help them comply with the rule’s requirements. Last October, the agency published a draft guidance to further support compliance with and implementation of the rule and made available at-a-glance overviews.

The updated FAQ includes responses to many common questions that have been received through the FSMA Technical Assistance Network (TAN).

For questions that are not covered in the FAQ, questions can be submitted to the FSMA TAN. Inquiries are answered by FDA information specialists or subject matter experts based on the complexity of the question as soon as possible.